晚安
wǎn'ān
In Chinese, 'have a goodnight' is expressed as 晚安 (wǎn'ān).
The most widely used way to say 'goodnight' in Chinese is 晚安. This phrase is used to say goodbye or to wish someone a good sleep at the end of the day. To express the idea of 'have a good sleep' among friends and family, you can use 睡個好覺. Another casual way to wish someone a goodnight is the expression 好好休息, which means 'rest well'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 晚安 is composed of 晚 (wǎn), meaning 'evening' and 安 (ān), meaning 'peace' or 'safety'.
Which one should you use?
Unlike the English 'good night', which can sometimes be used as a sarcastic or dismissive way to end a conversation, 晚安 is almost always sincere and polite.
How do you pronounce it?
wǎn'ān
Did you know?
- The character 安 is often visually associated with a woman under a roof, illustrating the concept of 'peace' as being sheltered and protected.
- While 晚安 is common, lovers in China often use the more intimate 安安 as a cute or 'baby-talk' version of goodnight.
- In some digital contexts, particularly in internet slang, young people may use the single character 安 as a shorthand for 'goodnight' or even as a way to say 'peace'.
Examples in context
- 明天有重要的會議，祝您晚安好夢！(míng tiān yǒu zhòng yào de huì yì, zhù nín wǎn ān hǎo mèng!)There's an important meeting tomorrow, I wish you a goodnight and sweet dreams!
- 睡個好覺，不要太晚玩遊戲！(shuì gè hǎo jué, bú yào tài wǎn wán yóu xì!)Have a good sleep, don't play games too late!
- 大家，晚安。Dàjiā, wǎn'ān.Goodnight, everyone.
- 我先睡了，晚安。Wǒ xiān shuì le, wǎn'ān.I'm going to sleep now, goodnight.
Example conversation
A couple is saying goodbye over a video call before bed.
- 伟 Wei佳怡，今天聊得很开心。Jiāyí, jīntiān liáo de hěn kāixīn.Jiayi, I really enjoyed chatting today.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我也是，伟，晚安。Wǒ yě shì, Wěi, wǎn'ān.Me too, Wei, goodnight.
- 伟 Wei晚安，明天见。Wǎn'ān, míngtiān jiàn.Goodnight, see you tomorrow.
- 佳怡 Jiayi明天见。Míngtiān jiàn.See you tomorrow.
