In English speaking countries, before you go to bed at night, family members may wish that you sleep well or soundly by saying ‘sleep tight’! To help you remember this expression, you can imagine that you need to wrap the blankets tightly around your body at night to stay warm. But according to experts, the word ‘tight’ in old English just meant ‘properly’ or ‘soundly,’ it didn’t really relate to tightening the blankets in this context. How do others wish you goodnight in your country? Let us know in the comments section below.
Parents often say this old rhyme to children before bed ‘Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite!’ Are there similar rhymes related to sleep in your country?
Watch more about this expression in today’s video.
Transcript
OK, I know what sleep means, but sleep tight?
Don’t worry! Sleep tight just means “Sleep well!” or “Have a nice sleep!”
Let’s look at a few ways that we can use this phrase naturally:
- Good night! Sleep tight!
- Nighty night! Sleep tight! Don’t let the bedbugs bite!
- Oh, look! She’s fast asleep! Sleep tight, sweetie pie!
Are you off to bed? OK, night night…! See you next time!
Practice
Now that you’ve watched today’s video, do you feel comfortable using this expression in your own life? Read the questions below and try to answer them with the phrase you learned today.
- What English rhyme do parents say to their children before bed (Hint: Read the second paragraph of this article again!)?
- What could you say to your own family members before bed?
We hope you enjoyed this lesson. Why not head on over to our Facebook page to join in the conversation? Or watch more videos explaining English idioms, grammar, or pronunciation in our video library here.
We’re excited about our premium online course Essential English Idioms. In this course, you can learn 77 commonly used English idioms, improve your understanding of native speakers, and start sounding more natural when you communicate in English. Check it out today on Udemy!
Leave a Reply