buone vacanze!
The English phrase "enjoy your holiday" is expressed in Italian as buone vacanze!
buone vacanze! is used as a general well-wish for any kind of holiday or vacation period, whether it is a summer break, a winter break or a specific festive season.
Meaning: wishing someone good holidays (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the feminine plural adjective buone (good) and the feminine plural noun vacanze (holidays/vacations).
How does it change in a sentence?
Because vacanze is a feminine plural noun, the adjective must also be in the feminine plural form buone.
When do people say it?
A common response to buone vacanze! is Grazie, anche a te! (if speaking to a friend) or Grazie, anche a Lei! (if speaking formally).
Did you know?
- While vacanze refers to the time off, the word vacanza comes from the Latin vacans, meaning 'empty'. It describes the state of being free from duty or an empty space in a schedule.
- In Italy, the August holiday period is so culturally significant that it is often referred to as il Ferragosto. This refers specifically to the feast of the Assumption on 14 August.
- The plural form vacanze is used even if the person is taking only one trip. Wishing someone buona vacanza in the singular is grammatically possible but sounds unnatural to native ears.
Examples in context
- Ti auguro una piacevole vacanza in Italia e spero che tu possa rilassarti!I wish you a pleasant vacation in Italy and I hope you can relax!
- Ci vediamo tra due settimane! Buone ferie!See you in two weeks! Enjoy your holiday!
- Sono sicuro che ti divertirai tantissimo durante le tue vacanze! Goditela!I'm sure you will have a great time during your holidays! Enjoy it!
- Ti auguro buone vacanze!I wish you a good holiday!
- A tutti voi, buone vacanze!To all of you, enjoy your holidays!
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Chiara are saying goodbye at the office before the summer break.
- LorenzoCi vediamo a settembre, Chiara.See you in September, Chiara.
- ChiaraSì, a presto, Lorenzo.Yes, see you soon, Lorenzo.
- LorenzoBuone vacanze!Enjoy your holiday!
- ChiaraGrazie, anche a te!Thanks, you too!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “enjoy your holiday” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
