您好
nín hǎo
Hello (polite)
How to say "Good night" in Chinese
晚安
wǎn'ān
Good night
Character breakdown
晚
night
wǎn
安
peace
ān
Grammar and structure
晚安 (wǎn'ān) is a compound of 晚 (wǎn) meaning "night" and 安 (ān) meaning "peace". It is a fixed greeting used to wish someone a peaceful night.
Variations and politeness
晚安啦
wǎn'ān la
Good night! — More casual and colloquial.
祝你晚安
zhù nǐ wǎn'ān
I wish you a good night. — More polite and formal.
Mini dialogue
A
晚安！
wǎn'ān!
Good night!
B
晚安，明天见！
wǎn'ān, míngtiān jiàn!
Good night, see you tomorrow!
When to use it
Appropriate
- When saying goodbye at night or before going to bed.
- In both formal and informal settings to wish someone a peaceful night.
Avoid when
- During the day; use 你好 (nǐ hǎo) or 再见 (zàijiàn) instead.
- When greeting someone in the morning; 晚安 is specifically for nighttime farewells.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'good night' in Chinese?
You say 晚安 (wǎn'ān). It literally means 'peaceful night' and is used when parting at night or before going to sleep.
How do you pronounce 晚安?
It is pronounced 'wǎn'ān' with a third tone on 'wǎn' and a first tone on 'ān'. The apostrophe indicates a syllable break.
When do you use 晚安?
Use 晚安 when saying goodbye in the evening or before going to bed. It is appropriate in both casual and formal situations.
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