65 Ways To Say Good Night In Spanish: Alternatives To Buenas Noches
One of the first things that we need to learn when we travel to a foreign country is how to greet in the language spoken there so that we show respect for their culture and customs.
So, if you’re planning a trip to Spain or Latin America, it’s a great idea to learn how to say good night in Spanish, as this phrase doesn’t always translate literally from English.
Also, this might be an excellent time to revise some well-known other greetings in Spanish!
Check out this short video from Spring Spanish’s YouTube channel and be prepared to say buenas noches in Spanish!
If you’d like to explore how to tell good night in Spanish in different contexts, or you’re interested in learning flirting ways to wish someone a good evening in Spanish to your corazoncito, then this is the right article for you!
1. How do you say good night in Spanish?
Effortless Answers
The simplest and most extended way to say good night in Spanish is buenas noches. The translation is rather straightforward, except for the fact that the Spanish version is plural in form, so its literal translation would be “good nights”.
The correct pronunciation of buenas noches sounds like this:
Another difference between the two phrases is when they are used.
As Spanish lacks the greeting good evening, and moves directly from buenas tardes (good afternoon) to buenas noches (good evening, good night), the latter is actually used within a broader period of time than its English counterpart, and for more purposes. It’s appropriate in formal and informal contexts.
And now, let’s move on!
We can say buenas noches (good night) when we:
- arrive at a place any time after sunset and until we go to bed
- leave a place provided that it is dark outside
- are going to bed
A similar expression, also widely used in all Spanish-speaking countries is Hasta mañana. Its literal translation is “until tomorrow”, and it is equivalent to saying See you tomorrow (Nos vemos mañana) in English.
Listen to the pronunciation of hasta mañana:
Hasta mañana can be used when you’re going to sleep at night, or at any time of the day to farewell someone that you won’t be seeing until the following day, like your colleagues at work or at school.
2. Sweet dreams in Spanish
There are several alternative ways to wish someone a nice night in Spanish, depending on who you are addressing and the closeness of your relationship.
Good night in Spanish to your kids
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Dulces sueños | Sweet dreams |
| A dormir, pequeño/pequeña | Time to sleep, little one |
| Que descanses, mi niño/niña | Rest well, my child |
| Buenas noches, angelito | Good night, little angel |
| Hasta mañana, mi tesoro | See you tomorrow, my treasure |
| Es hora de ir a la cama | It’s time to go to bed |
| Que tengas lindos sueños | Have beautiful dreams |
| A soñar con los angelitos | Go dream with the little angels |
| Descansa bien, cariño | Rest well, darling |
| Buenas noches, que duermas como un bebé | Good night, sleep like a baby |
Good night in Spanish to a group of friends
You would tell an adult:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Que pases buenas noches | Have a good night. |
And, if you’re saying good night in Spanish to a group of friends, you could use these phrases:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Buenas noches a todos | Good night, everyone |
| Que descansen bien | Rest well (to a group) |
| Dulces sueños para todos | Sweet dreams to all |
| Hasta mañana, grupo | See you tomorrow, group |
| Que pasen una buena noche | Have a good night |
| Nos vemos mañana, que duerman bien | See you tomorrow, sleep well |
| Que tengan una noche tranquila | Have a peaceful night |
| Buenas noches y dulces sueños a la pandilla | Good night and sweet dreams to the gang |
| Que todos descansen y recarguen energías | May everyone rest and recharge their energy |
| Hasta mañana, que duerman como angelitos | See you tomorrow, may you all sleep like little angels |
Take a look at the following chart to see the different expressions and pronunciations, when to use them, and an example to make them clear.
| Spanish | Context | Example |
|---|---|---|
| When arriving | Buenas noches, ¿cómo están? – (Good evening, how are you all?) | |
| When leaving | Buenas noches a todos. Hasta mañana. – (Good evening, everyone. See you tomorrow. ) | |
| When going to sleep | Buenas noches, mi amor. Que descanses. – (Goodnight, my love. Sleep well.) | |
| When leaving | Hasta mañana, Sr. Perez. Lo veo en la oficina a las 9 am. – (Goodbye, Mr. Perez. I’ll see you at the office at 9 am.) | |
| When going to sleep | Hasta mañana, Tesoro. Que descanses. – (Goodnight, Darling. Sleep well.) | |
| Informal: to address friends and acquaintances. | Que tengas buenas noches, mamá. – (Have a goodnight, mum.) | |
| Formal: to address people of a higher hierarchy or older than you. | Que tenga una buena noche, doctor. – (Have a Good night, doctor.) | |
| Informal: to address friends and acquaintances. | Que pases buenas noches, mamá. – (Have a goodnight, mum.) | |
| Formal: to address people of a higher hierarchy or older than you. | Que pase una buena noche, doctor. – (Have a Good night, doctor.) | |
| Informal: to address friends and acquaintances. | Hasta mañana, Germán. Que duermas bien. – (Good night, Germán. Sleep well.) | |
| Formal: to address people of a higher hierarchy or older than you. | Hasta mañana, señora. Que duerma bien. – (Good night, madam. Have a good rest.) | |
| Informal: to address friends and acquaintances. | Hasta mañana, Germán. Que duermas bien. – (Good night, Germán. Sleep well.) | |
| Formal: to address people of a higher hierarchy or older than you. | Hasta mañana, señora. Que duerma bien. – (Good night, madam. Have a good rest.) |
Notice the use of the structure:
QUE + PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE (2nd person) + COMPLEMENT
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Que duerma/s bien | Sleep well |
| Que descanse/s | Have a good rest |
| Que tenga/s buenas noches | Have a good night |
This is how you wish them a good night in Spanish, and even though imperative can be used, it sounds more like a command in Spanish, so it is less used:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Duerme bien (tú) | Sleep well – informal |
| Duerma bien (usted) | Sleep well – formal |
| Descansa (tú) | Rest – informal |
| Descanse (usted) | Rest – formal |
| Ten buenas noches (tú) | Have a good night – informal |
| Tenga buenas noches (usted) | Have a good night – formal |
3. A romantic good night in Spanish
There are many flirty ways to say goodnight in Spanish, the simplest being “Buenas noches, mi amor” (Goodnight, my love). Yet, there are many words of endearment in Spanish that can replace “mi amor”.
Take a look at these evening phrases and various ways to spice up your flirting with your amor! Click the play button on the audio and listen to the pronunciation!
Other ways of saying “Good night, my love” in Spanish
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Goodnight, my love. | |
| Good night, my darling. | |
| Sleep well, my dear. | |
| May you dream of me, darling. | |
| Sweet dreams, my love. | |
| Have sweet dreams, my love. | |
| Good night, handsome. | |
| Good night, beautiful. | |
| Good night, baby. |
4. Good night in Spanish when you’re leaving a party
You’ve been out all night partying and enjoying the beautiful Spanish landscapes with your friends, but now, it’s to say good night in Spanish to your friends after a few drinks.
Here’s how you can do it:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Me voy a dormir, buenas noches | I’m going to sleep, good night |
| Ya me retiro, que pasen buenas noches | I’m leaving now, have a good night (to a group) |
| Ha sido una gran fiesta, buenas noches a todos | It’s been a great party, good night everyone |
| Me despido, gracias por todo y buenas noches | I’m saying goodbye, thanks for everything and good night |
| Es hora de irme, que siga la fiesta. ¡Buenas noches! | It’s time for me to go, let the party continue. Good night! |
| Bueno, yo me marcho. Buenas noches y gracias | Well, I’m off. Good night and thank you |
| Ha sido un placer, pero debo irme. Buenas noches | It’s been a pleasure, but I must go. Good night |
| Me voy a casa, que descansen todos | I’m going home, rest well everyone |
| Hasta la próxima, buenas noches y buen provecho | Until next time, good night and enjoy the rest of the food |
| Me retiro, que tengan una linda noche | I’m leaving, have a lovely night |
5. Saying good night in Spanish through the phone
Maybe you’re an introvert who’s always shying away from phone conversations. Still, it’s part of the language.
Or you’re an extrovert and like short phone conversations, but still need the best good night phrases. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Bueno, te dejo descansar. Buenas noches | Well, I’ll let you rest. Good night |
| Que duermas bien, hablamos mañana | Sleep well, we’ll talk tomorrow |
| Ya es tarde, mejor nos despedimos. Buenas noches | It’s late, we better say goodbye. Good night |
| Dulces sueños, te llamo mañana | Sweet dreams, I’ll call you tomorrow |
| Buenas noches, que descanses y sueñes bonito | Good night, rest well and have nice dreams |
| Me voy a dormir, hablamos luego. Buenas noches | I’m going to sleep, we’ll talk later. Good night |
| Que tengas una noche tranquila, hasta mañana | Have a peaceful night, talk to you tomorrow |
| Buenas noches, cuídate y descansa | Good night, take care and rest |
| Ya me voy a la cama. Buenas noches y dulces sueños | I’m going to bed now. Good night and sweet dreams |
| Te dejo dormir, que pases buena noche | I’ll let you sleep, have a good night |
6. Say good night in Spanish and speak like a native with Conversation Based Chunking!
Learning basic Spanish expressions like good night will help you to communicate when traveling, meeting new people from different countries, and more. Adding these phrases to your toolbox will make you sound less like a textbook and more like a native speaker.
The easiest way to say good night in Spanish and have full Spanish conversations is through a method called Conversation Based Chunking™.
This method (I’ve written a book on it too) is used by hundreds of thousands of students around the world with great success.
Curious to learn more? Make sure to get your free Spanish Chunking Starter Pack, where I show you a 4-step method to learn Spanish without having to memorize word lists and grammar rules.
It comes with tutorial videos for Conversation Based Chunking ™, resource lists to get you started, and much more. Conversation Based Chunking™ is currently being used by hundreds of thousands of students across the world with great results.
If you want to get fluent in Spanish, I recommend you check out the free starter pack and start implementing the methodology in your studies.
