午餐愉快
wǔcān yúkuài
To say "enjoy your lunch" in Chinese, you use 午餐愉快 (wǔcān yúkuài).
午餐愉快 is a polite phrase used to wish someone a pleasant experience while they eat their midday meal. It is typically used as a standalone well-wish rather than a command to start eating.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 午餐愉快 is composed of 午餐 (lunch) and 愉快 (pleasant/happy).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
午餐愉快 is a relatively formal or polite way to express this sentiment, often used in written messages or professional settings. For a more formal approach, you can use 祝您午餐愉快。 (Wishing you a pleasant lunch) or 请享用午餐。 (Please enjoy your lunch). In informal settings among close friends and family, you might instead say 吃好喝好。 (Eat well and drink well).
How do you pronounce it?
wǔcān yúkuài
Did you know?
- While English speakers often say 'enjoy your meal' as a greeting, Chinese speakers frequently use the phrase 慢用 (màn yòng), which literally means 'use slowly'.
- In many Chinese professional settings, the concept of a 'lunch break' is so central that people may actually take a midday nap, known as 午睡 (wǔshuì), after their meal.
- In some regions, instead of wishing someone a 'pleasant lunch', people may ask 吃了吗? (chī le ma), meaning 'have you eaten?'
Examples in context
- 小明，祝你午餐愉快！Xiao Ming, enjoy your lunch!
- 谢谢！你也要吃得开心！Thank you! I hope you also have a joyful meal!
- 祝您午餐愉快。Enjoy your lunch.
- 孩子，吃好喝好哦！Eat well and drink well, my child!
- 祝你午餐愉快。Zhù nǐ wǔcān yúkuài.Wish you a pleasant lunch.
- 大家午餐愉快！Dàjiā wǔcān yúkuài!Enjoy your lunch, everyone!
Example conversation
Wei and Xiaowen are colleagues leaving the office for a break.
- 伟 Wei晓雯，快走吧，去吃饭。Xiǎowén, kuài zǒu ba, qù chīfàn.Xiaowen, let's go eat now.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen好的，我也饿了。Hǎo de, wǒ yě è le.Okay, I'm hungry too.
- 伟 Wei我想去试那家新餐厅，午餐愉快！Wǒ xiǎng qù shì nà jiā xīn cāntīng, wǔcān yúkuài!I want to try that new restaurant, enjoy your lunch!
- 晓雯 Xiaowen谢谢，你也是！Xièxiè, nǐ yě shì!Thanks, you too!
