Les mots doux

Bonne nuit: how to say goodnight in French to your child

Bonne nuit means good night, said bon NWEE. French parents follow it with fais de beaux rêves, sweet dreams, or dors bien, sleep well. The reply is bonne nuit back, or toi aussi, you too.

Bonne nuit.

Good night.

Say it bon NWEE

To your child
Bonne nuit, mon cœur. Say it bon NWEE, mon KUR
Sweet dreams, to one
Fais de beaux rêves. Say it fay duh boh REV
Sweet dreams, to two or more
Faites de beaux rêves. Say it fet duh boh REV

Seven goodnight lines, in order

Four of them come from the Le Dodo bedtime script.

  • C'est l'heure du dodo. It's bedtime. Say it say-LUR du doh-doh
  • Fais dodo. Go to sleep. Say it fay doh-doh
  • Je suis là. I'm here. Say it zhuh swee LA
  • Dors bien. Sleep well. Say it dor BYAN
  • Fais de beaux rêves. Sweet dreams. Say it fay duh boh REV Literally: make beautiful dreams.
  • À demain. See you tomorrow. Say it a duh-MAN
  • Bonne nuit, mon chéri. Good night, my darling. Say it bon NWEE, mon shay-REE

Bonne nuit or bonsoir?

Bonsoir is good evening, a hello for arriving. Bonne nuit is for going to bed. Say bonsoir to the neighbour at six and bonne nuit to your child at seven.

How to reply

Bonne nuit back is perfect. Toddlers often add a name, Bonne nuit, maman, and older children try toi aussi, you too.

Fais de beaux rêves

Literally, make beautiful dreams. It’s the French sweet dreams, and it’s fun to say: three short beats and a long one.

One thing to do tonight

Say bonne nuit from the same spot every night. The doorway works. Same place, same words, and the sentence starts to mean the day is folding up.

Where it lives in your day Le Dodo · Bedtime in French The ten sentences that turn lights-out into French, every single night

Free bedtime script

Bonne nuit is line ten

The Le Dodo script gives you the nine lines before it, from the doorway to the light switch.

Ten bedtime phrases, each with a say-it guide, on one page for the bedroom door.

Three emails over your first week to get bedtime started, and you can leave whenever you like.

Questions parents ask

What does bonne nuit mean?

Good night. Bonne means good and nuit means night.

How do you reply to bonne nuit?

Bonne nuit back, or toi aussi, you too. To an adult you call vous, say vous aussi.

How do you say sweet dreams in French?

Fais de beaux rêves to one child, faites de beaux rêves to more than one.

Is it bonne nuit or bon nuit?

Bonne nuit. Nuit is a feminine word, so it takes bonne.

What's the difference between bonsoir and bonne nuit?

Bonsoir is good evening, a greeting when you arrive. Bonne nuit is good night, for going to bed.

Keep going

All the words of love →

Updated 16 October 2026