How to Say Good Night in French
Learn how to say good night in French. 'Bonne nuit' is the bedtime phrase, distinct from 'Bonsoir' (good evening). Pronunciation guide + sweet dreams and evening phrases.
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Quick answer
To say good night in French, say 'Bonne nuit' (bun nwee) — used specifically when going to bed or parting for the night. Don't confuse it with 'Bonsoir' (good evening), which is the greeting used when arriving in the evening. For 'sweet dreams,' say 'Fais de beaux rêves' (make beautiful dreams).
Bonne nuit
/bun nwee/ — French
How to Say Good Night in French
French has distinct words for greeting someone in the evening versus wishing them a good night’s sleep — getting the difference right is a small but meaningful sign of fluency.
The Phrase
Bonne nuit — pronounced bun nwee
It’s used specifically for going to bed or parting for the night to sleep.
Copy the Phrase
The French phrase for “good night” is Bonne nuit (bun nwee).
Pronunciation Guide
| Part | Pronunciation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bonne | bun | Short, clear vowel (rhymes ~ “bun”) |
| nuit | nwee | ’ui’ = ‘wee’; a single quick syllable |
The nuit sound (nwee) is the tricky one — a quick glide from ‘n’ through ‘wee’.
Bonne Nuit vs. Bonsoir: The Key Distinction
This is what trips up learners:
| French | Pronunciation | Used As |
|---|---|---|
| Bonsoir | bohn-SWAHR | Evening GREETING (hello, arriving) |
| Bonne nuit | bun nwee | Bedtime FAREWELL (going to sleep) |
You greet someone in the evening with Bonsoir. You say Bonne nuit only when heading to bed.
Why “Bonne” Not “Bon”?
French adjectives agree with noun gender:
| Greeting | Noun | Gender | Adjective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonjour | jour (day) | Masculine | Bon |
| Bonsoir | soir (evening) | Masculine | Bon |
| Bonne nuit | nuit (night) | Feminine | Bonne |
| Bonne soirée | soirée (evening) | Feminine | Bonne |
Nuit is feminine, so bon becomes bonne.
Complete French Bedtime Phrases
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bonne nuit | bun nwee | Good night |
| Fais de beaux rêves | fay duh boh rev | Sweet dreams (informal) |
| Faites de beaux rêves | fet duh boh rev | Sweet dreams (formal) |
| Dors bien | dor bee-AN | Sleep well (informal) |
| Dormez bien | dor-MAY bee-AN | Sleep well (formal) |
| Repose-toi bien | ruh-POZ twah bee-AN | Rest well |
| À demain | ah duh-MAN | See you tomorrow |
The Full Evening Sequence
| Time | French | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Arriving in evening | Bonsoir | Greeting |
| Spending the evening | Bonne soirée | ”Have a good evening” (parting) |
| Going to bed | Bonne nuit | Bedtime |
Note: Bonne soirée (“have a good evening”) is said when parting from someone who’ll still be up enjoying their evening — different from bonne nuit (off to sleep).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pronounce Bonne nuit?
'Bonne nuit' is pronounced bun nwee. 'Bonne' = bun (rhymes roughly with English 'bun', a short clear vowel). 'Nuit' = nwee, where 'ui' makes a 'wee' sound preceded by the 'n'. The trickiest part is the 'nuit' — it's a single quick syllable: 'nwee'. So the whole phrase is just two short syllables: bun-nwee.
What is the difference between Bonne nuit and Bonsoir?
'Bonsoir' (bohn-SWAHR) = good evening — used as a GREETING when you arrive or meet someone in the evening, and sometimes as a farewell when leaving at night. 'Bonne nuit' (bun nwee) = good night — used ONLY when going to bed or parting for the night to sleep. So you greet with 'Bonsoir' and say 'Bonne nuit' as you head to bed.
How do you say sweet dreams in French?
'Fais de beaux rêves' (fay duh boh rev) = sweet dreams (literally 'make beautiful dreams') — informal (tu). The formal/plural version is 'Faites de beaux rêves.' You can also say 'Dors bien' (sleep well, informal) or 'Dormez bien' (formal). 'Fais de beaux rêves, dors bien' is a sweet bedtime send-off.
How do you say sleep well in French?
'Dors bien' (dor bee-AN) = sleep well (informal, tu). 'Dormez bien' (dor-MAY bee-AN) = sleep well (formal/plural, vous). You can combine: 'Bonne nuit, dors bien' (good night, sleep well). 'Repose-toi bien' = rest well, used when someone is tired or unwell.
Why is it 'Bonne' nuit and not 'Bon' nuit?
French adjectives agree with the gender of the noun. 'Nuit' (night) is a FEMININE noun, so the adjective 'bon' becomes the feminine 'bonne.' That's why it's 'Bonne nuit' (and 'Bonne soirée' for a feminine 'evening'), but 'Bonjour' and 'Bonsoir' use masculine 'bon' because 'jour' (day) and 'soir' (evening) are masculine nouns.