Saying Good Night and Good Evening in Spanish (Plus 15+ Variations)

You're learning Spanish and want to know how to wish someone sweet dreams before they head off to bed. Maybe you're texting a friend in Mexico, staying with a host family in Spain, or just want to sound more natural when speaking español. Let's break down all the different ways to say goodnight, when to use each one, and some cultural context that'll help you sound like a natural speaker.🌙

The main phrase: Buenas noches

Here's the thing about buenas noches . This phrase does double duty in Spanish, which confuses a lot of learners at first. It means both:

If you show up to a dinner party at 8pm, you'd greet everyone with "buenas noches." Then later, when you're leaving and everyone's heading to sleep, you'd also say "buenas noches" as your goodbye. Same phrase, different contexts.

The pronunciation is pretty simple: BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs. The "buenas" part is feminine because "noches" (Nights) is a feminine noun in Spanish. This trips up beginners sometimes because they want to say "buenos noches" by mistake, but that's grammatically wrong.

You can use buenas noches in basically any situation, formal or informal. Saying it to your boss? Fine. Saying it to your friend's little sister? Also fine. It's the safe, universal option that works everywhere.

Understanding when to use buenas noches as a greeting

This confuses pretty much everyone at first. When exactly does "buenas noches" switch from being "good evening" to being "good night"?

The exact time varies by region and season, but think around 8pm or 9pm as a rough guideline. Before that, you'd use "buenas tardes" (Good afternoon/evening).

So if you're meeting friends for dinner at 7pm, you'd probably still say "buenas tardes." But if you're showing up to a party at 10pm, definitely say "buenas noches."

As a farewell, buenas noches works anytime after dark when someone's leaving for the night, especially if they're heading to bed. You wouldn't typically use it at 2pm when someone leaves your house, even if they're going home to take a nap. That would sound weird.

Common alternatives for saying goodnight

While buenas noches covers most situations, Spanish speakers use tons of other phrases depending on the vibe they're going for. Here are the most common ones you'll actually hear in conversation.

Que duermas bien

This translates directly to "sleep well" and it's super common in casual settings. You'd use this with friends, family, or anyone you're on informal terms with. The pronunciation is: keh DWEHR-mahs bee-EHN .

The "duermas" part is conjugated for "tú" (The informal "you"), so you're specifically talking to one person you're comfortable with. If you wanted to be formal, you'd say "que duerma bien" instead, changing the verb to match "usted."

For plural (Talking to multiple people), it becomes "que duerman bien." Pretty straightforward once you get the hang of Spanish verb conjugations.

Que descanses

This means "rest well" or "get some rest." It's another informal phrase that feels warm and friendly. Pronunciation: keh dehs-KAHN-sehs.

I like this one because it works even if the person isn't going straight to bed. Maybe they're just done with a long day and heading home to relax. "Que descanses" fits perfectly there.

Again, this uses the informal "tú" form. For formal situations, you'd say "que descanse" and for multiple people, "que descansen."

Felices sueños or dulces sueños

These both mean "sweet dreams" and they're a bit more affectionate. Felices sueños literally translates to "happy dreams" while dulces sueños means "sweet dreams."

You'd typically use these with people you're close to: kids, romantic partners, good friends. They feel warmer and more personal than just saying buenas noches.

Pronunciation: feh-LEE-sehs SWEH-nyohs and DOOL-sehs SWEH-nyohs.

Farewell phrases related to bedtime

Sometimes you're not just saying goodnight, you're also indicating when you'll see someone again. These phrases combine both elements.

Hasta mañana

This means "see you tomorrow" or "until tomorrow." A lot of learners ask: does hasta mañana mean goodnight? Not exactly. It's more of a farewell that indicates you'll see the person the next day.

You could totally combine it with a goodnight phrase though. Something like "Buenas noches, hasta mañana" works perfectly and sounds natural. You're wishing them a good night AND letting them know you'll see them tomorrow.

The word mañana means both "tomorrow" and "morning" in Spanish, which can be confusing. Context makes it clear which meaning applies.

Nos vemos mañana

Similar to hasta mañana, this means "we'll see each other tomorrow." It's slightly more casual and conversational. You might say this to coworkers as you're all leaving the office for the day.

Que pases buena noche

This translates to "have a good night" and it's a nice, slightly longer way to wish someone well. It works for both formal and informal contexts, depending on your verb conjugation.

Formal versus informal variations of good night in Spanish

Spanish makes a bigger deal about formality than English does. You need to know whether you're using "tú" (Informal you) or "usted" (Formal you) because it changes how you conjugate verbs.

The basic phrase "buenas noches" stays the same regardless of formality, which is nice. But once you start using phrases with verbs like "que duermas bien" or "que descanses," you need to adjust.

Here's a quick reference:

Informal (tú):

Formal (usted):

When you're talking to multiple people, the conjugation changes again to match "ustedes" (You all). The verb endings typically become "-an" or "-en."

In most of Latin America, "ustedes" is used for all plural situations, both formal and informal. In Spain, they use "vosotros" for informal plural, which has its own conjugations (like "que durmáis bien"). This gets complicated fast, so when you're learning Spanish, focusing on the tú/usted distinction first makes more sense.

Related bedtime vocabulary

If you're learning Spanish and want to talk about sleep and bedtime stuff, here are some useful words that come up in conversation.

You might hear phrases like "me voy a la cama" (I'm going to bed) or "tengo mucho sueño" (I'm very sleepy) in everyday conversation.

The word "noche" itself just means "night." You'll see it in lots of expressions beyond just saying goodnight. "Esta noche" means "tonight," "por la noche" means "at night" or "in the evening," and "de noche" also means "at night."

Romantic and affectionate goodnight phrases

If you're texting someone you're dating or want to sound extra sweet, Spanish has some nice options beyond the standard phrases.

You can also get creative by combining phrases. Something like "Buenas noches, que duermas bien y que tengas los sueños más dulces" (Good night, sleep well and have the sweetest dreams) sounds really affectionate without being over the top.

Regional variations across Spanish-speaking countries

Spanish gets spoken across dozens of countries, and while the core phrases stay consistent, you'll notice some regional preferences.

These regional differences are pretty minor for basic goodnight phrases. You'll be understood everywhere if you stick with buenas noches, que duermas bien, and the other standard expressions.

Common mistakes learners make

If you're watching Spanish content and wanting to get used to the right way of saying the good night phrases in Spanish, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up phrases instantly and save them for review later. Makes it way easier to catch these natural expressions and actually remember them. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to see how it works with real Spanish content.

Some tips for you on how to practice these phrases 🫵

Reading about goodnight phrases is one thing, but you need to actually use them to make them stick. If you're learning Spanish through immersion, pay attention to how native speakers end conversations in shows, movies, or podcasts.

Do you know that a good night's sleep can boost your learning? 😴