bon après-midi
/bɔ.n‿a.pʁɛ.mi.di/
The French phrase for "good afternoon" is bon après-midi. Wiktionary also lists bonjour.
Meaning: greeting said in the afternoon (phrase)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| bon après-midi | /bɔ.n‿a.pʁɛ.mi.di/ |
| bonjour | /bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/ |
In French, bon après-midi is most frequently used to say "have a good afternoon" when you are leaving someone, rather than as a greeting when arriving.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase bon après-midi is composed of bon (good), après (after) and midi (midday/noon).
Which one should you use?
While bon après-midi literally means "good afternoon", the word bonjour is the much more common way to greet someone during the afternoon in France.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase bon après-midi can be used as both a masculine and feminine noun phrase, though it is most commonly treated as masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɔ.n‿a.pʁɛ.mi.di/
Did you know?
- In France, it is considered impolite to start a conversation in a shop or bakery without first saying bonjour. Skipping this greeting can be seen as a sign of aggression or poor manners.
- The word midi means 'noon', but in France it is also the name for the southern region of the country. If someone says they are going to le Midi, they are traveling to the South of France.
- The word bon in bonjour descends from the Latin bonus, which shares an ancient root with the English word 'bonus'.
Examples in context
- Bonjour.Good afternoon.This sentence is useful for using bonjour as a greeting.Tatoeba #3557547 by fleur74, translation #499689 by CK
- Bonjour !Good afternoon!This sentence is useful for using bonjour as an enthusiastic greeting.Tatoeba #373345 by Aiji, translation #3552554 by Meruert
- Bonjour. Vous êtes notre nouveau voisin, si je ne me trompe ?Good afternoon. You are our new neighbor, if I'm not mistaken?This sentence is useful for using bonjour when meeting a neighbor.Tatoeba #1403786 by manuchko, translation #871529 by CM
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon meet at a cafe in the afternoon.
- NathanBon après-midi, Manon !Good afternoon, Manon!
- ManonBonjour Nathan, comment vas-tu ?Hello Nathan, how are you?
- NathanJe vais très bien, merci.I am doing very well, thank you.
- ManonMoi aussi, je suis ravie de te voir.Me too, I am delighted to see you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good afternoon” translations and entries bon après-midi, bonjour, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries après-midi, bon, bonjour, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
Thank you, Eugene! I enjoyed learning the various ways to greet someone in French, plus the way it is pronounced!