bon appétit
/bɔ.n‿a.pe.ti/
The English phrase 'enjoy your meal' is translated into French as bon appétit.
Bon appétit is a common expression used to wish someone a pleasant experience while eating. It literally means 'good appetite'. You may also see it used in longer phrases, such as Bon appétit de la part de toute l'équipe, which means 'Enjoy your meal on behalf of the entire team'.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /bɔ.n‿a.pe.ti/. It has 4 syllables.
When do people say it?
In modern everyday usage, bon appétit is considered perfectly standard and polite. However, in formal French etiquette, some traditionalists consider the phrase slightly impolite because it refers to a bodily function (digestion).
Did you know?
- While bon appétit is polite, responding with merci is the standard reply, but saying merci, vous aussi is only appropriate if the other person is also eating.
- If you want to avoid the etiquette-based criticism of bon appétit, some French hosts will simply say bonne dégustation instead. This shifts the focus from the appetite to the act of tasting.
- If you are dining in a very formal setting, you might see no phrase used at all. The host may simply signal the start of the meal with a gesture or a nod to avoid the 'impoliteness' of mentioning digestion.
Examples in context
- Bon appétit ! Vous avez déjà commencé ?Enjoy your meal! Did you already start?This sentence shows how to use bon appétit when asking if someone has started eating.Tatoeba #6935144 by felix63, translation #6935531 by kaiperkins271
- Bon appétit.Enjoy your meal.This is a simple way to use bon appétit to wish someone a good meal.Tatoeba #8690614 by Micsmithel, translation #2192197 by acbarbosa
- Bon appétit !Enjoy your meal!This is a common way to say 'Enjoy your meal!' using bon appétit.Tatoeba #4246 by TRANG, translation #2370 by CK
- Madame, je vous souhaite un excellent repas dans notre établissement.Madam, I wish you an excellent meal in our establishment.
- Bon app', profitez bien de votre repas en famille!Enjoy your meal, have a great time with your family!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are sitting down for lunch at a cafe.
- ChloéC'est prêt ! Bon appétit, Lucas.It's ready! Enjoy your meal, Lucas.
- LucasMerci Chloé, bon appétit à toi aussi.Thanks Chloé, enjoy your meal too.
- ChloéLe plat a l'air délicieux.The dish looks delicious.
- LucasJe suis d'accord, j'ai très faim.I agree, I am very hungry.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bon appétit, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
