The easiest way to say “good night” in French if you’re heading to bed is bonne nuit. There are variations of the expression depending on the situation and who you are talking to. There are other expressions to wish people a pleasant evening or to tell a young child “night-night” in French, too. Learn how to say “good night” in French and other vocabulary and expressions related to le sommeil (sleep) with this guide.
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How to say ‘good night’ in French
There are several options for saying “good night” in French, so when you’re getting ready to “hit the hay,” choose the one that feels the most appropriate for the situation.
1. Bonne nuit (good night)
You can say bonne nuit when you or someone else is going to bed, and you can say it to almost anyone. You might ask yourself, “Do the French say bon nuit like they say bonjour?” No, because the word nuit is feminine, so the French adjective has to be in the feminine form as well, according to French grammar rules.
The “-onne” ending in place of “-on” changes the French pronunciation quite a bit as well.
- bon has a nasal vowel and you don’t hear the “n”
- bonne is pronounced more like “bun” and you hear the “n”
Rosetta Stone’s TruAccent speech recognition engine can help you catch all of the nuances of French pronunciation, so you practice it correctly from the beginning.
2. Bonne soirée (have a good evening)
If you say bonne soirée, it doesn’t necessarily mean that anyone is turning in for the night. It’s a way to say goodbye in the evening.
The difference between soir and soirée can be tricky, and even appears in the Questions de Langue publication by the Académie Française.
- Bonsoir (hello): greeting someone during the evening hours (but some also say this for goodbye)
- Bonne soirée (goodbye): saying goodbye to someone during the evening hours
- du soir (in the evening): used when telling the time in French, like 8h du soir (8 o’clock in the evening).
- une soirée (a party): a social get-together in the evening
3. Passe/passez une bonne nuit/soirée (have a good night/evening)
Related to the first two expressions, this is a longer version, telling someone to passer (to spend/to have) a good night in the French language. Passer is an -ER verb in French.
These are examples of the French imperative, or command form:
- passe is the tu used in casual conversations, so you’d say it to someone you know very well
- passez is the vous form, so use this one if you’re speaking to any group (even a casual one), or someone you don’t know as well
4. Je vous souhaite une bonne soirée. (I wish you a good evening.)
This expression would be a super way to end a speech before kicking off a reception or celebration with a group of people. It’s very polite and is appropriate for formal situations.
5. Dors bien/dormez bien (sleep well/sleep tight)
If you’re bidding a child off to sleep, “sleep tight” is either dors bien (sleep well) for just one child, or dormez bien (sleep well) for more than one.
6. Fais/faites de beaux rêves (sweet dreams)
Do French people say “sweet dreams?” Not word-for-word. You can follow up dors bien with fais de beaux rêves (“have beautiful dreams”). You can use this expression with a loved one or someone you are very comfortable with. To say this to more than one person at a time, use the vous form of the verb faire (to do/to make): faites de beaux rêves.
7. À demain (see you tomorrow)
You can really say this French goodbye at any time of day, indicating you plan to see the person again the next day. This is another option before you leave an evening event or someone goes to bed.
Terms of endearment to say ‘good night’ in French to your loved ones
Wishing someone goodnight in a sweet or tender manner may involve mots doux (terms of endearment) in French. You may have learned that masculine forms apply to men and boys and feminine forms apply to women and girls, which is very often true, but there are exceptions.
- In some cases, the term is based on a French noun, so it won’t change gender. For instance, mon petit chou (“my little cabbage”) is a common term of endearment for men and women.
- In front of a vowel sound, ma (my; feminine) will change to mon (my; masculine) to avoid two awkward vowels in a row.
| French | English |
| mon ami/mon amie | my friend |
| mon amour | my love |
| mon ange | my angel |
| mon cheri/ma cherie | my dear |
| mon coeur | my heart |
| mon trésor | my treasure |
Knowing what French term of endearment is appropriate relies on some cultural understanding, and could lead to some awkward moments if you say them to someone you don’t know too well, or you’re trying to avoid romantic-sounding French. You can play it safe with a neutral term or just leave it out.
- Bonne nuit, tout le monde. (Good night, everyone.)
Dormir and other sleep-related words in French
The word dormir (to sleep) is a verb, and le sommeil (sleep) is a noun in French. There are many sleep-related words and expressions that you might find useful when talking about going to bed, if you’re wondering how to say “nite nite” in French, or to talk about bedtime routines.
| French | English |
| Au lit ! | Bedtime! To bed! |
| avoir sommeil | to be sleepy |
| une berceuse | a lullaby |
| compter les moutons | to count sheep |
| dormir | to sleep |
| éteindre la lumière | to turn off the light |
| être fatigué/fatiguée | to be tired |
| faire dodo | to go “night-night” (said to children) |
| faire la grasse matinée | to sleep in/to have a lie-in |
| l’heure d’aller se coucher | time for bed/time to go to bed |
| il se fait tard | it’s getting late |
| un pyjama | pajamas |
| se coucher | to go to bed |
| s’endormir | to fall asleep |
| se lever tôt | to get up early |
| se reposer | to rest |
| une veilleuse | a night light |
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