To say goodnight in Spanish you can generally use the expression "buenas noches" (buenas noces), which literally means "good nights". But in Spanish, just like in Italian, there are other ways to greet people in the evening hours, which vary according to the circumstances. There are even more when addressing children, close friends or relatives.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Greet Someone in the Evening
Step 1. Pronounce "buenas noches" (buenas noces)
"Buenas" comes from the adjective "bueno" (good) and "noches" is the plural of the feminine name "noche" (night). They are pronounced together on occasions when you would say "goodnight" in Italian.
- Since this sentence does not contain a verb, it does not change depending on who you are referring to.
- "Buenas noches" can be used both as a greeting and as a farewell, as long as it is in the evening; however, it is more often said as a greeting.
Step 2. Use "feliz noche" (felis walnut) as a farewell on more formal occasions
Literally translated, this phrase means "happy night", but it is used just like "buonanotte" in Italian; it is considered a more polite way of saying goodbye.
- For example, if you met your in-laws for the first time, you can use this phrase when you say goodbye to them to leave.
- Another polite way to say goodbye during the late evening is "que tengan buena noche" (che tengan buena noce), which means "have a good night".
Step 3. Shorten the greeting with a simple "buenas"
Just as under certain circumstances you would simply say "night" instead of "goodnight", you can also use the same shortened form in Spanish to say "buenas noches". Since this abbreviation does not refer to a specific time of day, you can use it in any situation, although it is more common in the afternoon and evening.
Step 4. Use "descansa" (pronounced as you spell it) at the end of the evening
This word derives from the verb descansar and basically means "to rest"; you can use it in informal situations, as a way to say goodnight, especially if it is quite late and everyone is going home to sleep.
- If you are taking leave of a group of people, you must say (you) "descansad" or (courtesy) "descansen", depending on the level of confidence you have with the people and the habits of the place where you are.
- This is a more informal greeting, which is typically used when you have a friendlier and more intimate relationship with the interlocutor.
Method 2 of 3: Wish Someone Goodnight
Step 1. Pronounce "que pases buenas noches" (che pases buenas noces)
This phrase is a friendly wish to invite the person to have a good night. In this expression, the verb pasar is conjugated in the second person singular.
You can use this conjugation when addressing a child, friend, or family member with whom you speak informally
Step 2. Use the terms "que pase buenas noches" (che pase buenas noces) in more formal situations
When the interlocutor is older than you or has an authoritative role, you must use the form of courtesy usted ("You") when you say goodnight.
- This should also be the form to use when addressing someone you don't know very well, such as a shop assistant or the friend of a friend you just met.
- If you are addressing a group of people, you can say "que pasen buenas noches (plural form of courtesy)".
Step 3. Use the verb tener instead of pasar
You can also wish goodnight by using the verb form tener, which means "to have", in the right conjugation based on the context. With this verb, the wishing phrase is "que tengas buenas noches" (che tengas buenas noces).
If you have to express it in a formal way, pronounce "que tenga buenas noches" (without the "s" of the second person singular); the plural is instead "que tengan buenas noches". In normal conversation, people usually do not pronounce the pronoun "usted" ("She" of courtesy)
Method 3 of 3: Send Someone to Bed
Step 1. Pronounce "que duermas bien" (che duermas bien)
This phrase is an "imperative" but polite way to mean "sleep well". It is mainly used with children, family members and close friends. You have to conjugate the verb to sleep according to the person you are addressing.
- You: "Que duermas bien";
- She (courtesy form): "Que duerma bien";
- You: "Que durmáis bien";
- You (form of courtesy to several people): "Que duerman bien".
Step 2. Use "duerme bien" (pronounced as you read it)
This phrase is particularly suitable when you ask someone to "sleep well", but you mean it more as an indication (for example to a child).
- You: "¡Duerme bien!";
- She (courtesy form): "¡Duerma bien!";
- You (form of courtesy to several people): "¡Duerman bien!".
Step 3. Wish someone "Que tengas dulces sueños" (che tengas dulses suegnos)
This sentence is pronounced just like the Italian wish "sweet dreams", although the literal translation is more like "that you have sweet dreams".
- Typically, it is only used with children and only occasionally with younger siblings or a partner.
- Since it is pronounced only in the family context, you have to conjugate the verb tener in the second person singular (or plural for several people); therefore, use tengas when addressing a single individual and tengáis if the wish is addressed to several people.
- You can also shorten the sentence and simply say "dulces sueños".
Step 4. Use the phrase "que sueñes con los angelitos" (che suegnes con lo anhelitos - where the "h" is pronounced with an aspirated guttural sound, similar to the German "ch" of sprache)
It is generally used only with children and means "dream with little angels".
- In this case we use the verb soñar (to dream) which has an irregular conjugation; however, since we only address children, it is sufficient to know the conjugation of the second person: sueñes (singular) and soñéis "(plural).
- You can also use this phrase in an imperative way: "Sueña con los angelitos".
