bon appétit
/bɔ.n‿a.pe.ti/
To say "eat up" in French, you use bon appétit.
While 'eat up' in English is a command to finish one's food, bon appétit is the standard way to wish someone an enjoyable meal before they start eating.
Meaning: consume completely (verb)
How do you pronounce it?
/bɔ.n‿a.pe.ti/
When do people say it?
In French culture, it is common to wish someone bon appétit before they start eating.
Did you know?
- In some very strict traditional etiquette settings, saying bon appétit is considered slightly impolite because it refers to a bodily function, specifically the 'appetite'.
- The word appétit shares a common ancestor with the English word 'appetite', both tracing back to the Latin 'appetitus', which stems from 'appetere', meaning 'to approach' or 'to seek'.
- In France, it is considered a social faux pas to begin eating before the host has said bon appétit or started their own meal.
Example conversation
Léa has just served dinner to Gabriel.
- LéaLe dîner est prêt, bon appétit !Dinner is ready, eat up!
- GabrielMerci Léa, ça sent très bon.Thanks Léa, it smells great.
- LéaMange tout, bon appétit Gabriel.Eat it all, enjoy your meal Gabriel.
- GabrielJe vais tout manger, promis.I will eat it all, I promise.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bon appétit, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries appétit, bon, bon appétit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
