Word Detail

おやすみなさい is the standard Japanese phrase used to say "good night." It's a polite and formal way to wish someone a restful evening or to bid farewell before sleeping. It is more formal than its casual counterpart.

⚫︎おやすみなさい。 Translation: Good night. ⚫︎もう寝ます。おやすみなさい。 Translation: I'm going to sleep now. Good night. ⚫︎そろそろおやすみなさいの時間です。 Translation: It's almost time for good night.

⚫︎You should use おやすみなさい when you're saying good night to someone, especially if you want to be polite. ⚫︎It's suitable for various situations, including: ⚫︎With family members. ⚫︎With friends (though sometimes a more casual greeting is used with close friends). ⚫︎With colleagues or superiors in the workplace. ⚫︎When ending a phone call or online conversation before sleeping. ⚫︎It's generally used at the end of the day, when you or the other person are going to bed.

⚫︎The phrase is primarily written in hiragana: おやすみなさい. ⚫︎While kanji is rarely used, in very formal or literary contexts it *could* theoretically be written as お休み＋なさい, but this is highly unusual. ⚫︎There is no variation in okurigana (the suffix hiragana).

⚫︎おやすみ (casual) - This is the shorter, more informal version of おやすみなさい. It is used with close friends and family. ⚫︎こんばんは (evening greeting) - While not a direct synonym, it is the standard greeting used in the evening before going to bed.

⚫︎おはようございます (Good morning) - Used in the morning. ⚫︎こんにちは (Hello/Good afternoon) - Used during the daytime.

お母さん、おやすみなさい。 ・Translation: Good night, Mom. ・Explanation: This is a typical way to say good night to your mother.

また明日。おやすみなさい。 ・Translation: See you tomorrow. Good night. ・Explanation: This combines a farewell ("See you tomorrow") with a good night greeting.

The word comes from the verb 休む(やすむ), which means "to rest" or "to take a break". The word お is a polite prefix and なさい is the imperative form of a polite verb, which is a polite way of giving an instruction or request. Therefore, the phrase literally translates to "Please rest". In the context of good night, it conveys a wish for the other person to have a restful sleep. So, the complete sentence means “Please have a good rest (sleep)”