おやすみなさい
oyasuminasai
The Japanese phrase for "good night" is おやすみなさい (oyasuminasai).
The phrase is used as a farewell.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
Which one should you use?
おやすみなさい is the standard polite form, while おやすみ and お休み are shorter, more casual versions.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
おやすみなさい is a polite expression suitable for most formal situations or when speaking to superiors. In contrast, おやすみ is the informal version used with friends and family and お休み is also a casual form of おやすみなさい.
How do you pronounce it?
oyasuminasai
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the polite suffix 'nasai' in おやすみなさい functions similarly to a gentle command, making the phrase a polite way of saying 'please rest'.
- The word 'yasumi' in おやすみなさい is the same word used for 'holiday', 'vacation', or 'break'.
- Using おやすみなさい to a person who is not going to sleep, such as a colleague leaving the office, can sound strange because it implies they are going to bed.
Examples in context
- おやすみなさい、ママ。Good night, Mom.This sentence shows how to use おやすみなさい when speaking to your mother.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 use おやすみなさい when speaking to your father.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 demonstrates the use of both おやすみなさい and the informal おやすみ in a dialogue.Tatoeba #9553728 by small_snow, translation #9553722 by shekitten
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are ending a late-night phone call.
- 蓮 Renもう遅いから、そろそろ寝るね。mou osoi kara, sorosoro neru ne.It's late, so I'm going to sleep soon.
- 陽葵 Himariそうだね。おやすみなさい、蓮。sou dane. oyasuminasai, ren.You're right. Good night, Ren.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵も、ゆっくり休んでね。himari mo, yukkuri yasunde ne.You too, get some good rest, Himari.
- 陽葵 Himariうん、おやすみなさい。un, oyasuminasai.Yeah, good night.
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.
