Good night is what you say when parting in the evening: before bed, when leaving a party or someone's home, at the end of an evening shift. It's only a goodbye: you can't use it to greet someone, even in the middle of the night.
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Good night (+ name)!; say good night to + person; Good night, sleep well; Night!
- It's almost midnight, so I'm off to bed. Good night, everyone!
- Go and say good night to Grandma before you brush your teeth.
- Thanks for a lovely dinner. Good night, and drive carefully on the way home!
What changed
First versionGood night, everyone, sorry I'm late — the traffic was terrible!
RevisionGood evening, everyone, sorry I'm late — the traffic was terrible!
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening can all be greetings, so good night seems to work the same way. It doesn't: it's always a goodbye. The person has only just arrived, so a greeting is needed: good evening or simply hi.
Good night is said before bed or when people part late in the evening. Have a good night! is said even at eight in the evening, when sending someone off to relax: it means “enjoy your evening”, not “sleep well”. Among friends, a short Night! is enough.
Your turn
When I walked into the hotel at 11 p.m., the receptionist smiled and said: “___, how can I help you?”
Show the answer
Good evening — The guest has just walked in, and the receptionist is greeting him: good evening. Good night is a goodbye; it ends a conversation rather than starting one.
You're leaving your friends' home late in the evening. Write a goodbye to your hosts: thank them for the evening and name what you enjoyed most.
Thank you so much for the dinner — the lemon cake was amazing. Good night!
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