Is bonne nuit French or Spanish?

'Bonne nuit' is a French phrase that means 'good night' — the Spanish equivalent is 'buenas noches,' which is the phrase to use when speaking Spanish.

Why does Spanish use the plural 'noches' instead of singular?

Spanish time-of-day greetings traditionally use the plural — buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas noches — a convention rooted in historical usage that has remained standard even though the singular would seem logical.

Can buenas noches be used as both a greeting and a farewell?

Buenas noches functions as both an evening greeting (when you arrive somewhere at night) and a farewell (when saying goodbye at bedtime), unlike English which distinguishes 'good evening' from 'good night.'

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

How to Say Bonne Nuit in English and Spanish

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Buenas noches · phrase · BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs

'Bonne nuit' is a French phrase meaning 'good night' in English. If you are looking for the Spanish equivalent, it is 'buenas noches.' While French uses the singular 'nuit' (night), Spanish uses the plural 'noches' (nights), a grammatical quirk that makes Spanish greetings distinctive.

Buenas noches is pronounced BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs. Both words stress the first syllable, and the 'ch' in noches sounds like the English 'ch' in 'cheese.'

Buenas noches, que descanses bien.

Good night, rest well.

How Native Speakers Use Buenas noches

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Bedtime farewell

Buenas noches, mamá. Nos vemos mañana.

Good night, Mom. See you tomorrow.

A common bedtime farewell within families.

Evening greeting

Buenas noches, bienvenidos al restaurante.

Good evening, welcome to the restaurant.

Buenas noches also serves as an evening greeting, not just a farewell.

Texting

¡Buenas noches! Dulces sueños. 🌙

Good night! Sweet dreams.

Commonly used in text messages and social media.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Buenas noches

Using singular

Incorrect: Buena noche, descansa bien.

Correct: Buenas noches, descansa bien.

Spanish always uses the plural form 'buenas noches,' even though English and French use the singular 'good night' and 'bonne nuit.'

Language mixing

Incorrect: Bonne nuit, amigos.

Correct: Buenas noches, amigos.

If speaking Spanish, use the Spanish phrase 'buenas noches' rather than mixing in the French 'bonne nuit.'

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Common Questions About bonne nuit (good night) in Spanish

Is bonne nuit French or Spanish?: 'Bonne nuit' is a French phrase that means 'good night' — the Spanish equivalent is 'buenas noches,' which is the phrase to use when speaking Spanish.
Why does Spanish use the plural 'noches' instead of singular?: Spanish time-of-day greetings traditionally use the plural — buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas noches — a convention rooted in historical usage that has remained standard even though the singular would seem logical.
Can buenas noches be used as both a greeting and a farewell?: Buenas noches functions as both an evening greeting (when you arrive somewhere at night) and a farewell (when saying goodbye at bedtime), unlike English which distinguishes 'good evening' from 'good night.'