KalamHow to Say Good Night in Arabic
The most common way to say good night in Arabic is تصبح على خير (tiṣbaḥ ʿala khēr), literally "may you wake up to goodness." Say tiṣbaḥī to a woman and tiṣbaḥū to a group. The standard reply is وأنت من أهله (w inta min ahlo). ليلة سعيدة (layla saʿīda) is a lighter "have a nice night."
Literally: “may you wake up to goodness”
Good Night across the Arab world
Arabic changes from country to country. Here's what you'll actually hear.
Both are standard. Layla saʿīda ("happy night") is common in writing and on TV.
The everyday Egyptian good night. To a woman: teṣbaḥī; to a group: teṣbaḥu.
Levantineتصبح على خيرtiṣbaḥ ʿa-khērIn fast speech ʿala shrinks to ʿa. To a woman: tiṣbaḥī ʿa-khēr.
Gulfتصبح على خيرtiṣbaḥ ʿala khērSame phrase. To a woman Gulf speakers say تصبحين على خير (tiṣbaḥīn ʿala khēr).
Darijaتصبح على خيرtṣbaḥ ʿla khīrMoroccan Darija uses the same phrase with Darija vowels, and the reply is the same: w nta min ahlo.
Other ways to say good night
How to respond
And may you be among its people (to a man; to a woman: w inti min ahlo)
And you all too (to a group)
Good night (simply returning it)
How to say it right
The sounds English speakers find tricky, and how to get them right.
Practise with feedbackThe ṣ in tiṣbaḥ is a heavy s: say s with your tongue low and the back of your mouth open. It darkens the vowels around it.
The ḥ at the end of tiṣbaḥ is a breathy throat h, like fogging a mirror. Don't turn it into a k or drop it.
The ع in ʿala is a tight squeeze in the throat. Beginners can make a short catch in the voice instead of skipping it.
Khēr has the kh of Scottish "loch" and a long ē like the e in "they": KHAYR.
Example sentences
OK, I'm off to sleep. Good night, everyone!
LevantineGood night, Mom.
EgyptianGood night, we'll talk tomorrow, God willing.
GulfThank you for the lovely evening, good night.
Standard (MSA)Using it like a local
Tiṣbaḥ ʿala khēr is a small blessing, not just a sign-off. You're wishing that the person wakes up to good things, which is why the reply, w inta min ahlo, means "and may you be one of its people," handing the goodness back.
Use it only when parting late in the evening or before sleep. Leaving a friend's house after dinner is the classic moment, often with tiṣbaḥū ʿala khēr to the whole room. During the day, use maʿa as-salāma instead.
Unlike English, Arabic changes the phrase for who you're talking to: tiṣbaḥ to a man, tiṣbaḥī to a woman, tiṣbaḥū to a group. Getting this right is one of the easiest ways to sound like you've really learned the language.
Good Night: common questions
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What does tisbah ala khair mean?
تصبح على خير (tiṣbaḥ ʿala khēr) literally means "may you wake up to goodness." It's the standard way to say good night in every Arabic dialect, used when parting at night or going to bed.
How do you reply to tisbah ala khair?
The classic reply is وأنت من أهله (w inta min ahlo) to a man or w inti min ahlo to a woman, meaning "and may you be among its people," that is, among those who wake up to goodness.
How do you say good night to a woman in Arabic?
Say تصبحي على خير (tiṣbaḥī ʿala khēr) in Egyptian or Levantine Arabic. In the Gulf it's تصبحين على خير (tiṣbaḥīn ʿala khēr). ليلة سعيدة (layla saʿīda) works for anyone without changing.
What is the difference between tisbah ala khair and layla saida?
Tiṣbaḥ ʿala khēr is the warm, everyday good night used in speech. Layla saʿīda ("happy night") is lighter and more neutral, common in MSA, on TV and in text messages, and it doesn't change for gender.
Related words & phrases
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