How to Say Good Night in French: Bonne Nuit, Not Bonsoir
How do you say goodnight in French? It's bonne nuit - only for bedtime, never a greeting. Learn the pronunciation, sweet-dreams phrases, and good-night texts for a partner.
Good night in French is bonne nuit, pronounced /bun nwee/ - used only when someone is about to sleep, never as an evening greeting (that’s bonsoir). To add warmth, say fais de beaux rêves (sweet dreams) or dors bien (sleep well).
Quick answer
Good night in French is bonne nuit, pronounced /bun nwee/ - used only when someone is about to sleep, never as an evening greeting (that’s bonsoir). To add warmth, say fais de beaux rêves (sweet dreams) or dors bien (sleep well).
Learn the full family of French evening phrases. Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Bonne nuit vs bonsoir: the rule that matters
Bonsoir greets someone in the evening; bonne nuit sends someone off to sleep. Using bonne nuit to greet a shop clerk at 8pm is a real, memorable beginner mistake - it implies you think they’re about to go to bed. For the full family this belongs to, see bonne soirée vs bonsoir.
Sweet dreams and bedtime phrases
| Phrase | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| fais de beaux rêves | /feh duh boh REHV/ | sweet dreams (lit. “make beautiful dreams”) |
| dors bien | - | sleep well |
| bonne nuit et à demain | - | good night, see you tomorrow |
Good night texts for a partner or family
- Bonne nuit mon amour, dors bien.
- Bonne nuit, fais de beaux rêves 💤
- Je pense à toi, bonne nuit.
For the wider vocabulary these draw on, see French terms of endearment.
With kids: the bedtime routine phrases
C’est l’heure de dormir (it’s bedtime), au lit ! (to bed!), then the familiar closer: bonne nuit, dors bien, à demain.
End the day in French
LexiFr teaches French evening phrases with native audio, so bonne nuit always sounds right.
Free to start - no ads, no streak guilt. Your first 200 words are waiting.
Questions about this note
Is bonne nuit the same as bonsoir?
No - bonsoir greets in the evening; bonne nuit is only for bedtime.
How do you say sweet dreams in French?
fais de beaux rêves, literally "make beautiful dreams."
How do you say sleep well?
dors bien (informal) / dormez bien (formal).
Can I say bonne nuit to a stranger in the evening?
No - use bonsoir; bonne nuit implies they're about to go to sleep.
How do you say good night my love?
bonne nuit mon amour.