hyvää iltapäivää
The English phrase "good afternoon" is translated into Finnish as hyvää iltapäivää. Wiktionary also lists hyvää päivää.
Meaning: greeting said in the afternoon (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Finnish | IPA |
|---|---|
| hyvää iltapäivää | |
| hyvää päivää | /ˈhyʋæː ˈpæi̯ʋæː/ |
This phrase is used as a greeting during the afternoon hours.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of hyvää (good) and iltapäivää (afternoon).
Which one should you use?
hyvää päivää is a more general greeting meaning "good day", whereas hyvää iltapäivää specifically refers to the afternoon.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hyvää iltapäivää is a formal way of greeting someone and is typically used in professional or polite settings.
Did you know?
- Because Finland has extreme seasonal light, the time one says hyvää iltapäivää may not align with the sunlight. In mid-winter, an afternoon greeting might be said in total darkness.
- The word iltapäivä is a compound of ilta, which means 'evening', and päivä, which means 'day'. Literally, it translates to 'evening-day'.
- If you use the full phrase hyvää iltapäivää in a casual shop or cafe, you might sound unnecessarily stiff or even jokingly formal, as if you are a character in a period drama.
Examples in context
- Hyvää päivää.Good afternoon.This sentence is useful for seeing the greeting hyvää päivää used in context.Tatoeba #778578 by marloncori, translation #499689 by CK
- Hyvää iltapäivää, rouva Virtanen.Good afternoon, Mrs. Virtanen.
- Hyvää iltapäivää kaikille täällä!Good afternoon to everyone here!
Example conversation
Emma and Mikko meet at a cafe in the afternoon.
- EmmaHyvää iltapäivää, Mikko!Good afternoon, Mikko!
- MikkoHyvää iltapäivää, Emma.Good afternoon, Emma.
- EmmaMitä sinulle kuuluu?How are you?
- MikkoKiitos hyvää.Thanks, I'm fine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good afternoon” translations and entries hyvää päivää, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
