To say good night in Spanish, we usually say "buenas noches" (bu-E-nas no-CHES), which literally means "good night". However, in Spanish, as in any other language, there are several phrases you can use to greet others at night, depending on the situation. There are even some other phrases that can be used if we say it to children, or close friends and relatives.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Greet Someone at Night
Step 1. Say "buenas noches" (bu-E-nas no-CHES)
"Buenas" is a derivative of the adjective "bueno", and "noches" is the plural form of a feminine noun meaning "night". When combined it means the same as "good night" in Indonesian.
- Since there is no verb in this phrase, the form does not change with the person we are referring to.
- " Buenas noches " can be used at the time of meeting or parting, as long as it occurs at night. However, this greeting is more often used when meeting.
Step 2. Use " feliz noche " (fe-LIZ no-CHE) when parting in more formal situations
Translated literally, this phrase means "happy night", but it can also be used as a "good night" greeting. This form is considered a polite farewell.
- For example, if you're meeting your in-laws for the first time, you might say "feliz noche" when you're leaving.
- Another polite form of saying goodbye at night is "que tengan buena noche" (qe ten-GAN bu-E-na no-CHE), which literally means "have a good night".
Step 3. Shorten your greeting to "buenas"
Just as we might say "night" instead of "good night" in Indonesian, we can say "buenas" instead of "buenas noches". Since this short form doesn't indicate time, you can use it at any time, although it's more commonly used in the afternoon and evening.
Step 4. Use "descansa" (des-KAN-sa) to end the night
Say ' descanca' is a derivative of the verb ' Descansar' which means "to rest". In informal situations, you can use this to say goodnight, especially when it's late and everyone is going home to sleep.
- If you're saying goodbye to a group of people, say (vosotros) " descansad " or (ustedes) " descansen ", depending on how familiar you are with them and the customs of the country.
- This greeting is more informal, usually used when you are quite familiar with the person you are addressing.
Method 2 of 3: Saying Goodnight When Farewell
Step 1. Say "que pases buenas noches" (qe pa-SES bu-E-nas no-CHES)
This phrase is a kind of subtle command wishing someone to have a good night. In this form, the verb market is conjugated for informal situations.
Use this conjugation when talking to children, friends or family members you know closely
Step 2. Use "que pase buenas noches usted" (qe pa-SE bu-E-nas no-CHES us-TED) in more formal situations
If you are talking to someone who is older or of a position, use the formal personal pronoun ' usted' when saying goodnight.
- This form can also be used if you are talking to someone you don't know well, such as a store cashier or a friend of a friend you just met.
- If you're saying it to a group of people, say "que pasen buenas noches (ustedes)."
Step 3. Use teners instead of markets
You can also use the conjugated form of the verb tener, which means "to have," to say good night. With this verb, the phrase becomes " que tengas buenas noches " (qe ten-GAS bu-E-nas no-CHES).
The formal form of this phrase is "que tenga buenas noches". The plural is "que tengan buenas noches." In everyday conversation, people usually don't include the personal pronoun "usted"
Method 3 of 3: Putting Someone to Sleep
Step 1. Say "que duermas bien" (qe du-ER-mas bi-EN)
This phrase is a subtle commandment sentence which when translated means "sleep well". Use this especially for children, family and close friends. Change the verb dormir according to the person it refers to.
- Tú: "Que duermas bien."
- Usted: "Que duerma bien."
- Vosotros: "Que durmáis bien."
- Ustedes: "Que duerman bien."
Step 2. Use the command sentence " duerme bien " (du-ER-me bi-EN)
If you want to tell someone to "sleep well" and mean it more as a command (for example to a child), use this phrase.
- Tú: "¡Duerme bien!"
- Usted: "¡Duerma bien!"
- Ustedes: "¡Duerman bien!"
Step 3. Say "Que tengas dulces sueños" (qe ten-GAS dul-SES su-E-nyos)
This phrase can be translated as "Sweet dreams", although the literal translation is "I wish you sweet dreams".
- This phrase is used usually only for children–sometimes for siblings and spouses.
- Since this phrase is only used for close people, use the informal conjugation of the verb tener. Use tengas if you're greeting one person, and tengáis if you're greeting several people.
- You can also abbreviate this phrase and say " dulces sueños ", which means "sweet dreams".
Step 4. Try using que sueñes con los angelitos (qe su-E-nyes kon los an-hel-LI-tos)
This phrase, which is usually spoken to children, means "dream with little angels."
- This phrase uses the verb soñar ("to dream"), which has irregular conjugations. However, since this phrase is only used for children, only the informal conjugations need to be known: sueñes (singular) and soñéis (plural).
- You can also use the command form: " Sueña con los angelitos."
