buenas noches
/ˌbwenas ˈnot͡ʃes/
The English phrase 'hello at night' is translated into Spanish as buenas noches.
Buenas noches is a versatile phrase used to say hello, good evening or good night. It is used both as a greeting when arriving and as a farewell when leaving.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to 'good nights' (plural).
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, which distinguishes between 'good evening' (greeting) and 'good night' (farewell), buenas noches covers both functions in Spanish.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the feminine plural adjective buenas to agree with the feminine plural noun noches.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwenas ˈnotʃes/
Did you know?
- The phrase buenas noches is often accompanied by a light touch on the shoulder or a kiss on the cheek in social settings in Spain and Latin America.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, you might hear a shopkeeper say buenas noches even if it is only 6:00 PM. This is because the greeting is tied to the absence of sunlight rather than a specific clock time.
- While buenas noches is the standard, in some Caribbean regions, you may hear people simply say buenas as a shortened greeting at any time of day.
Examples in context
- Buenas noches, ¿cómo estás?Good evening, how are you?
- Buenas noches a todos.Good night to everyone.
- Hola, buenas noches, señora.Hello, good evening, ma'am.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía meet in a restaurant late in the evening.
- JavierBuenas noches, Sofía.Good evening, Sofía.
- SofíaHola, Javier, ¿qué tal?Hello, Javier, how is it going?
- JavierMuy bien, gracias.Very well, thanks.
- SofíaYo también estoy bien.I am also well.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry buenas noches, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
