How to Say Good Night in German: 16 Phrases From Sweet Dreams to Sleep Tight

The Short Answer

The most common way to say good night in German is Gute Nacht (GOO-teh NAKHT). It is a farewell, not a greeting. You say it when someone is heading to bed or when you are parting for the evening. If you are greeting someone in the evening, you need Guten Abend (GOO-ten AH-bent) instead.

This distinction trips up many English speakers because "good night" in English can function as both a greeting and a farewell depending on context. In German, the line is clear: Guten Abend opens the evening, Gute Nacht closes it. According to the Duden, Germany's authoritative dictionary, Gute Nacht is classified strictly as an Abschiedsgruß (farewell greeting).

"The German language maintains a sharper boundary between evening greetings and nighttime farewells than most European languages. Guten Abend belongs to the social world of the evening; Gute Nacht signals withdrawal into the private sphere."

(Ulrich Ammon, Die Stellung der deutschen Sprache in der Welt, De Gruyter, 2015)

German is spoken by over 130 million people across six countries, and the good night vocabulary goes far beyond the textbook Gute Nacht. This guide covers 16 essential phrases organized by category: standard farewells, bedtime phrases, romantic expressions, casual send-offs, and workplace sign-offs. Each includes pronunciation, a real-world example, and the cultural context you need to use it correctly.

Quick Reference: German Good Night Phrases at a Glance

Standard Evening and Nighttime Phrases

Understanding when to use each of these core phrases is the foundation of getting German evenings right. The grammar shift from Guten to Gute is not random; it reflects the gender of the noun that follows.

Gute Nacht

Gute Nacht is the standard nighttime farewell across all German-speaking countries. Notice the grammar: it is Gute (not Guten) because Nacht is feminine. Compare with Guten Morgen and Guten Abend, where Morgen and Abend are masculine, requiring the masculine accusative ending -en.

This grammatical detail matters because it reveals how German greetings are structured as abbreviated sentences. Gute Nacht is short for Ich wünsche dir eine gute Nacht (I wish you a good night). The Duden documents this elliptical pattern across all time-of-day greetings.

Guten Abend

Guten Abend is the evening counterpart to Guten Morgen and Guten Tag. It is strictly a greeting, something you say when you arrive at a dinner party, enter a restaurant, or meet someone on an evening walk. It typically takes over from Guten Tag around 6 PM, though the exact transition is informal.

The key rule: if you are saying hello, use Guten Abend. If you are saying goodbye for the night, use Gute Nacht. English blurs this line; German does not.

Schlafen Sie gut

When you need to wish someone a formal good night, Schlafen Sie gut is the correct choice. It uses the polite Sie pronoun and the infinitive verb form schlafen rather than the informal imperative schlaf. Hotel staff, hosts at formal dinners, and colleagues who maintain the Sie register all use this form.

Bedtime Phrases

These are the warm, personal phrases Germans use within families and among close friends at bedtime. They carry a softness that Gute Nacht alone does not convey.

Schlaf gut

Schlaf gut is what German parents say to their children every night, what partners murmur before turning off the light, and what friends text each other at the end of an evening chat. It is second only to Gute Nacht in frequency and carries a genuine warmth. The informal imperative schlaf signals closeness, and you only use this with people you address as du.

Schlaf schön

Where Schlaf gut is warm, Schlaf schön is tender. The word schön (beautiful, nice) adds a gentleness that makes this phrase particularly common in two contexts: parents tucking in young children and partners saying goodnight. It is not interchangeable with Schlaf gut in tone. Schlaf schön feels more intimate.

Süße Träume

Süße Träume maps directly onto the English "sweet dreams," both in meaning and usage. It is frequently combined with Gute Nacht for a fuller farewell: Gute Nacht und süße Träume! The phrase works across all age groups but carries an especially affectionate tone when used between adults.

Träum was Schönes

This phrase has a poetic quality that does not quite exist in English. Rather than wishing for "sweet" dreams in the abstract, Träum was Schönes wishes for something specific and beautiful to appear in the person's dreams. It is a favorite in text messages and WhatsApp good nights among younger Germans.

Schlaf wie ein Murmeltier

Where English says "sleep like a log," German says "sleep like a marmot." The Alpine marmot (Murmeltier) hibernates for six to nine months of the year, making it the perfect mascot for deep, uninterrupted sleep. According to Ethnologue's documentation of German idiomatic expressions, animal-based sleep metaphors are especially common in the Alpine dialect regions where marmots are part of the landscape.

This is a playful phrase. Use it when someone is visibly exhausted or after a particularly long day. It always gets a smile.

Casual and Group Farewells

Not every good night needs to be a bedtime wish. These phrases cover the casual ways Germans wrap up an evening, say goodbye to a group, or sign off knowing they will see someone the next day.

Nacht!

Just as English speakers shorten "Good night" to "Night!", Germans drop the Gute and say simply Nacht! It is the most casual nighttime farewell, strictly for friends, group chats, and informal situations. You would never say Nacht! to your boss or a stranger.

Gute Nacht zusammen

When you are in a group setting (a WhatsApp group, a shared apartment, a late dinner party) Gute Nacht zusammen is the natural way to bid everyone good night at once. The word zusammen (together/everyone) ensures no one feels left out. It is also the most common sign-off in German group chats before midnight.

Bis morgen

Bis morgen is less about wishing someone a good night and more about confirming that you will see them again soon. It is the standard farewell among coworkers leaving the office, classmates after an evening study session, or friends after dinner who have plans the next day. Pairing it with Schlaf gut creates the perfect combination: Schlaf gut, bis morgen!

Bis dann

Where Bis morgen is specific (see you tomorrow), Bis dann is open-ended (see you whenever). It works well at the end of an evening when you do not have concrete plans to meet the next day. It carries a relaxed, no-pressure tone that fits German directness well.

Caring and Romantic Phrases

German has a softer side that surprises many learners. These phrases show concern for someone's rest or express romantic affection at bedtime.

Ruh dich aus

Ruh dich aus goes beyond a standard good night. It is a direct instruction to rest and recharge, used when someone clearly needs it. The separable verb ausruhen (to rest/recuperate) conveys real concern. The formal version, Ruhen Sie sich aus, follows the same Sie/du pattern as other German phrases.

This is what a thoughtful friend says when you have been working late all week, or what a partner says when you come home exhausted. It acknowledges the person's fatigue and gives them permission to prioritize rest.

Eine erholsame Nacht

Eine erholsame Nacht sits in an elegant space between casual and formal. The adjective erholsam (restful, restorative) carries the connotation of deep recovery, not just sleep. You will hear it from hotel staff, after formal evening events, and in professional emails closing out an evening exchange. It is a phrase that signals genuine thoughtfulness.

Ab ins Bett

Ab ins Bett is the no-nonsense German way of announcing bedtime. Parents use it with children who are staying up too late. Partners use it playfully when one person is glued to their phone past midnight. And it works perfectly as a self-directed announcement in a group chat: So, ab ins Bett. Gute Nacht zusammen!

Workplace Evening Farewells

German work culture draws a firm line between professional and personal time. These phrases mark that transition.

Schönen Feierabend

Feierabend is one of those German words that captures an entire cultural concept in a single term. It literally means "celebration evening" and refers to the moment work ends and personal time begins. The Goethe-Institut describes Feierabend as a "cornerstone of German work-life balance culture," reflecting the deeply held belief that after-work hours are private and protected.

Saying Schönen Feierabend to coworkers as you leave the office is not just polite; it is culturally expected. It acknowledges and respects the boundary between work and rest. For a deeper exploration of German culture, this concept is essential to understand.

How to Respond to German Good Night Phrases

Knowing how to respond when someone wishes you good night is just as important as initiating the farewell yourself.

Standard Responses

Text and Chat Responses

Regional Variations

While nighttime farewells show less regional variation than daytime greetings, a few notable differences exist across German-speaking countries.

In Switzerland, Swiss German speakers may say Guet Nacht or Gueti Nacht, reflecting the Swiss German pronunciation patterns. The phrase Schlaf guet replaces standard Schlaf gut.

In Austria, Gute Nacht remains standard, but you may hear Schlaf fein (sleep finely) as a tender alternative to Schlaf gut, particularly in rural areas. The Austrian tendency toward softer, more melodic expression carries through into bedtime language.

In Bavaria (southern Germany), the farewell Pfiat di (a dialectal contraction of Behüte dich Gott, meaning "May God protect you") can serve as an evening farewell. It is not bed-specific but works in any parting context, including late at night.

For more on navigating these regional differences through authentic media, explore our guide to the best movies for learning German, which includes Austrian and Swiss productions where you can hear these variations naturally.

Practice With Real German Content

Reading about good night phrases is a solid start, but hearing them spoken by native speakers in real conversations is what makes them stick. German-language films are especially useful for bedtime vocabulary: family dramas, romantic comedies, and coming-of-age stories all feature natural nighttime farewell scenes where characters use exactly these phrases.

Wordy takes this further by letting you watch German movies and shows with interactive subtitles. When a character says Schlaf gut, Liebling or Schönen Feierabend, you can tap the phrase to see its meaning, pronunciation, and cultural context instantly. You absorb the rhythm and tone of authentic German rather than memorizing phrases in isolation.

For more German learning content, explore our blog or visit our dedicated German learning page to start practicing with native content today.