
Leaving a social area to go and get ready for sleep (even if they’re not about to sleep right away).You say bonne nuit to wish someone goodnight in French when you know the other person is about to go to bed. Bonne Nuit - Standard French for “Good Night” “Sleep well” - literally “Sleep with the angels” a little more poetic than dors bienĪ bit more about each of these expressions below. Literally “until tomorrow” - this is a casual “goodnight” when someone is going to sleep Literally “Good evening” use it to say “Have a good evening” (different from bonsoir) Usually a greeting as in “good evening” formal way of saying goodbye as in “goodnight” (less common, but still common-ish)

Most standard “goodnight” in French - use only to say goodbye to someone very late, or when they’re going to bed. Here are the ways of saying “goodnight” in French correctly, organised by where to say them and to whom.

Nonetheless, knowing how to say bonne nuit (the most literal translation of “goodnight”) is only part of the picture. A night scene from Le Petit Prince, a classic French book for learners You say “goodnight” in French a bit differently depending on a) whether you mean to greet someone or bid them farewell, and b) how well you know them (i.e. (It wouldn’t be wrong to do so, just unusual.) You would rarely say “goodnight” to someone if you’re just bidding them farewell for the evening, no matter how late it is. In English, you say “goodnight” to acknowledge someone is going to bed. This is why you need to know the different ways in which you can wish someone goodnight in French - it depends on the context!

They overlap mostly, but sometimes catch you out. Greetings in other languages are always tricky.
