In German
Nacht
Meaning: night
Formal or informal? “Gute Nacht” is a farewell said in the evening, not a greeting. For “good evening” use “Guten Abend”.
Example sentences
GuteNacht!
Good night!
DieNachtwarsehrkalt.
The night was very cold.
IchschlafejedeNachtgut.
I sleep well every night.
Grammar note
“Die Nacht” is feminine, so it takes “die” and “eine”. The plural is “die Nächte”, with an umlaut. “Jede Nacht” means every night.
Common mistake
Don't use “Gute Nacht” to say hello. It's only for saying goodbye at night. For greeting someone in the evening, say “Guten Abend”.
Quick check
Which German word means “night”?
More words on this topic
Keep learning German
Practise it in a lesson →Frequently asked questions
When do you say “Gute Nacht”?
When you say goodbye in the evening, or when you go to bed.
What is the plural of “Nacht”?
“Nächte”, with an umlaut on the “a”.