German · Greetings & Essentials
"Good night" in German: gute Nacht
gute Nacht
Good night in German is gute Nacht. Say it when someone is going to bed or when you leave late. Among close people you may add Schlaf gut.
Leaving a friend
Gute Nacht! Bis morgen.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce gute Nacht
Say it
GOO-tuh nahkht
/ˌɡuːtə ˈnaxt/
GOO-tuh nahkht. Soft e in gute; Nacht has the ach-sound before t.
"Good night" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| gute Nacht | good night Standard bedtime goodbye. | Standard bedtime goodbye. |
| Schlaf gut | sleep well Warm add-on with family and friends. | Warm add-on with family and friends. |
| Schlaf schön | sleep nicely Affectionate variant. | Affectionate variant. |
| Nacht! | night! Short casual form. | Short casual form. |
How to use gute Nacht in real life
- 1Leaving a friend
Gute Nacht! Bis morgen.
Good night! See you tomorrow.
Capitalize at the start; both words are common.
- 2To a partner
Gute Nacht, schlaf gut.
Good night, sleep well.
Schlaf gut softens the goodbye.
- 3Group chat
Ich geh schlafen. Gute Nacht allerseits!
I'm going to sleep. Good night everyone!
Allerseits addresses the whole group.
Mistakes English speakers make with gute Nacht
Incorrect: Guten Nacht!
Correct: Gute Nacht!
Nacht is feminine, so the fixed greeting is gute Nacht, not guten Nacht.
Incorrect: Gute Nacht! (at 3 p.m. when leaving)
Correct: Tschüss! / Bis später!
Reserve gute Nacht for bedtime or very late goodbyes.
Good to know
Gute Nacht is for sleep, not a general evening hello. In the evening when arriving somewhere, Guten Abend is the greeting; gute Nacht comes when the day is ending.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Ending a late video call
ChatPal
Ich bin fertig für heute. Gute Nacht!
I'm done for today. Good night!
You
Gute Nacht! Träum was Schönes.
Good night! Dream something nice.
ChatPal
Danke. Schreib mir morgen nach der Nacht.
Thanks. Message me tomorrow after the night.
You
Mach ich. Gute Nacht nochmal!
Will do. Good night again!
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Good night" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Good night" in German
Is it gute Nacht or guten Nacht?
Gute Nacht. Nacht is feminine.
When do I say gute Nacht?
When you or the other person is going to sleep, or leaving very late.
What can I add after gute Nacht?
Schlaf gut or Schlaf schön.
What is the evening hello instead?
Guten Abend when you arrive or greet someone in the evening.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
