смачного
smachnoho
To say "enjoy your meal" in Ukrainian, use смачного (smachnoho).
смачного is a polite phrase used to wish someone well before they begin eating. It is appropriate for any situation where food is about to be consumed, such as in a restaurant or at a friend's house.
What does it mean word for word?
The word смачного is the genitive form of the adjective смачний (tasty). It is a shortened way of expressing the sentiment "[I wish you] of tasty [food]."
How does it change in a sentence?
While English uses a verb phrase to express this sentiment, the standard Ukrainian approach is to use a single adjective in the genitive case.
How do you pronounce it?
smachnoho
When do people say it?
When someone says смачного to you, the most common and natural way to respond is by saying Дякую (thank you).
Did you know?
- The root of смачного is shared with the word for 'taste' or 'flavor', смак, which is a cognate of the English word 'smack' in the sense of tasting something.
- While смачного is the standard wish, Ukrainians may also use на здоров'я, which literally means 'for health'.
- In some traditional contexts, the response to смачного can be на здоров'я, creating a loop of wishing health and taste to one another.
Examples in context
- Смачного! Ви вже почали?Enjoy your meal! Did you already start?This sentence shows how to use смачного when asking if someone has already started eating.Tatoeba #10318957 by deniko, translation #6935531 by kaiperkins271
- "Смачного, Мері." – "Дякую.""Enjoy your meal, Mary." "Thanks."This sentence demonstrates a simple exchange where someone says смачного and the recipient responds with thanks.Tatoeba #11653495 by deniko, translation #11650865 by carlosalberto
- Смачного.Enjoy your meal!This sentence shows the phrase used as a standalone polite wish.Tatoeba #5954577 by deniko, translation #2370 by CK
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A woman and a man are having lunch at a cafe.
- Олена OlenaОсь ваш обід, смачного!Os' vash obid, smachnoho!Here is your lunch, enjoy your meal!
- Олександр OleksandrДякую вам, Олено.Dyakuyu vam, Oleno.Thank you, Olena.
- Олена OlenaБудь ласка. Ви виглядаєте дуже голодним.Bud' laska. Vy vyhlyadayete duzhe holodnym.You're welcome. You look very hungry.
- Олександр OleksandrТак, я справді дуже хочу їсти.Tak, ya spravdi duzhe khochu yisty.Yes, I am really very hungry.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
