bonne soirée
In French, 'enjoy your evening' is said as bonne soirée.
bonne soirée is a polite phrase used to wish someone a pleasant time as they leave or as the evening begins. It is specifically used as a parting wish rather than a greeting upon arrival.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase bonne soirée literally translates to 'good evening'.
Which one should you use?
While bonsoir is a greeting used when arriving or meeting someone in the evening, bonne soirée is used when leaving to wish them a pleasant continuation of their evening.
How does it change in a sentence?
To turn the noun phrase into a full sentence meaning 'Have a good evening', you can add the verb passer (to spend/pass) in the imperative form, such as in passe une bonne soirée.
Did you know?
- There is a subtle nuance in choosing between bonne soirée and bonne nuit. You should only use bonne nuit if the person is actually going to sleep, whereas bonne soirée is for any pleasant activity that does not involve bedtime.
- The suffix '-ée' in soirée transforms the word from a specific point in time into a duration. While soir refers to the evening itself, soirée refers to the entire span of time spent during that period.
- The word soirée can also refer to a private party or a social gathering held in the evening. You might hear someone say une soirée to mean 'a party' rather than the time of day.
Examples in context
- Passe une bonne soirée !Enjoy your evening.This sentence shows how to use the phrase bonne soirée in a complete sentence.Tatoeba #1852828 by sacredceltic, translation #1852281 by CK
- Profitez de votre douce soiréeEnjoy your sweet evening
- Passez une soirée merveilleuseHave a wonderful evening
- Je vous souhaite une bonne soirée.I wish you a pleasant evening.
- Allez, bonne soirée à tous !Alright, have a good evening, everyone!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are leaving a café at the end of the day.
- ManonOn y va, Gabriel ?Shall we go, Gabriel?
- GabrielOui, à demain, Manon.Yes, see you tomorrow, Manon.
- ManonBonne soirée !Enjoy your evening!
- GabrielMerci, toi aussi.Thanks, you too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries soirée, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
