dormi bene
To say "sleep well" in Italian, use dormi bene.
dormi bene is a phrase used to wish someone a good night's rest. While it is a direct wish for quality sleep, it is often used interchangeably with buonanotte (good night) in casual settings.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is derived from the infinitive verb dormire (to sleep) and the adverb bene (well).
How does it change in a sentence?
To tell more than one person to sleep well, use the plural imperative dormite bene.
When do people say it?
A very common and natural accompaniment to dormi bene is sogni d'oro, which literally means 'dreams of gold'. While dormi bene is used for sleep, the phrase Buona notte e sogni d'oro is the most common way to say 'goodnight and sweet dreams'. You might also use the friendly and colloquial Riposati to say 'rest well'.
Did you know?
- There is a common Italian expression dormire come un ghiro, which means 'to sleep like a dormouse'. This is the local equivalent of the English 'to sleep like a log'.
- In many Italian households, rather than just wishing someone to sleep well, people might say fai la nanna, a highly affectionate and childlike way to say 'go to sleep'.
- The word bene in dormi bene shares the same Latin root as the English word 'benefit', as both stem from the idea of doing or being 'good'.
Examples in context
- Non dormi bene la notte?Don't you sleep well at night?This sentence shows how to use dormi bene in a question about sleeping well at night.Tatoeba #8220609 by Guybrush88, translation #68888 by CK
- Dormi bene stanotte. Sogni d'oro.Sleep well tonight. Sweet dreams.This example shows dormi bene used alongside a wish for sweet dreams.Tatoeba #5782631 by Guybrush88, translation #3060460 by trieuho
- Dormi bene!Sleep well!This example shows the simple use of dormi bene as an exclamation.Tatoeba #3398090 by Guybrush88, translation #2425757 by bionicboy
- Buona notte, Signora Rossi. Spero che dorma bene.Good night, Mrs. Rossi. I hope you sleep well.
- Mi scusi, Signore. Dorma bene.Excuse me, sir. Sleep well.
- Ciao mamma, buona notte e sogni d'oro!Goodnight, mom. Sleep well and sweet dreams!
- Ciao Luca, riposati e sogni belli!Hi Luca, rest well and have beautiful dreams!
- Buona notte, Professore. Spero che dorma bene dopo una lunga giornata di lezioni.Good night, Professor. I hope you sleep well after a long day of teaching.
- Buona notte e sogni d'oro, tesoro mio.Goodnight and sweet dreams, my darling.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia is saying goodnight to Matteo in the hallway.
- GiuliaOra vado a letto, a domani!I'm going to bed now, see you tomorrow!
- MatteoVa bene, buona notte Giulia.Alright, good night Giulia.
- GiuliaBuona notte, dormi bene!Good night, sleep well!
- MatteoGrazie, anche tu.Thanks, you too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bene, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
