Good Night In Chinese

Yak Tip

晚安 wǎn ān is usually said when you are ending the day, not when you are greeting someone late at night. So no, it is not the nighttime version of “hello.” It is the bedtime version of “we are done here.”

The Main Phrase: 晚安 wǎn ān

晚安 wǎn ān means “good night.”

晚 wǎn = evening, late
安 ān = peaceful, calm, safe

Together, 晚安 wǎn ān gives the feeling of wishing someone a peaceful night.

晚安。
wǎn ān.
Good night.

Real-life sentence:

已经很晚了，晚安。
yǐ jīng hěn wǎn le, wǎn ān.
It’s already late. Good night.

Useful Bedtime Phrases In Chinese

How To Use 晚安 wǎn ān Naturally

Plain And Neutral

晚安。
wǎn ān.
Good night.

This is clean, normal, and safe in almost any situation.

A Little Warmer

晚安啦。
wǎn ān la.
Nighty night / good night then.

The particle 啦 la makes it softer and more casual.

好啦，晚安啦。
hǎo la, wǎn ān la.
Alright then, good night.

Caring Tone

早点睡，晚安。
zǎo diǎn shuì, wǎn ān.
Sleep early, good night.

今天辛苦了，晚安。
jīn tiān xīn kǔ le, wǎn ān.
You worked hard today. Good night.

Romantic Or Sweet

晚安，做个好梦。
wǎn ān, zuò ge hǎo mèng.
Good night, sweet dreams.

宝贝，晚安。
bǎo bèi, wǎn ān.
Good night, babe.

Yes, that last one is very sweet. No, maybe do not send it to your boss.

Real-Life Sentences You Can Use Tonight

• 晚安，我先睡了。
  wǎn ān, wǒ xiān shuì le.
  Good night, I’m going to sleep first.
• 你也早点睡，晚安。
  nǐ yě zǎo diǎn shuì, wǎn ān.
  You should sleep early too. Good night.
• 今天聊得很开心，晚安。
  jīn tiān liáo de hěn kāi xīn, wǎn ān.
  It was really nice chatting today. Good night.
• 路上小心，到家了跟我说，晚安。
  lù shàng xiǎo xīn, dào jiā le gēn wǒ shuō, wǎn ān.
  Be careful on the way. Message me when you get home. Good night.
• 别熬夜了，早点睡。
  bié áo yè le, zǎo diǎn shuì.
  Don’t stay up late. Sleep early.
• 希望你今晚睡个好觉。
  xī wàng nǐ jīn wǎn shuì ge hǎo jiào.
  I hope you sleep well tonight.
• 做个好梦，明天见。
  zuò ge hǎo mèng, míng tiān jiàn.
  Sweet dreams, see you tomorrow.
• 晚安，手机放下。
  wǎn ān, shǒu jī fàng xià.
  Good night, put the phone down.

Mini Table: Good Night Phrases At A Glance

Common Mistakes And Fixes

• Mistake: using 晚安 wǎn ān to greet someone at night.
  Fix: use it when ending the conversation or going to bed.
• Mistake: thinking 晚安 wǎn ān always sounds romantic.
  Fix: it can be sweet, but it is also normal and common with friends and family.
• Mistake: saying only 睡觉 shuì jiào to someone.
  Fix: 睡觉 shuì jiào means “sleep” as a verb, not “good night.”
• Mistake: forgetting tone marks when learning pinyin.
  Fix: learn the full phrase as wǎn ān, not just “wan an.” Your future pronunciation will complain less.

Practice Section

Try swapping the English for Chinese:

• Good night. → 晚安 wǎn ān
• Sleep early. → 早点睡 zǎo diǎn shuì
• Sweet dreams. → 做个好梦 zuò ge hǎo mèng
• See you tomorrow. → 明天见 míng tiān jiàn

Now say this full sentence out loud:

今天辛苦了，早点睡，晚安。
jīn tiān xīn kǔ le, zǎo diǎn shuì, wǎn ān.
You worked hard today. Sleep early. Good night.

Quick Reference Summary

• 晚安 wǎn ān = good night
• 早点睡 zǎo diǎn shuì = sleep early
• 好好休息 hǎo hǎo xiū xi = have a good rest
• 睡个好觉 shuì ge hǎo jiào = sleep well
• 做个好梦 zuò ge hǎo mèng = sweet dreams
• 明天见 míng tiān jiàn = see you tomorrow