buen provecho
/ˌbwem pɾoˈbet͡ʃo/
To say "enjoy the meal" in Spanish, you use buen provecho.
buen provecho is used as a polite greeting or well-wish when someone is about to start eating or is already eating. It is a common way to wish someone a pleasant dining experience.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of buen (good) and provecho (benefit, profit or enjoyment).
Which one should you use?
While buen provecho is the standard, ¡Que aproveche! is a common alternative that expresses the same sentiment. For a more colloquial feel in Chile and some other Latin American countries, you may hear the shortened version ¡Provecho!
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Colombia, people often use the phrase ¡Que lo disfrutes! to wish someone enjoy your meal.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwem pɾoˈbetʃo/
When do people say it?
In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common practice to say this to people you see eating in a restaurant or even to strangers in a shared dining space. The standard response to someone saying buen provecho to you is gracias.
Did you know?
- In certain contexts, the phrase buen provecho is used as a polite way to excuse oneself from a table while others continue eating.
- The word provecho is a cognate of the English word 'profit', reflecting the original idea that food should provide a physical benefit or 'profit' to the body.
Examples in context
- ¡Que te aproveche!Enjoy your meal
- Buen provecho, que le guste la comida.Enjoy your meal, I hope you like the food.
- ¡Buen provecho a todos!Enjoy your meal, everyone!
- Muchas gracias, buen provecho.Thank you very much, enjoy your meal.
Example conversation
Alejandro is serving dinner to María at a restaurant.
- AlejandroAquí tiene su plato, María.Here is your plate, María.
- MaríaMuchas gracias, Alejandro.Thank you very much, Alejandro.
- AlejandroBuen provecho.Enjoy your meal.
- MaríaGracias, se ve delicioso.Thanks, it looks delicious.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry buen provecho, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries buen, provecho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
