"Chúc ngủ ngon": how to say good night in Vietnamese

To say good night in Vietnamese, say Chúc ngủ ngon, which literally means "wish (you) sleep well." To make it personal, add a pronoun: "Chúc em ngủ ngon," "Chúc anh ngủ ngon" or, to parents, "Con chúc bố mẹ ngủ ngon."

Breaking it down

• Chúc ("chook," rising tone): to wish.
• Ngủ ("ngoo," dipping tone): to sleep.
• Ngon ("ngawn," level tone): tasty, but also "sound" or "well" when talking about sleep.

So the phrase is a wish for a good, deep sleep. It's the same ngon as in "ngon quá" (so delicious), which is a fun connection: in Vietnamese, good sleep is "tasty" sleep. See ngon quá.

Adding the right pronoun

Vietnamese uses relationship-based pronouns, so a good night message often names the listener:

• Chúc bà ngủ ngon. To a grandmother.
• Con chúc bố mẹ ngủ ngon. A child to parents (bố mẹ is common in the North; ba má or ba mẹ in the South).
• Chúc anh ngủ ngon. To an older man, or from a woman to a male partner.
• Chúc em ngủ ngon. To someone younger, or from a man to a female partner.
• Chúc cả nhà ngủ ngon. "Good night, everyone," to the whole family.

The pronoun makes it warmer and shows you know your place in the relationship.

Casual ways to say good night

• Ngủ ngon nhé. ("Sleep well, okay?") Soft and friendly. In the South, nha often replaces nhé.
• Ngủ ngon! Short and sweet among friends.
• Đi ngủ thôi. ("Time to sleep.") What you say when you're heading to bed.
• Ngủ sớm đi. ("Go to sleep early.") Caring, a bit parental.

The soft endings nhé and nha make a big difference in tone; see nha and nhé.

Sweet dreams and romantic versions

• Mơ đẹp nhé. ("Sweet dreams," literally "dream beautifully.")
• Chúc em ngủ ngon và mơ đẹp. ("Sleep well and have sweet dreams.")
• Mơ thấy anh nhé. ("Dream of me.") Affectionate, between partners.

For more romantic phrases, read anh yêu em and em yêu anh.

Texting shortcuts

In text messages, you'll often see shortcuts:

• G9: from English "good night," because "nine" sounds like "night" in casual English pronunciation. Popular with younger people.
• ngủ ngon nha without diacritics, which is common in quick texts.
• cnn for "chúc ngủ ngon" may appear in some chats, though shortcuts like this vary and can be confusing.

Usage varies by age and group, so when in doubt, write the full phrase.

Saying good night when leaving

If you're leaving someone's house in the evening, Vietnamese speakers usually say goodbye rather than good night. "Em về nhé" ("I'm heading home") or "Chào anh, em về" works better than "chúc ngủ ngon," which is mostly used right before bedtime.

Responding to "chúc ngủ ngon"

• Cảm ơn, ngủ ngon nhé! ("Thanks, sleep well!")
• Anh/em cũng vậy. ("You too.")
• Dạ, con chúc bố mẹ ngủ ngon ạ. A polite reply from a child to parents.

When you're not sleepy at all

Not everyone goes to bed early. One of Duma Meow's skit lines is "Sài Gòn không ngủ. Tôi cũng vậy." ("Saigon never sleeps. Neither do I.") It's a playful nod to the city's late-night energy, and a funny line to send a friend who's still awake at 2 a.m.

Good night in different settings

The right phrase depends on who you're talking to and how close you are:

• To elders at home: a quiet "Con đi ngủ đây ạ" ("I'm going to bed now") is a polite way to excuse yourself before saying good night.
• To a roommate or sibling: "Ngủ đây, ngủ ngon nha" ("I'm off to sleep, good night") is relaxed and natural.
• In a group chat: a simple "Chúc cả nhà ngủ ngon" ("Good night, everyone") works for family groups and friend groups alike.

Notice how the polite ạ appears only when talking to someone older. With friends, the soft nha or nhé does the work instead.

Pronunciation tips

The tricky part is the two "ng" sounds in a row: ngủ ngon. Start each word with the "ng" from the end of "sing." Ngủ dips down and back up slightly; ngon stays level. Practice slowly: "chook... ngoo... ngawn."

Tonight, try sending "Chúc ngủ ngon nhé" to a Vietnamese-speaking friend; it's short, warm and hard to get wrong.