How do you say “sleep well” in Spanish? What about phrases like “goodnight my love”, “sweet dreams”, and “sleep tight”?
Whether you’re departing a friendship group for the evening, telling a loved one to have a good night, or bidding farewell to family members, you’ll find what you’re looking for in this guide.
Quick Ways to Wish Someone a Good Night in Spanish
Before we take a closer look at some common words and phrases you can use to wish someone a good night, here is a quick list and a guide to pronouncing them:
| Spanish Word | English Translation | Pronunciation |
| Buenos Noches | Good night | Bue-nos No-ches |
| Espero que duerman bien | I hope you sleep well | Es-pe-ro Que Duer-man Bi-en |
| Que duermas bien | Sleep well | Que Duer-mas Bi-en |
| Dulces Suenos | Sweet dreams | Dul-ces Sue-nos |
How to Say “Goodnight” in Spanish
There are a couple of ways to say “goodnight” in Spanish:
- Pases buenas noches
- Buenas noches
If you run these through a translator, both will appear as “goodnight”. So, what’s happening here?
Well, buenas noches means “goodnight”. The word pases is similar to the English “pass”, although it’s used in a different context. By adding it to buenas noches, you’re basically wishing that you hope someone spends the night well.
Think of it as the equivalent of saying “pass the night well” as opposed to just “goodnight”. You can use the phrase tengas buenas noches as well, which means “have a good night”.
How to Say “Sleep Well” in Spanish
Dormir bien means “sleep well” in Spanish.
Dormir is a verb meaning “to sleep”. It’s one that we have discussed in our guide to how did you sleep, noting how it took root in a Latin word that eventually gave us the English word “dormitory”.
Bien means “well”, “good”, or “all right”.
If you combine these two Spanish words, you’ll get the phrase that you seek. And as with the English alternative, it can be used in place of “goodnight” and “have a good night” when speaking to friends, family members, and even acquaintances.
How to Say “Goodnight My Love” in Spanish
If the translations of “sleep well” and “have a good night” are a little too formal for you and you want something more personal, something that you can say to a loved one, try buenas noches, mi amor.
As noted above, buenas noches means “goodnight”. Mi amor means “my love”. It’s a literal translation and it’s one that can be used in the same context as the English expression.
How to Say “Sweet Dreams” in Spanish
Dulces sueños is “sweet dreams” in Spanish.
It is a direct translation and it’s also a phrase you’ll hear in Spanish-speaking countries.
You can also say tengas dulces sueños, which means “have sweet dreams”. If you’re feeling poetic, use sueñes con los angelitos, which means “sleep with the angels”. If you want to keep it basic and skip all the lovey-dovey stuff, stick with ¡Hasta mañana!, which is basically “until tomorrow!”.
How to Say “Go To Bed” in Spanish
If you’re sending your little children (niños) to bed and need something a little strong and more demanding, try ¡Acostarse! It literally means “lie down”, but in the context of going to bed.
If your kids haven’t been noisy and difficult all night, try buenas noches mis amores instead. It is the plural form of “goodnight my love”, so it is used to refer to more than one person.
How to Say “Sleep Tight” in Spanish
Although it’s not as common as some of the other expressions on this page, you can say sueño profundo to mean “sleep tight”. Profundo here means “deep”, so you’re technically wishing them a deep sleep.
Unique Ways to Say “Goodnight” in Spanish
We all have grandparents, parents, partners, and even kids who add their own unique twist to this common expression, whether it’s a variation of “I’m going to hit the hay” or just a series of beeps and boops that sounds cute but would be an absolute nightmare to translate (Nighty nighty nooty noot!).
There are a couple of interesting sayings in Spanish, as well.
These include me voy al sobre, which literally means “I’m off to the envelope”, with the “envelope” being a bed.
Me voy al baile de las sábanas blancas is another one,and it means “I’m off to the dance of the white sheets”.
Sayings Similar to the Spanish Buenas Noches
We have covered two very different ways to wish someone a good night in Spanish, but there are many others. So, if you want to mix things up a bit, try the following phrases:
- Have a good night and sweet dreams = que tengas buenas noches y dulces sueños
- Good evening and if I don’t see you again, goodnight = buenas tardes y si no te vuelvo a ver buenas noches
- Sleep well, my love = duerme bien mi amor
- See you tomorrow = nos vemos mañana
- I am going to bed = me voy a la cama
- I am going to lie down = Ya me voy a dormir
- I’m tired. It’s time to lie down = Tengo sueño. Es hora de acostarse.
- Good night little boy = Buenas noches, chiquito
- Good night little girl = Buenas noches, chiquita
- May you dream of me = Que sueñes conmigo
Etymology Check
These Spanish nighttime words have some pretty interesting origins.
Noches, for instance, can be traced back to the Latin noctem, which was the accusative form of nox, also meaning “night”. It’s from this word that we get modern English words like “nocturnal”. Interestingly, the word nox may have the same root as “night”. It is thought to be connected to the Proto-Indo-European word “nókʷts”, which also branched off into the word “night”.
It means that the word for “night” in English and Spanish share similar if loosely connected origins. And they’re not alone, as many other European languages have a similar connection, including the Greek νυχτα (nick-tah), the Portuguese noite (noi-che), and the Italian notte (not-teh).
As for the word buenas, it comes from the Latin bonus, which also meant “good” and has transitioned into modern English as an additional sum of money or some other unexpected but appreciated gift.