The word night carries more than just a time of day. It can be peaceful, scary, romantic, or lonely — and it’s in bedtime wishes, weather reports, and storytelling. If you want to speak naturally, knowing how to say night in German is essential.

The German word is die Nacht. It’s feminine, and the plural is die Nächte. You’ll hear it everywhere: in greetings like Gute Nacht, in weather forecasts, or when talking about yesterday’s sleep. To get a clearer picture of how gender works in German, check out my gender video lesson.

Nacht is one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German — a must-have for beginners and advanced learners alike.

Let’s see Nacht in all four cases:

Nominative:
Die Nacht war lang.
The night was long.

Accusative:
Ich erinnere mich an die Nacht.
I remember the night.

Dative:
In der Nacht war es sehr ruhig.
At night, it was very quiet.

Genitive:
Die Farben der Nacht sind schön.
The colors of the night are beautiful.

You’ll find Nacht in countless phrases:

• Gute Nacht! – Good night!

• in der Nacht – at night

• über Nacht – overnight

• eine schlaflose Nacht – a sleepless night

• heute Nacht – tonight

• die dunkle Nacht – the dark night

Verbs: schlafen (sleep), träumen (dream), durchmachen (pull an all-nighter), genießen (enjoy), fürchten (fear)
Adjectives: dunkel (dark), ruhig (quiet), einsam (lonely), kurz (short), lang (long)

Whether you’re talking about your sleep, your feelings, or the time, Nacht is rich in nuance and culture.

Beginner dialogue using Nacht:

A: Hast du gut geschlafen?
B: Nein, die Nacht war schrecklich!
A: Did you sleep well?
B: No, the night was terrible!

Now it’s your turn. Think of your answer and say it aloud using Nacht or Nächte.

“Wie war deine letzte Nacht — und warum?”
How was your last night — and why?

Use the word Nacht in your sentence and speak it out loud — it’s how vocabulary sticks.

Duden entry for “Nacht”

German Word of the Day
Now you know how to say night in German — and how die Nacht helps you express time, mood, and rest in natural, fluent conversation.

Download the free illustrated PDF of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German and keep building the vocabulary that matters most.

Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Check out Nähe — and talk about connection, warmth, and space.
Or revisit Nase — and explore smell, health, and a little humor.