おやすみなさい
oyasuminasai
In Japanese, the phrase for "good night" is おやすみなさい (oyasuminasai).
おやすみなさい is used exclusively as a farewell when someone is going to bed or leaving for the night. It is not used as a greeting upon arrival.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
おやすみなさい is the polite version used with superiors, elders or in formal settings. The shortened form おやすみ is the casual version used with friends, family or people of equal or lower status. Additionally, Ja, oyasumi is an informal way of saying good night similar to "nighty night".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai dialect, O-ya-su is an informal way to say good night.
How do you pronounce it?
oyasuminasai
Did you know?
- While おやすみなさい sounds like a simple farewell, it is actually an imperative form of a verb, meaning you are politely telling the other person to 'please rest'.
- The verb root in おやすみなさい is also used to describe 'closed' days for businesses, such as a shop being on a 'rest day' 定休日.
- Saying おやすみなさい functions as a social cue that signals the formal end of an interaction. It is not just a polite wish, but a clear indicator that the speaker intends for no further conversation to take place for the evening.
Examples in context
- おやすみなさい、ママ。Good night, Mom.This sentence shows how to say good night to a mother using おやすみなさい.Tatoeba #227480 by bunbuku, translation #64833 by shanghainese
- パパ、おやすみなさい。Good night, Dad.This sentence shows how to say good night to a father using おやすみなさい.Tatoeba #11848292 by small_snow, translation #11790316 by CM
- 「トム、おやすみなさい」「メアリー、おやすみ」"Good night, Tom." "Good night, Mary."This sentence illustrates a dialogue using both the polite form おやすみなさい and the casual form おやすみ.Tatoeba #9553728 by small_snow, translation #9553722 by shekitten
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are finishing a phone call late at night.
- 健太 Kentaそろそろ寝るね。Sorosoro neru ne.I'm going to sleep soon.
- 美咲 Misakiうん、おやすみなさい。Un, oyasuminasai.Okay, good night.
- 健太 Kentaまた明日ね。Mata ashita ne.See you tomorrow.
- 美咲 Misakiまた明日。Mata ashita.See you tomorrow.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry おやすみなさい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
