buon appetito
/ˈbwɔn ap.peˈti.to/
The English phrase "enjoy your meal" is translated into Italian as buon appetito.
buon appetito is used to wish someone a pleasant experience while eating a meal.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective buon (good) and the noun appetito (appetite).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of buon appetito is /ˈbwɔn ap.peˈti.to/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
When do people say it?
When someone says buon appetito and you are also eating, a common way to respond is Grazie, anche a te! (informal) or Grazie, anche a Lei! (formal) to say "Thanks, to you too!"
Did you know?
- In some traditional Italian circles, saying buon appetito is considered a breach of etiquette or 'lower class' because it implies that the diners are eating out of hunger rather than for pleasure.
- In some very traditional or superstitious circles, saying buon appetito is actually avoided because it is thought to invite bad luck or focus too much on physical desire.
- The word appetito shares its root with the English word 'appetite', but in Italian, the connection to the Latin 'appetere' implies a 'seeking' or 'heading towards' something, much like an animal pursuing prey.
Examples in context
- Buon appetito!Enjoy your meal!This example shows the phrase used as a stand-alone exclamation.Tatoeba #482561 by Pharamp, translation #2370 by CK
- "Buon appetito, Maria". "Grazie"."Enjoy your meal, Mary." "Thanks."This example shows a person saying buon appetito to Maria and receiving the response "Grazie".Tatoeba #11651008 by carlosalberto, translation #11650865 by carlosalberto
- Metti gli spaghetti sul tavolo, e buon appetito!Put the spaghetti on the table and enjoy your meal!This example shows the phrase used after an instruction to set the table.Tatoeba #4842873 by ianna, translation #12258718 by Miktsoanit
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is sitting down at a restaurant to eat lunch.
- AlessandroIl cibo è pronto, buon appetito!The food is ready, enjoy your meal!
- SofiaGrazie, anche a te, Chiara.Thank you, to you too, Chiara.
- AlessandroGrazie, Alessandro. Sembra delizioso.Thanks, Alessandro. It looks delicious.
- SofiaSì, mangiamo subito!Yes, let's eat right away!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry buon appetito, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries appetito, buon appetito, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
