gone to bed

USAGE SUMMARY

'gone to bed' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to someone having already gone to bed or when telling someone else to go to bed. For example, "It was late so I went to bed."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Then she'd gone to bed.

The New York Times

The children had already gone to bed.

The New York Times - Magazine

People at home have gone to bed.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

I had already gone to bed.

The New York Times

Her mother had already gone to bed.

The New Yorker

The Bokke fans have gone to bed.

The Guardian - Sport

He had gone to bed and slept peacefully.

Yale University

It's all done, and everybody has gone to bed.

The New York Times - Science

He informs us that the owners have gone to bed.

The New Yorker

The boys had gone to bed hours ago.

The New Yorker

Mick Jagger was there but had gone to bed.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "gone to bed" to clearly indicate that someone has already retired for the night and is likely asleep or preparing to sleep.

Common error

Avoid using "gone to bed" when you mean someone is currently in the process of going to bed. Use "going to bed" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "gone to bed" functions as a past participle verb phrase, typically used to describe a completed action related to retiring for the night. As Ludwig AI indicates, it is grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

63%

Academia

10%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Science

6%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "gone to bed" is a grammatically sound and commonly used verb phrase indicating that someone has already retired for the night. According to Ludwig, the phrase is versatile and adaptable to various contexts. While primarily found in News & Media and Academic contexts, it is also suitable for general conversation. When using "gone to bed", ensure you're accurately conveying that the action is completed, differentiating it from the continuous action of "going to bed".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

retired for the night

Emphasizes the act of formally concluding the day and going to sleep.

turned in for the evening

A more casual way of saying someone has gone to bed, often implying relaxation.

went to sleep

Focuses on the action of falling asleep, rather than just going to bed.

hit the hay

An informal, idiomatic expression for going to bed.

off to dreamland

A playful expression suggesting someone is going to sleep and dream.

called it a night

Indicates the end of activities for the evening, leading to going to bed.

headed to the bedroom

Focuses on the physical action of going towards the place of sleep.

slipped off to slumber

A poetic way of saying someone has gone to sleep.

sought their repose

A formal way of saying someone sought rest or sleep.

wrapped up for the day

Implies finishing all tasks and preparing to sleep.

FAQs

What's the difference between "gone to bed" and "going to bed"?

"Gone to bed" indicates that someone has already completed the action of going to bed, whereas "going to bed" describes the action in progress.

What can I say instead of "gone to bed"?

You can use alternatives like "retired for the night", "turned in for the evening", or "went to sleep" depending on the context.

How to use "gone to bed" in a sentence?

Use "gone to bed" to indicate that someone has already retired for the night. For example, "The children had already "gone to bed" when we arrived."

Is it correct to say "had gone to bed"?

Yes, "had gone to bed" is the past perfect tense and is used to indicate that the action of going to bed was completed before another point in the past. For example, "She said she had already "gone to bed" when the phone rang."