Good manners in French are a cultural necessity, from deciding between tu and vous to utilizing the suitable phrases for small discuss.
These primary pleasantries embody realizing tips on how to greet somebody at any time of the day—together with when the solar goes down.
Listed here are the 5 greatest methods to say “good night time” in French, together with 5 different phrases you may use on your French nighttime greetings and send-offs.
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1. Bonsoir
— Good night
It took me an embarrassingly very long time to understand that the phrase bonjour is a mixture of the phrases bon (good) and jour (day).
The identical rule applies to the greeting bonsoir, the place the phrase soir means “night” or “night time.”
The definition of “night” in French could be fairly versatile, relying on elements just like the individual you’re speaking to or the time of yr. You possibly can truly use bonsoir from 4 PM to 10 PM!
Bonsoir, Catherine, ça va ? (Good night, Catherine, how are you?)
2. Bonne soirée
— Have a superb night
Bonsoir and bonne soirée may sound comparable, however there’s one necessary distinction.
Bonsoir is a greeting that’s mentioned as quickly as one enters a room and launches right into a dialog. Alternatively, while you or another person is about to depart a room and change goodbyes, you’ll say bonne soirée.
Bonne soirée can also be used when individuals are nonetheless awake or going out for the night. You seemingly gained’t hear this phrase and even apply it to somebody retiring for the night.
Je pars, bonne soirée ! (I’m leaving, have a superb night!)
Whereas bonsoir is appropriate anytime after noon, the identical can’t be mentioned for the phrase bonne nuit. Bonne nuit straight interprets to “good night time,” so it’s solely acceptable to make use of when you see stars.
Not like bonne soirée, bonne nuit is completely used when somebody goes to mattress. This isn’t your go-to phrase when the opposite individual is about to move to dinner or an evening out.
Bonne nuit tout le monde, je me couche. (Goodnight everybody, I’m going to mattress.)
In fact, you’ll solely say this phrase when somebody goes to sleep!
Fais de beaux rêves has formal and casual variations, which use the vous and tu conjugations of the verb faire (to do) respectively. For instance, in the event you have been talking to a major different or baby, you’ll use the tu kind: fais de beaux rêves. In case you have been talking to somebody you’re not conversant in or to a number of individuals, the vous kind could be extra appropriate: faites de beaux rêves.
Bonne nuit, mon amour. Fais de beaux rêves. (Goodnight my love. Candy goals.)
Bonne nuit mes enfants. Faites de beaux rêves. (Goodnight my youngsters. Candy goals.)
Right here is one other expression for when the individual you’re talking to goes to mattress.
Just like the earlier phrase, it has a proper and casual model, indicated by the conjugation of the verb dormir (to sleep). The tu kind dors is the casual model, whereas the vous kind dormez is the formal model. If ever unsure about which model is appropriate, play it protected through the use of the vous kind.
Dors bien Mathieu. (Sleep nicely, Mathieu.)
Dormez bien Monsieur. (Sleep nicely, Sir.)
6. À demain
— See you tomorrow
À demain isn’t just for nighttime or when somebody’s about to sleep—you should use it at any time of the day.
Much like bonne soirée, it’s a parting phrase. The phrase demain means tomorrow, so it has a way of finality: you gained’t see the opposite individual till tomorrow.
À demain, je vais au lit. (See you tomorrow, I’m going to mattress.)
Whether or not you’re searching for a cutesy method to ship an brisk baby to mattress or a harsh command to punish a petulant teenager, this expression works. The phrase lit means mattress, so it actually interprets to “in mattress” or “to mattress.” And the interpretation can change primarily based on the way you say it!
Les enfants ! Au lit ! (Children! Bedtime!)
Aller au lit is the idea for the expression au lit. You should use aller au lit to say that you simply’re retiring for the night, with out explicitly stating that you simply’re going to sleep. Nonetheless, it does lean nearer to implying that you simply’re about to sleep reasonably than going to mattress and staying awake.
Je suis fatiguée. Je vais au lit. (I’m drained. I’m going to mattress.)
9. Se coucher
— To place oneself to mattress
In case you’re going to speak about going to mattress, you may’t accomplish that with out the verb se coucher, and even coucher. However they’re not the identical!
Se coucher is a reflexive verb, and its that means varies relying with regards to the sentence. For instance, if the topic is an individual, it means to place oneself to mattress. Nonetheless, if the topic is the solar, it means the solar setting.
The verb coucher is about placing one thing or another person to mattress. Not like the reflexive verb, the topic and object of the sentence usually are not the identical.
In case you have been to say coucher avec, although, it could have each a wonderfully harmless that means and a sexual connotation. So for simply speaking about sleeping, perhaps follow se coucher to be protected.
Je suis fatigué. Je me couche. (I’m drained. I’m going to mattress.)
Regardless of the minefield that’s the phrase coucher, turning this verb right into a command is far less complicated. All it requires is the formal and casual conjugation of the verb: the vous and tu kinds, respectively.
In observe, if you wish to inform an older member of the family to go lie down, you’ll say couchez-vous. However in the event you have been making an attempt to self-discipline a petulant teenager, you’ll seemingly use couche-toi.
Grand-mère, vous êtes malade. Couchez-vous. (Grandma, you’re sick. Go to mattress.)
Paul, donne-moi ton moveable et couche-toi ! (Paul, give me your cellphone and go to mattress!)
Whether or not it’s the first light or late within the night, the French love their greetings. The phrases above are used quite a bit in spoken French, so that they’re very useful to recollect!
To select up extra conversational phrases like these, you may watch French movies on FluentU. As an immersion program, it teaches French via native clips from films, TV reveals, interviews, and extra. The interactive subtitles allow you to verify phrase definitions whereas watching, and you may even search for French expressions to see how they work in several contexts.
So go forward and observe! The phrases above will turn out to be useful whether or not you’re preparing for an evening out or cozying up for an evening in.
