dobar dan
Latin
dobar dan is the Bosnian way to say "good afternoon".
dobar dan is a greeting used to say "good afternoon".
Meaning: greeting said in the afternoon (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase dobar dan literally means "good day".
Which one should you use?
While dobro jutro is used specifically for the morning, dobar dan is used after the morning period. Once the evening begins, you should switch to using dobro veče.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a fixed greeting, dobar dan does not typically change its form to a plural when used as a salutation.
When do people say it?
In Bosnian culture, dobar dan is typically used from around noon until early evening.
Did you know?
- The word dan in dobar dan shares a common ancestor with the English word 'day', both descending from Proto-Indo-European roots.
- In many Bosnian social interactions, a handshake often accompanies the saying of dobar dan when meeting someone of the same gender or a person of higher status.
- In many parts of the Balkans, if you enter a shop or a cafe, a single person might respond to your dobar dan with a single word, which can sound blunt to English ears but is a standard, efficient greeting.
Examples in context
- Dobar dan! Kako ste?Good afternoon! How are you?
- Dobar dan! Hvala, dobro sam. A vi?Good afternoon! Thank you, I'm good. And you?
- Dobar dan, kolega!Good afternoon, colleague!
- Dobar dan! Kako vam mogu pomoći?Good afternoon! How can I help you?
- Dobar dan, gospodine!Good afternoon, sir!
- Dobar dan! Je li ovo prava adresa?Good afternoon! Is this the correct address?
- Dobar dan, kako ste?Good afternoon, how are you?
- Dobar dan, gospodine.Good afternoon, sir.
Example conversation
Amar and Selma meet in a hallway during the afternoon.
- AmarDobar dan, Selma.Good afternoon, Selma.
- SelmaDobar dan, Amare.Good afternoon, Amar.
- AmarVidimo se kasnije.See you later.
- SelmaVaži, ćao.Okay, bye.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good afternoon” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dan, dobar, dobar dan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
