bon appétit
/bɔ.n‿a.pe.ti/
In French, 'enjoy your food' is expressed as bon appétit.
The phrase is used to wish someone a pleasant meal before they begin eating. It is the most common way to express this sentiment in French.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase bon appétit literally translates to 'good appetite'.
Which one should you use?
While bon appétit is the standard phrase, you may also use Régalez-vous to say 'enjoy yourselves' or the more descriptive Je vous souhaite de vous régaler to say 'I wish you a delightful meal'. In a more casual setting, you can use Régale-toi to say 'enjoy yourself'.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɔ.n‿a.pe.ti/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly pronounce the final 't' in bon appétit, but in French, the 't' is silent.
Did you know?
- In very traditional or high-society circles, some consider saying bon appétit to be slightly impolite, as it refers to a physical desire or bodily function.
- The French word appétit comes from the Latin 'appetitus', which does not just mean 'hunger' but implies a strong 'longing' or 'desire' for something.
Examples in context
- Bon appétit !Enjoy your food.This example shows how to use bon appétit to wish someone to enjoy their food.Tatoeba #4246 by TRANG, translation #4430565 by Zaher
- Bon appétit !Enjoy your meal!
- Merci, bon appétit à vous aussi.Thank you, enjoy your food too.
Example conversation
Chloé serves dinner to Hugo at the table.
- ChloéVoilà le dîner, bon appétit !Here is dinner, enjoy your food!
- HugoMerci Chloé, ça a l'air délicieux.Thanks Chloé, it looks delicious.
- ChloéJe suis contente que ça te plaise.I am glad that you like it.
- HugoMerci beaucoup pour ce repas.Thank you very much for this meal.
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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
