bună ziua
[ˌbu.nə ˈzi.wa]
bună ziua is the Romanian phrase for "good afternoon".
bună ziua is a greeting used during the afternoon hours.
Meaning: greeting said in the afternoon (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "good day" and is composed of the feminine adjective bună (good) and the noun ziua (the day).
Which one should you use?
Use bună seara (good evening) instead of bună ziua once the sun begins to set or evening approaches.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
bună ziua is a polite and standard greeting suitable for both formal and semi-formal situations.
Did you know?
- Romanian is a Romance language, meaning bună ziua shares a common Latin root with the French 'bonjour' and the Spanish 'buenos días'.
- In Romania, it is common to accompany bună ziua with a firm handshake in professional settings. Unlike some cultures where a nod suffices, a handshake is the expected physical gesture for this specific greeting.
- Although bună ziua means 'good day', it is never used to wish someone a 'good day' as a parting wish in the way 'have a nice day' is used in English. For that, Romanians use a different phrase entirely.
Examples in context
- Bună ziua, aici este doamna Müller.Good afternoon, this is Mrs. Müller.This sentence shows how to use bună ziua when introducing someone.Tatoeba #13838202 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #13838197 by Ioan_Cristian
- Bună ziua!Good afternoon.This sentence demonstrates the use of bună ziua as a standalone greeting.Tatoeba #3802076 by Ricardo14, translation #499689 by CK
- Bună ziua! Cum vă pot ajuta astăzi?Good afternoon! How can I assist you today?
- Bună ziua! Aș dori să vorbesc cu managerul, vă rog.Good afternoon! I would like to speak with the manager, please.
- Bună după-amiază! Ce mai faci?Good afternoon! How are you doing?
- Bună după-amiază! Sunt bine, mulțumesc! Tu?Good afternoon! I'm fine, thank you! And you?
- Bună ziua, domnule director.Good afternoon, Mr. Director.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alexandru and Elena meet in a hallway at work.
- AlexandruBună ziua, Elena!Good afternoon, Elena!
- ElenaBună ziua, Alexandru!Good afternoon, Alexandru!
- AlexandruMergi la prânz acum?Are you going to lunch now?
- ElenaDa, vrei să vii cu mine?Yes, do you want to come with me?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good afternoon” translations and entries bună ziua, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bună, bună ziua, ziua, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
