somn ușor
/somn uˈʃor/word by word
The Romanian phrase for sleep well is somn ușor.
somn ușor is the standard and most common way to wish someone a good night's sleep. You can also use the phrase Dormiți foarte bine! to mean "Sleep very well!" or the more descriptive Noapte plăcută și somn profund! which means "Have a pleasant night and deep sleep!"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "easy sleep", where somn means "sleep" and ușor means "easy" or "light".
Which one should you use?
While somn ușor specifically wishes someone restful sleep, noapte bună is used as a more general way to say "good night".
How do you pronounce it?
/somn uˈʃor/
Did you know?
- The word somn has a fascinating dual heritage, being both an inherited Latin word and a borrowed term from Old Church Slavonic.
- The word somn is a direct cognate of the English word 'somnolent', which describes a state of drowsiness.
- If you use the phrase somn ușor to someone you do not know well, you should ensure you use the plural or polite form of verbs if you add any extra wishes, as Romanian social hierarchy is strictly reflected in speech.
Examples in context
- Noapte bună, somn ușor!Good night, sleep well!
- Noapte bună și somn ușor!Good night and sleep well!
Example conversation
Andreea and Gabriel are saying goodbye before going to their separate rooms to sleep.
- AndreeaNoapte bună, Gabriel!Good night, Gabriel!
- GabrielNoapte bună, Andreea. Somn ușor!Good night, Andreea. Sleep well!
- AndreeaMulțumesc, la fel și ție!Thank you, same to you!
- GabrielO noapte liniștită!A peaceful night!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (somn, ușor) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries somn, ușor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
