natt
/natː/common gender
The English word 'night' is translated into Swedish as natt.
natt refers to the period between sunset and sunrise. To say 'at night', you use the phrase på natten. Depending on the tense of the verb used in your sentence, the phrase i natt can mean either 'tonight' or 'last night'.
Meaning: period between sunset and sunrise (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You may encounter the colloquial form gonatt. This is an informal shortening of god natt used specifically when saying goodbye to someone before they go to sleep.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
natt is a common-gender noun. Its definite form is natten (the night), and its plural form is nätter (nights). If you are referring to specific nights, use the definite plural nätterna (the nights). To indicate possession, use the genitive form nattens (the night's).
How do you pronounce it?
/natː/
Did you know?
- In Swedish folklore, the nattmara was a malicious spirit that sat on people's chests at natt to cause nightmares, which is where the English word 'mare' in 'nightmare' originates.
- In the far north of Sweden, the sun may not rise at all for several weeks in winter, creating a period called polarnatt or 'polar night'.
- Swedes use the phrase nattmössa to refer to a 'nightcap', which historically was a fabric cap worn to keep the head warm during sleep.
Examples in context
- Jag sa god natt.I said good night.This sentence shows how to use natt in the context of saying good night.Tatoeba #4357634 by richke, translation #2405824 by CK
- Hon dog i går natt.She died last night.This sentence demonstrates the use of natt to refer to the previous night.Tatoeba #3721115 by herrsilen, translation #3756455 by Lindoula
- Det var en lugn natt.It was a calm night.This sentence provides an example of using natt to describe a quality of the night.Tatoeba #5384935 by JanErikJ, translation #4590839 by Muelisto
- 66 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Linnea and Erik are talking about their sleep.
- LinneaSov du bra i natt?Did you sleep well last night?
- ErikNej, jag var vaken hela natt.No, I was awake all night.
- LinneaVad hände under natten?What happened during the night?
- ErikDet var bara för varmt.It was just too warm.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “night” translations and entries natt, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
