When learning Spanish, it’s important to know common words and expressions that can help you improve your vocabulary and have better, more fluent conversations. Even though most learners know how to say good night in Spanish, there are other popular phrases that they can use for this purpose.
So what are different ways to say ‘goodnight’ in Spanish? These are some of the most common phrases to say good night in Spanish.
- ¡Que descanses! – Sleep tight
- ¡Que pases buenas noches! – Have a good night
- Buenas noches – Good night
- ¡Que sueñes con los angelitos! – Sweet dreams
- Duerme bien – Sleep well
Learning different Spanish words to say ‘good night’ will allow you to know different expressions that you can apply in a wide range of situations. For that reason, I’ve compiled 5 super common ways to say good night in Spanish.
Also, you’ll find some descriptions that will help you determine the best moment to use each one of these expressions. I’ve also included some examples and phrase structures so you can customize these phrases.
By the end of this, you’ll know different words to say good night in Spanish.
1. Buenas Noches – Good night
As you may have already guessed, buenas noches is probably the most popular way to say ‘good night’ in Spanish. This basic expression can be used as a greeting, farewell or to simply wish people a good night.
One of the advantages of this phrase is that you can use it either in formal or casual situations. Depending on the context, ‘buenas noches’ can be translated as:
- Goodnight
- Good evening
- Night-night
Buenas noches, ¿en qué le puedo ayudar?
Good evening, how can I help you?
Ya me voy a dormir, buenas noches a todos.
I’m going to sleep, night-night to you all.
Nosotros ya nos vamos, buenas noches, nos vemos mañana.
We’re leaving, good night, see you in the morning.
Take Note: Even though in English there is a difference between night and evening, in Spanish, these words are translated as noche. As a result, depending on the time of the day, ‘buenas noches’ could be translated either as ‘good night’ or good evening’.
2. ¡Que tengas buenas noches! – Have a good night
In Spanish, ¡que tengas buenas noches! means ‘have a good night’. As a result, this expression is a more formal and polite way of saying good night. Due to its politeness, ‘¡que tengas buena noche!’ can be used in a wide range of situations as a farewell or greeting.
Although it’s not a rule of thumb, Spanish speakers might not use this expression among their friends and family since it’s a little more formal. ¡Que tengas buenas noches! has a popular variation: ‘¡que pases buenas noches!’.
Here is a phrase structure that will help you customize this expression:
Que + [tener/pasa conjugated present subjunctive] + buenas noches]
Yo me retiro, ¡qué tengan buenas noches!
I’m leaving, guys, have a good night!
Con permiso, tenemos que irnos, ¡que pasen buenas noches!
If you’ll excuse us, we have to leave, have a good night!
¡Que tenga buenas noches, señorita! Llámenos si necesita algo.
Have a good night, miss! Call us if you need anything.
Related Resource: 5 Ways to Say ‘Have a Good Day’ in Spanish
3. ¡Que descanses! – Sleep tight
In Spanish, ¡que descanses! is a more casual and personal expression. Since ‘que descanses’ is an intimate and more informal way to say good night in Spanish, this expression is commonly used among friends, family members and significant others.
‘¡Que descanses!’ is the direct translation of sleep tight. Here are some examples and a phrase structure that you can follow:
[Que + descansar conjugated present subjunctive]
Me voy a la cama, ¡que descansen!
I’m going to bed, sleep tight!
Mamá, me voy a mi cuarto, ¡que descanses!
Mom, I’m going to my room, sleep tight
¡Que descanses, Lily! Hablamos mañana.
Sleep tight, Lily! Talk to you tomorrow.
If you want to improve your vocabulary, you could use the following variations:
- Descansa – For one person
- Descansen – For more than one person
¡Descansen! Los veo mañana.
Sleep tight, guys, see you tomorrow.
¿Ya te vas a dormir, mamá? ¡Descansa!
Are you going to bed already, mom? Sleep tight!
4. ¡Que sueñes con los angelitos – Sweet dreams
¡Que sueñes con los angelitos!’ is a cutesy and cheesy way to say ‘goodnight’ in Spanish. So even if it’s not a rule of thumb, this expression is quite popular among romantic partners and when saying ‘good night’ to children.
‘¡Que sueñes con los angelitos!’ (literally, ‘sleep with the angels’) means sweet dreams and just like the English expression, we use this phrase to wish people a good night. Some popular variations that you could use are:
- Que tengas dulces sueños
- ¡Dulces sueños!
- Sueña bonito
¡Dulces sueños, niños!
Sweet dreams, kids!
¡Que sueñes con los angelitos! Te quiero mucho.
Sweet dreams! I love you so much.
¡Ya duérmanse, niños! ¡Que sueñen con los angelitos!
Go to sleep kids! Sweet dreams!
Take Note: if you’re in a romantic relationship or dating someone and you want to be a little bit more cheesy, you can switch these phrases for sueña conmigo (dream about me).
5. ¡Que duermas bien! – Sleep well
Another casual expression that you can use to say ‘good night’ in Spanish is ¡que duermas bien! Just like other phrases from this list, due to its intimacy and informality, ‘¡que duermas bien!’ is more suitable for friends and family.
¡Que duermas bien! is the direct translation of ‘sleep tight’ and you can use this expression to wish people a good night. Additionally, you can also use its shortened version ‘duerme bien’. Below there are some examples and phrase structures you can use:
[Que + dormir conjugation present subjunctive]
¿Ya te vas a tu cuarto? ¡Que duermas bien!
Are you going to bed? Sleep well!
Voy a apagarles la luz, ¡que duerman bien! Los quiero.
I’m going to turn the lights off, sleep well! Love you.
¡Que duermas bien, mi amor! Avísame si necesitas algo.
Sleep well, sweetie! Let me know if you need anything.
Notice that when using the variation ‘duerme bien’ you will need to use the following phrase structure:
[Dormir conjugated imperative form]
¡Duerme bien! Te quiero, hijo
Sleep well! I love you, son
Les hablo mañana, chicas, ¡duerman bien!
I’ll talk to you tomorrow, girls, sleep tight!
Wrapping Up
Even though most learners are familiar with the expression buenas noches, there are other popular ways to say ‘goodnight’ in Spanish. Since these expressions are quite common in conversations, in this list, I’ve shown you different phrases that you can use instead of ‘buenas noches’.
Although now you know 5 different ways to say ‘goodnight’ in Spanish, keep in mind that some of the previous expressions are more suitable for formal context while others are perfect for use with people that you have a close relationship.
Additionally, you learned different variations so you can improve your vocabulary and start saying goodnight as a native speaker. Hopefully, you now know more ways to say ‘goodnight’ in Spanish. Buena suerte 😉
Related Resource: 5 Ways to Say Have a Good Day in Spanish