How to say Good Night in Spanish: 10 expressions before going to bed

Yawn! Just like in English, there are different ways to say good night in Spanish, depending on the context, the person we say it to, and the intention we have. Buenas noches is the most common and neutral way to say good night in Spanish, but there are many other variants.

Many of these expressions have a varying degree of formality, meaning that they can be used with both forms of you: the informal tú, generally used with people close to us, or the formal usted, used to show respect through distance.

In this post, we’ll show you 10 ways to say good night in Spanish, with both the formal and informal versions when needed. We’ll also provide you with some vocab to make your good night wish more loving. You know… just in case!

Let’s get to it!

Buenas noches: Good evening or good night?

So, when you say buenas noches, are you saying good evening or good night in Spanish?

Well, it’s actually both. In Spanish, there is no actual differentiation between the two. The concept of “evening” doesn’t actually exist in Spanish, and could be interpreted as a mix between the English evening and night. As a result, buenas noches can be used as both a greeting and a farewell.

In this post, however, we’ll just focus on how to say how to say good night in Spanish, many variants of which are based around buenas noches. Nonetheless, some of the expressions we’ll see here for saying good night before going to bed in Spanish can also be used as a good evening when saying goodbye.

Take a look at our broader post if you’d like to learn more greetings and farewells in Spanish.

For now, let’s get into our Spanish good night expressions!

Buenas noches

As we’ve stated before, buenas noches is the most common way to say good night in Spanish. It’s also the literal translation for good night. Buenas noches a neutral expression that can be used with family, friends or even strangers.

• Buenas noches, mamá. Te amo. – Good night, mom. I love you.

• Buenas noches, doctor. Que descanse. – Good night, Doctor. Have a good rest.

Que tengas buenas noches, Que tenga buena noche

This expression means may you have a good night in Spanish and it’s a bit more formal than your regular buenas noches. The tú version, que tengas buenas noches, holds a sense of formality, while the usted version, que tenga buena noche, increases the level of formality even more.

In this expression and in the next one with que pases, buenas noches and buena noche can be used interchangeably.

Furthermore, like most expressions used to express wishes or desires in Spanish, it uses the subjunctive and is actually an abbreviation of Yo espero que tengas buenas noches. However, the que at the beginning and the conjugation of the verb tener in the present subjunctive are enough to hint at this.

• Gracias por acompañarme a casa, Luis. Que tengas buenas noches. – Thank you for walking me home, Luis. Have a good night.

• Aquí está su llave, señorita; su habitación es la 204. Que tenga buena noche. – Here’s your key, Miss; your room is 204. Have a good night.

Que pases buenas noches, Que pase buenas noches

This expression is nearly identical to the previous one, but the verb change gives it a slightly different nuance. The verb pasar means to spend [time], so que pases buenas noches in Spanish means may you spend a good night.

Just like the previous one, the tú version, que pases buenas noches, is less formal than the usted version, que pase buena noche, while the expression itself still has a higher degree of formality than buenas noches.

• Estoy un poco cansada, me voy a la cama. Que pases buenas noches. – I’m a little tired, I’m going to bed. Have a good night.

• Que pase buenas noches, licenciado. Nos vemos mañana. – Have a good night, sir. See you tomorrow.

Linda noche, Bonita noche

These are both short and sweet ways to say good night in Spanish with the same meanings. They can each can be interpreted in English as pretty night or nice night, since linda and bonita both mean nice or pretty.

This expression is the abbreviated form of que tengas linda noche, where the subjunctive que tengas is simply implied. This is similar to in English when you just say ‘night while implying have a good night. It can be used in both formal and informal situations.

• Hasta mañana, profesor. Linda noche. – See you tomorrow, profesor. Nice night.

• Adiós, amor. Linda noche. – Goodbye, love. Nice night.

Que duermas bien, Que duerma bien

This option translates literally as may you sleep well or simply sleep well, and it’s more commonly used as a reply to someone who has said good night to you or has informed you that they’re going to bed.

• Tengo sueño. Ya me voy a dormir. / Que duermas bien, Julia. –  I’m sleepy. I’m going to sleep now. / Sleep well, Julia. See you tomorrow.

• Que pase buena noche, pequeñito. / Igualmente, abuelita. Que duerma bien. – Have a good night, little one. / Likewise, grandma. Sleep well.

Duerme bien

In essence, this expression is the same as the previous one. However, this one does not follow the Spanish subjunctive structure, but rather the imperative one, meaning that this expression falls between a command and a wish.

This expression is not really used with the usted version since it may come out as bossy or rude, so it’s better to just play it safe and stick to the tú version only.

• Buenas noches, mami. / Buenas noches, hijo. Duerme bien. – Good night, Mommy. / Good night, son. Sleep well.

Que descanses, Que descanse

Meaning have a good rest or may you rest, this phrase is also used as a response to good night in Spanish or when someone tells you they’re going to sleep.

• Ya me voy a la cama. Por favor, no le subas mucho volumen al televisor. / No te preocupes. Que descanses. – I’m going to bed now. Please don’t turn the TV up too loud. / Don’t worry. Have a good rest.

• Gracias por quedarse hasta tarde a terminar el trabajo, señor Sánchez. Que tenga buenas noches. / No hay de qué, señor Martínez. Que descanse. – Thank you for staying late to finish the job, Mr. Sanchez. Have a good night. / You’re welcome, Mr. Martinez. Have a good rest.

Descansa

Similarly to another option above, this expression follows the Spanish imperative structure instead of the subjunctive, the tú form used almost exclusively, since the usted version could be wrongly interpreted. This expression can be interpreted in English as just rest or have a good rest.

• Ya me voy a dormir, amiga. Tengo que trabajar desde muy temprano. / Está bien, amiga. Descansa. – I’m going to sleep now, friend. I have to work very early in the morning. / It’s okay, friend. Rest.

Dulces sueños, Que tengas dulces sueños

This first expression literally translates as sweet dreams, so it’s a very gentle and loving manner of wishing someone good night sweet dreams in Spanish. Due to its intimate nature, we use it with people we’re really close with, like a partner, a family member, or kids.

You can also opt for the longer version, just like the ones we’ve shown above, and use the subjunctive: que tengas dulces sueños, meaning literally may you have sweet dreams in Spanish.

• Hasta mañana, niños. Dulces sueños. – See you tomorrow, children. Sweet dreams.

• Buenas noches, mamá. Que tengas dulces sueños. – Good night, Mom. Sweet dreams.

Felices sueños, Que tengas felices sueños

Directly translating as happy dreams in Spanish, felices sueños is another sweet way to say good night in Spanish. Although it is a little less intimate than the previous one, it is still reserved for people who are close to you. You can also use the full form with the subjunctive to say may you have happy dreams.

• Ya me voy a dormir, papá. / Felices sueños, Emilia. Que descanses. – I’m going to sleep now, dad. / Happy dreams, Emilia. Rest well.

• Buenas noches, amor. Que tengas felices sueños. – Good night, love. May you have happy dreams.

Sueña con los angelitos, Que sueñes con los angelitos

This is perhaps the sweetest way to say good night in Spanish, and is especially used with young children. The second expression uses the subjunctive and translates directly as may you sleep with little angels, while the first one is the imperative option: sueña con los angelitos.

• Dulces sueños, mi niña. Que sueñes con los angelitos. – Sweet dreams, my child. May you dream with little angels.

• Buenas noches, Marcela. Sueña con los angelitos. – Good night, Marcela. Dream with little angels.

Good night in Spanish: Romantic options

So far, we’ve covered mostly neutral expressions, but what if you want to bid your partner a flirty good night in Spanish? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered.

It’s actually quite simple. All you need to do is take your favorite good night expression and then add some nice Spanish terms of endearment. You could also use these with children to put more affection into your message.

Let’s take a look at some examples to show you how you can combine them to say a romantic good night in Spanish:

• Buenas noches, mi amor. – Good night, my love.

• Dulces sueños, mi corazón. – Sweet dreams, my heart.

• Que descanses, mi cielito. – May you rest well, my heaven.

• Que pases buena noche, hermosa. – Have a good night, beautiful.

Now, these are just some examples. If you want to go deeper, check out our post on Spanish terms of endearment to learn even more loving ways to refer to your loved ones. While we’re at it, also check out our posts on emotions in Spanish and flirting in Spanish for even more inspiration.

Other Spanish good night expressions

Some complementary expressions are commonly used alongside our various expressions for good night in Spanish. Some of these usually indicate that it’s time to go to bed, while others are farewells. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Hasta mañana

Hasta mañana literally translates as until tomorrow, though it’s also translated as see you tomorrow. For this reason, hasta mañana is commonly used with good night in Spanish. It can also be used on it own at any time of the day when saying farewell to someone you’ll meet again the next day.

• ¿Ya te vas, Susana? Que pases buenas noches. Hasta mañana. – Are you leaving already, Susana? Have a good night. See you tomorrow.

Es hora de dormir

Meaning literally it’s time to sleep in Spanish, es hora de dormir is mostly used with kids as a sort of command or cue for bedtime. If you deal with children regularly, then our post of useful commands for teachers and babysitters may also help you out. No need to thank us!

• Hijo, apaga la luces, es hora de dormir. Que sueñes con los angelitos. – Son, turn off the lights, it’s time to sleep. May you dream with little angels.

Me voy a dormir

This expression means I’m going to sleep, and it’s a good way to introduce or trigger a good night expression in Spanish. It’s a rather impersonal option regularly used with good night in Spanish.

• Ya me voy a dormir, chicos. Buenas noches. – I’m going to bed now, guys. Good night.

Me voy a la cama

This one is a variation of the previous one, and it essentially means the same. It literally means I’m going to bed, and it’s also widely used.

• Buenas noches, mami. Me voy a la cama. – Good night, Mommy. I’m going to bed.

Me voy a acostar

Like the previous ones, this expression is a variation that indicates that you’re calling it a day and going to bed. The verb acostarse in Spanish means to lie down. However, it’s typically used by Spanish speakers as a synonym for sleeping.

• Tengo mucho sueño, me voy a acostar. Que pases buenas noches. –  I’m very sleepy, I’m going to bed. Have a good night.

Conclusion

Great! We covered everything we needed! After our journey, you have surely learned how to say good night in Spanish. How about a quick recap?

First, let’s remember that buenas noches is the most common way to say good night in Spanish. We also learned that in Spanish, there isn’t a difference between good evening or good night, so we use buenas noches for both.

Next, we saw some variants of buenas noches expressions, several of which use the subjunctive structure que tengas or que pases. We also learned some other expressions used to bid goodnight in Spanish. Most of them can be conjugated with the informal tú or the formal usted. They are mostly conjugated in the subjunctive, though some of them can be conjugated using the imperative.

We then covered some terms of endearment to learn how to wish a romantic good night in Spanish to a partner, or a loving good night for your loved ones. Finally, we covered some bonus phrases that are commonly used with good night expressions in Spanish to enrich your interactions before going to bed.

Now that you’ve learned all these ways to say good night in Spanish, why not learn a bunch of different ways to tell someone to have a good day in Spanish as well?

We hope you found our post useful and that you now feel confident when saying good night in Spanish to your friends. See you next time!