How to Say Good Night in Japanese: 16 Expressions for Every Situation

Beyond a Single Phrase

The most standard way to say good night in Japanese is Oyasuminasai (おやすみなさい, oh-yah-soo-mee-nah-sah-ee). It works in most polite situations, with family, acquaintances, hotel staff, and anyone you want to show basic respect to. Among close friends, the shortened Oyasumi (おやすみ) is the natural choice.

But Japanese good-night expressions run far deeper than a single phrase. The language has distinct expressions for leaving the office at night, wishing someone restful sleep, saying farewell in a group, texting a partner before bed, and acknowledging a long day of shared work. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs' 2023 National Language Survey, Japanese speakers actively use different farewell expressions depending on the time of day, their relationship to the listener, and whether the context is personal or professional.

"Japanese farewell expressions are not interchangeable formalities. Each one encodes a specific social meaning: respect for effort, concern for well-being, or the intimacy of a close bond."

(Seiichi Makino, A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, The Japan Times, 1986)

This guide covers 16 essential good-night expressions in Japanese, organized by formality and context: standard polite forms, casual and friendly phrases, workplace farewells, bedtime and romantic expressions, and texting shortcuts. Each includes Japanese script, romaji pronunciation, and the cultural context you need to use it correctly.

Quick Reference: Japanese Good Night Expressions at a Glance

Standard Good Night Expressions

These are the core good-night phrases every Japanese learner needs. According to the Japan Foundation's 2021 survey on Japanese-language education abroad, greetings and farewells rank as the most-studied topic among the 3.8 million people learning Japanese worldwide, and good-night expressions are among the first farewell phrases taught.

おやすみなさい (Oyasuminasai)

Oyasuminasai is built from the verb yasumu (to rest), with the honorific prefix o- and the polite imperative nasai. You are literally saying "please rest" in a respectful way. It is the default good-night phrase in Japanese, the one you use when you are unsure which expression fits the situation.

Unlike English, where "good night" works universally, oyasuminasai occupies a specific politeness register. It is polite enough for your host family or a hotel receptionist, but among very close friends it can sound slightly stiff. Think of it as the equivalent of a warm but proper "good night" rather than a breezy "night!"

おやすみ (Oyasumi)

Simply drop the nasai from oyasuminasai and you have the casual good night. This mirrors the ohayou gozaimasu / ohayou pattern in morning greetings: the shorter form signals closeness and comfort. If you watch Japanese anime or dramas, oyasumi is the version you will hear most frequently in scenes between friends and family.

おやすみなさいませ (Oyasuminasaimase)

This ultra-polite form adds -mase to the already polite oyasuminasai. You will encounter it primarily in Japanese hospitality: a ryokan attendant bidding you good night, a luxury hotel concierge, or high-end service environments. It reflects the Japanese concept of omotenashi (selfless hospitality), where the service provider elevates the guest through language.

Workplace Evening Farewells

Japanese work culture has its own distinct set of evening expressions. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs' National Language Survey, over 90% of Japanese office workers use workplace-specific farewells rather than general good-night phrases when leaving the office. These expressions acknowledge shared effort and maintain workplace harmony.

お疲れ様でした (Otsukaresama deshita)

Otsukaresama deshita is arguably the most important workplace phrase in Japanese. While oyasuminasai is for personal good nights, this expression is the evening farewell among colleagues. The past tense (deshita instead of desu) signals "the work is done for today," a subtle but meaningful distinction. You will hear it echoing through Japanese offices every evening as people leave.

お先に失礼します (Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu)

This phrase reveals a core aspect of Japanese work culture: leaving before your colleagues carries a faint sense of guilt. By saying osaki ni shitsurei shimasu (literally "I will commit the rudeness of going first"), you acknowledge that others are still working. It is not genuine guilt; it is a social ritual that maintains group cohesion. Colleagues who remain typically respond with otsukaresama deshita.

Casual and Friendly Good Night

These expressions are for close friends, classmates, and peers. They carry warmth and familiarity that would be inappropriate in formal settings.

おやすみ〜 (Oyasumi~)

The trailing tilde (~) or nami-dash in Japanese adds a playful, gentle quality. In spoken Japanese, this manifests as a slightly elongated final vowel. In text messages and online chat, the tilde is ubiquitous among younger speakers. It softens the farewell and adds emotional warmth: the difference between a brisk "night" and a cozy "niight."

また明日 (Mata ashita)

Mata ashita is the Japanese "see you tomorrow": simple, warm, and forward-looking. It pairs naturally with oyasumi for a complete casual farewell: Oyasumi! Mata ashita ne! (Good night! See you tomorrow!). The particle ne at the end adds a soft, confirming tone, like the English "right?" or "okay?"

じゃあね (Jaa ne)

While not exclusively a nighttime expression, jaa ne is the casual "bye" that frequently precedes oyasumi when friends part in the evening. It establishes the farewell, and oyasumi seals it. In anime and Japanese films, this two-part structure -- jaa ne followed by oyasumi -- is one of the most common evening farewell patterns you will encounter. Our guide to the best movies for learning Japanese features titles packed with these natural exchanges.

Bedtime and Caring Expressions

These phrases go beyond a simple "good night" to express genuine care for the other person's rest and well-being. They are especially common between family members, close friends, and romantic partners.

いい夢を (Ii yume wo)

Ii yume wo is a truncated phrase; the complete version would be ii yume wo mite kudasai (please see good dreams). Japanese uses the verb miru (to see) with dreams, rather than "have" as in English. This creates a slightly more visual and poetic nuance: you are wishing someone beautiful visions in their sleep.

いい夢見てね (Ii yume mite ne)

This fuller form adds the verb mite (see/watch) and the soft particle ne, making it feel warmer and more personal than the abbreviated ii yume wo. It is the kind of phrase you would text a partner before sleep or say to a child at bedtime. The ne at the end functions like a gentle "okay?", inviting agreement and closeness.

ゆっくり休んで (Yukkuri yasunde)

Yukkuri means "slowly" or "at ease," and yasunde is the casual imperative of yasumu (to rest). Together, they convey "take your time resting," a phrase that shows attentiveness. In Japanese culture, noticing that someone is tired and explicitly encouraging their rest is a meaningful act of care. You might hear this in anime when one character is worried about another pushing themselves too hard.

もう寝るね (Mou neru ne)

This is less a farewell and more a bedtime announcement: "I'm going to sleep now." It works perfectly in late-night text exchanges where you want to signal that the conversation is winding down without being abrupt. The particle ne is essential here: without it, mou neru sounds blunt. With ne, it becomes a soft notification that invites a reciprocal oyasumi.

体に気をつけてね (Karada ni ki wo tsukete ne)

This expression extends beyond a simple good night into genuine concern for health. Japanese culture places high value on expressing care through practical concern, and telling someone to look after their body is one of the most common ways to do so. It is especially natural during seasonal changes, flu season, or when the other person has mentioned feeling unwell.

Texting and Digital Good Night

Younger Japanese speakers have developed shortened and stylized versions of good-night expressions for text messages, LINE (Japan's dominant messaging app), and social media.

おやすー (Oyasu-)

Just as English speakers shorten "good night" to "night" or "nite" in texts, Japanese speakers clip oyasumi down to oyasu-. The long dash (ー) represents the trailing vowel. This is strictly digital slang; you would not say it face to face. According to NHK's research on language trends, abbreviated expressions like this are increasingly common in digital communication among Japanese speakers under 30.

Regional and Formal Variants

おやすみやす (Oyasumiyasu)

Kyoto dialect (Kyo-kotoba) replaces the standard -nasai ending with -yasu, giving good-night expressions a distinctly elegant and traditional sound. While not widely used outside the Kansai region, you will encounter it in period dramas, Kyoto-set stories, and from older residents of Kyoto. It reflects the city's long history as Japan's imperial capital and cultural center.

それでは、おやすみなさい (Sore dewa, oyasuminasai)

Adding sore dewa (well then) before oyasuminasai creates a more structured, deliberate farewell. It signals that you are consciously wrapping up the interaction, appropriate for ending a dinner gathering, a phone call, or an evening meeting. It carries a sense of proper closure that a standalone oyasuminasai does not.

Good Night in Anime and Japanese Media

Japanese anime and dramas are a window into how good-night expressions function in natural contexts. Bedtime scenes appear frequently across genres, and the choice of expression reveals character relationships instantly.

In slice-of-life anime, family members exchange oyasumi or oyasuminasai depending on the household's level of formality. A child saying oyasuminasai to their parents and receiving an oyasumi back is a common pattern: the child uses the polite form upward, while the parent uses the casual form downward.

Romantic anime often feature ii yume wo or ii yume mite ne in emotionally charged scenes, where a character wishing their love interest sweet dreams becomes a moment of vulnerability and tenderness. Meanwhile, workplace anime like Aggretsuko or Servant x Service showcase otsukaresama deshita as the universal office farewell.

Wordy lets you watch these scenes with interactive subtitles. Tap on any good-night expression to see its romaji, meaning, formality level, and cultural context in real time. It is the fastest way to move from textbook knowledge to natural comprehension.

How to Respond to Good Night in Japanese

Responding correctly is just as important as initiating. Japanese good-night responses follow predictable patterns based on formality.

Practice With Real Japanese Content

Reading about good-night expressions gives you the knowledge, but hearing them spoken naturally, with proper intonation, rhythm, and emotional tone, is what makes them stick. The difference between a flat oyasumi and a warm, drawn-out oyasumiii is something you can only learn from hearing native speakers in context.

Wordy lets you watch Japanese movies, anime, and shows with interactive subtitles that break down every phrase in real time. Tap on any good-night expression to see its meaning, romaji, formality level, and cultural notes. Instead of memorizing from a list, you absorb these phrases from authentic conversations.

For more Japanese language content, explore our blog for guides on everything from greetings to the best movies for learning Japanese. Start practicing with real content on our Japanese learning page today.