Ways to say it
| Tagalog | IPA |
|---|---|
| magandang hapon | /maɡanˌdaŋ ˈhapon/ (Standard Tagalog) |
| magandang tanghali | /maɡanˌdaŋ taŋˈhaliʔ/ (Standard Tagalog) |
magandang hapon is used as a greeting during the afternoon period. You can use it to greet someone by name, such as Magandang hapon, Maria, or use a longer version like Isang magandang hapon po sa inyo. to mean "a good afternoon to you".
What does it mean word for word?
magandang is the adjective maganda (meaning beautiful or good) with the linker -ng attached, and hapon means afternoon.
Which one should you use?
magandang hapon is used for the afternoon period, whereas magandang tanghali is used specifically around noon or midday.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding po to the phrase makes it polite. If you want to say "good afternoon too" in response to someone, add din (or rin depending on the preceding sound) to the end of the phrase, resulting in magandang hapon din.
How do you pronounce it?
/maɡanˌdaŋ ˈhapon/
Did you know?
- The word hapon is a homonym in Tagalog, as it also means 'Japan' or 'Japanese'.
- The word hapon used in magandang hapon shares an ancient root with words meaning 'to roost', suggesting the afternoon was historically viewed as the time when birds return to their nests.
- Because maganda means 'beautiful', a literal translation of the greeting is actually 'beautiful afternoon', which sounds more poetic than the standard English 'good afternoon'.
Examples in context
- Magandang hapon.Good afternoon.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase magandang hapon.Tatoeba #2113763 by kerbear407, translation #499689 by CK
- Magandang hapon sa inyong lahat.Good afternoon to you all.
- Magandang hapon, Ma'am.Good afternoon, Ma'am.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jasmine meets Juan at a local cafe in the afternoon.
- JasmineMagandang hapon, Juan!Good afternoon, Juan!
- JuanMagandang hapon din sa iyo, Jasmine.Good afternoon to you too, Jasmine.
- JasmineKumusta ang araw mo?How is your day?
- JuanMabuti naman, salamat.It is fine, thanks.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good afternoon” translations and entries magandang hapon, magandang tanghali, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hapon, magandang hapon, magandang tanghali, tanghali, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
