dulces sueños
/ˌdulθes ˈsweɲos/
dulces sueños is the Spanish way to say sweet dreams. Wiktionary also lists que pases buenas noches and que sueñes con los angelitos.
Meaning: sweet dreams (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| dulces sueños | /ˌdulθes ˈsweɲos/ /ˌdulses ˈsweɲos/ |
| que pases buenas noches | /ke pases bwenas not͡ʃes/ (from spelling rules) |
| que sueñes con los angelitos | /ke sweɲes kon los anxelitos/ (from spelling rules) |
| sueña con los angelitos | /ˌsweɲa kon los anxeˈlitos/ |
While dulces sueños is a literal translation of the English phrase, it is often used in more poetic or written contexts compared to the more common que descanses (rest up) or buenas noches (good night).
Which one should you use?
The phrase que sueñes con los angelitos is a common, more affectionate and colloquial way to wish someone sweet dreams, often used with children or romantic partners. The form sueña con los angelitos uses the imperative mood to give a command or suggestion, typically used when speaking to a child.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The variation que sueñes con los angelitos y bendiciones is popular in Mexico and some Central American countries.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌdulθes ˈsweɲos/
Did you know?
- Because dulces sueños can feel overly poetic, using it in a casual setting might sound like you are reciting a line from a novel or a movie.
- The affectionate use of the diminutive angelitos (little angels) instead of ángeles (angels) is a common linguistic feature in Spanish used to convey tenderness and warmth.
- The word que in the phrase que sueñes con los angelitos actually functions as a way to express a wish, acting as a shortened version of 'I hope that you dream…'.
Examples in context
- Buenas noches. Dulces sueños.Good night. Sweet dreams.This sentence shows how to use dulces sueños as a standalone greeting.Tatoeba #461023 by Shishir, translation #2194 by laurafults
- ¡Buenas noches y dulces sueños!Goodnight and sweet dreams!This sentence shows how to combine a goodnight wish with dulces sueños.Tatoeba #4598073 by cueyayotl, translation #12928552 by araneo
- Sin beso de buenas noches no tendré dulces sueños.Without a goodnight kiss I won't have sweet dreams.This sentence shows the use of dulces sueños in a sentence about a goodnight kiss.Tatoeba #5008381 by Shishir, translation #4986010 by jayrod84
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are saying goodnight before going to sleep.
- DanielBuenas noches, Elena. Dulces sueños.Goodnight, Elena. Sweet dreams.
- ElenaGracias, Daniel. Que tengas dulces sueños tú también.Thanks, Daniel. May you have sweet dreams too.
- DanielMuchas gracias, descansa mucho.Thank you very much, rest a lot.
- ElenaHasta mañana.See you tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sweet dreams” translations and entries dulces sueños, sueña con los angelitos, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
