jó napot kívánok
[ˈjoːnɒpot ˌkiːvaːnok]
In Hungarian, "good afternoon" is expressed as jó napot kívánok. Wiktionary also lists jó napot.
Meaning: greeting said in the afternoon (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Hungarian | IPA |
|---|---|
| jó napot kívánok | [ˈjoːnɒpot ˌkiːvaːnok] (narrow) |
| jó napot | [ˈjoːnɒpot] (narrow) |
The most common ways to greet someone in the afternoon include Jó napot!, which is the standard and most widely used method and Jó délutánt!, which is a common and polite alternative. You can also say Szép délutánt kívánok! to mean "I wish you a lovely afternoon."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase jó napot kívánok literally translates to "I wish (you) a good day".
Which one should you use?
The full phrase jó napot kívánok is more formal and polite than the shortened jó napot.
How does it change in a sentence?
The shorter form jó napot is an elliptical version of the full phrase, meaning the verb kívánok (I wish) has been omitted.
Did you know?
- In Hungary, jó napot can be used as both a greeting when arriving and a polite way to say goodbye when leaving.
- The word jó shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the Northern Mansi word jomas, meaning 'good' or 'nice'.
- When saying jó napot kívánok, the person being greeted is not explicitly mentioned in the sentence.
Examples in context
- Jó napot kívánok! Ön az új szomszédunk, ha nem tévedek?Good afternoon. You are our new neighbor, if I'm not mistaken?This sentence shows how to use jó napot when introducing yourself to a neighbor.Tatoeba #1037606 by Mofli, translation #871529 by CM
- Jó napot kívánok!Good afternoon!This is a simple use of jó napot as a greeting.Tatoeba #4121822 by pilotzolee, translation #3552554 by Meruert
- Jó napot!Good afternoon.This demonstrates the shortened form jó napot used as a greeting.Tatoeba #855280 by pirytm, translation #499689 by CK
- Jó napot! Hogyan segíthetek?Good afternoon! How can I help you?
- Jó napot! Szeretnék néhány információt a városról.Good afternoon! I would like some information about the city.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Katalin and Tamás meet at a local shop.
- KatalinJó napot kívánok, Tamás!Good afternoon, Tamás!
- TamásJó napot kívánok, Katalin!Good afternoon, Katalin!
- KatalinHogy van vele?How are you?
- TamásKöszönöm, jól vagyok.Thank you, I am well.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good afternoon” translations and entries jó napot kívánok, jó napot, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jó, jó napot, jó napot kívánok, kívánok, napot, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
