que pases una buena noche
/ke pases una bwena not͡ʃe/from spelling rules
To say "have a goodnight" in Spanish, you use que pases una buena noche.
This phrase is used to wish someone a pleasant night as they are leaving or going to sleep. While que pases una buena noche is a specific wish for the duration of the night, the standard and more common way to say "good night" as a general farewell is buenas noches.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "may you spend a good night".
Which one should you use?
While que pases una buena noche is a wish for the duration of the night, buenas noches is the standard greeting or farewell used more broadly.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, it is common to use Que duermas bien to bid someone a goodnight. In Spain, Que tengas dulces sueños is commonly used to convey goodnight wishes in a more poetic way.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase que pases una buena noche, the verb pases is in the subjunctive mood to express a wish.
Did you know?
- The word que in your phrase shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'who'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, wishing someone 'sweet dreams' with Que tengas dulces sueños is often seen as more intimate or affectionate than a standard farewell.
- Because que pases una buena noche uses the subjunctive mood, it sounds more like a heartfelt prayer or a sincere wish than a simple statement.
Examples in context
- Que pases una buena noche en el hotel.Have a good night at the hotel.
- Adiós, que pases una buena noche.Goodbye, have a good night.
- Que pases una buena noche con tu familia.Have a good night with your family.
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are leaving a restaurant after dinner.
- MateoFue una cena muy agradable, Sofía.It was a very pleasant dinner, Sofía.
- SofíaSí, Mateo, me divertí mucho.Yes, Mateo, I had a lot of fun.
- MateoQue pases una buena noche.Have a good night.
- SofíaIgualmente, ¡hasta pronto!You too, see you soon!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries noche, que, una, CC BY-SA 4.0.
