German words for kids · Greetings & manners
How to say “good night” in German
Bedtime is the calmest, most repeated part of the day, which makes good night one of the easiest phrases to make stick.
Good night in German
gute Nacht
Sounds like ≈ GOO-tuh NAKHT
Good to know: The ch in Nacht is the breathy "loch" sound. Kids also hear schlaf gut ("sleep well") at bedtime.
Hear it in a song
Real lines from our German songs, with the English meaning shown in the app:
Mmm… gute Nacht.
Mmm… good night.
from Süße Träume (Sweet Dreams)
Gute Nacht, Oma und Opa.
Good night, Grandma and Grandpa.
from Oma und Opa (Grandma and Grandpa)
Gute Nacht, ihr lieben Freunde!
Good night, little friends!
from Wenn du fröhlich bist (If You're Happy)
3 songs that teach it
“Good night” is one of the key words in these songs. Every line is shown in German with its English meaning.
Gute Nacht
Good Night · Greetings · Free
- gute Nacht · good night
- Zeit zum Schlafen · time to sleep
- der Mond · the moon
- träumen · dream
Mach die Augen zu
Close Your Eyes · Bedtime Lullabies · Free
- mach die Augen zu · close your eyes
- schlaf · sleep
- ruh dich aus · rest
- pst ganz leise · shh quiet
Süße Träume
Sweet Dreams · Bedtime Lullabies · Premium
- süße Träume · sweet dreams
- träum schön · dream
- weiche Wolken · soft clouds
- schweben · float
Also sung in: Oma und Opa, Wenn du fröhlich bist, In meinem Zimmer, Zeit zum Schlafen, Die Sonne scheint, Der Baum, Der Mond und die Sterne, Meine Spielsachen and 7 more.
Practice ideas for parents
- 1Say gute Nacht to each toy as it goes to bed, then to your child last.
- 2Look out of the window and wish the moon and the stars gute Nacht.
- 3Keep the good-night song as the last song of the day, every day. The routine does the teaching.
Related German words
“Good night” in other languages
Sing it in German, free
The first unit, 6 greeting songs with lyrics and English translation, is free forever. No card needed. Premium unlocks all 134 songs.
About the pronunciation: the “sounds like” spellings are rough English approximations for parents (capital letters show the stressed syllable). Germanhas sounds English doesn't, so treat them as a starting point and let the songs be the model. Songs are original and produced with AI music tools. Ideas for using German songs with your family.