je t'aime, bonne nuit
To say "I love you goodnight" in French, you use je t'aime, bonne nuit.
This phrase is used to express affection to someone before they go to sleep. You can enhance the phrase with terms of endearment, such as adding mon amour (my love) or mon chéri/ma chérie (my darling).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of je t'aime (I love you) and bonne nuit (good night).
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to more than one person or using the formal vous address, you should use je vous aime, bonne nuit instead of je t'aime, bonne nuit. Additionally, be careful with the word bien. Adding it to create je t'aime bien, bonne nuit actually weakens the meaning from "I love you" to "I like you".
Did you know?
- Using je t'aime exclusively for a spouse or partner is more common in France than in English, where 'I love you' is used more freely for parents and siblings.
- In some French regions, a kiss on each cheek, known as la bise, is the customary physical gesture that accompanies bonne nuit when saying it to family.
- While 'bonne nuit' is the standard way to wish someone a good night, the French also use the phrase fais de beaux rêves (make beautiful dreams) as a common, affectionate way to follow up a goodnight wish.
Examples in context
- Je t'aime, bonne nuit, mon cœur.I love you, goodnight, my sweetheart.
- Je t'aime, bonne nuit, fais de beaux rêves.I love you, goodnight, sweet dreams.
- Dors bien, je t'aime, bonne nuit.Sleep well, I love you, goodnight.
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are saying goodbye before bed.
- ManonJe vais me coucher, à demain !I'm going to bed, see you tomorrow!
- GabrielD'accord, repose-toi bien.Okay, get some good rest.
- ManonJe t'aime, bonne nuit, Gabriel.I love you, goodnight, Gabriel.
- GabrielMoi aussi, je t'aime, bonne nuit Manon.Me too, I love you, goodnight Manon.
