bom apetite
/ˈbõ a.peˈt͡ʃi.t͡ʃi/
In Portuguese, the way to say "enjoy your food" is bom apetite.
bom apetite is the standard phrase used to wish someone a pleasant meal. It is appropriate for both formal and informal settings.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, bom apetite translates to "good appetite".
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈbõ a.peˈtʃi.tʃi/. The first of four syllables is stressed.
When do people say it?
When someone says bom apetite to you, the most natural response is to say obrigado if you are male or obrigada if you are female.
Did you know?
- While many languages use a wish for a 'good appetite', the Portuguese phrase bom apetite is a direct 'calque' or linguistic imitation of the French 'bon appétit'.
- In Portuguese, the word apetite can be used in a non-food sense to describe a 'hunger' for life or a strong desire for success, such as apetite pelo poder meaning 'appetite for power'.
- Unlike English, where 'enjoy' is a verb, the bom in bom apetite is an adjective. This reflects a linguistic preference in Romance languages to wish for a 'good' state rather than telling someone to perform an action.
Examples in context
- Bom apetite para todos!Enjoy your food, everyone!
- O jantar está pronto, bom apetite.Dinner is ready, enjoy your meal.
- Bom apetite, a comida está ótima.Enjoy your food, the food is great.
Example conversation
Juliana and Lucas are sitting down for lunch.
- JulianaA comida parece ótima. Bom apetite, Lucas!The food looks great. Enjoy your food, Lucas!
- LucasObrigado, Juliana! Para você também.Thank you, Juliana! For you too.
- JulianaObrigada! Vamos comer agora.Thanks! Let's eat now.
- LucasSim, estou com muita fome.Yes, I am very hungry.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bom apetite, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries apetite, bom, bom apetite, CC BY-SA 4.0.
