French Phrase
Je dis bonne nuit.
Meaning
Literally ‘I say good night.’ The sentence is used when you are reporting that you have just said the bedtime farewell, rather than wishing someone good night directly.
When to use
Use this construction when you need to tell someone what you just said – for example, answering the question ‘Qu’est‑ce que tu as dit ?’ (What did you say?). In everyday conversation you would normally just say ‘Bonne nuit!’ without the ‘Je dis’.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Jedisbonnenuit.
Subject pronoun – Je
‘Je’ is the first‑person singular subject pronoun meaning ‘I’. It is always placed before the verb.
Verb – dire (present)
‘dis’ is the present‑tense form of the irregular verb ‘dire’ (to say). It follows the pattern je dis, tu dis, il/elle dit…
Adjective agreement – bonne
‘bonne’ is the feminine form of ‘bon’ and must agree with the feminine noun ‘nuit’.
Noun – nuit
‘nuit’ means ‘night’; when used in a farewell it becomes the set phrase ‘bonne nuit’ (good night).
🗨In Conversation
Qu’est‑ce que tu as dit avant de partir ?
What did you say before leaving?
Je dis bonne nuit.
I said good night.
✕Common Mistakes
Je dis bon nuit.
‘Nuit’ is feminine, so the adjective must be ‘bonne’, not ‘bon’.
Je dis bonne nuit.
While grammatically correct, native speakers usually just say ‘Bonne nuit!’ unless they are reporting what they said.
Je dis bonne nuit à toi.
The indirect object pronoun should be placed before the verb: ‘Je te dis bonne nuit.’
↔Alternatives
Je souhaite bonne nuit.
I wish you a good night.
Bonne nuit !
Good night!
Je te souhaite une bonne nuit.
I wish you a good night.
Cultural Tip
In French, the standard bedtime farewell is simply ‘Bonne nuit!’ – no subject or verb is needed. Adding ‘Je dis’ makes the sentence sound like you are describing the act of speaking, which is useful in storytelling or when answering a question about what you said. Also, remember that ‘bonne’ must stay feminine; ‘bon nuit’ is a common error for beginners.