Bona tarda
[ˈbo̞.nə ˈtar.də]
Bona tarda is the Catalan way to say good evening.
Bona tarda is a versatile greeting used both when arriving and when departing during the late afternoon and evening hours.
Meaning: greeting said in the evening (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the feminine adjective bona (good) and the feminine noun tarda (afternoon/evening).
Which one should you use?
While Bona tarda is used as a greeting during the late afternoon and early evening, Bona nit is used as a greeting or a farewell once it is dark or when going to sleep.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Valencian, the phrase bon vespre can be replaced with bona vesprada.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase follows gender and number agreement. The plural form is bones tardes.
Did you know?
- In many Catalan-speaking regions, the transition from Bona tarda to Bona nit is signaled by the appearance of street lights rather than a specific clock time.
- The word tarda shares its roots with the English word 'tardy', both descending from the Latin 'tardus' meaning 'late'.
- In many Catalan-speaking regions, Bona tarda is used much later into the evening than the English 'good afternoon' because of the late hour of the Mediterranean dinner.
Examples in context
- Bon vespre, senyor/senyoraGood evening, sir/madam.
- Em plau saludar-vos, bon vespreIt's a pleasure to meet you, good evening.
- Bon vespre, senyor. Com va el seu dia?Good evening, sir. How was your day?
- Molt bé, gràcies! Bon vespre també.Very well, thank you! Good evening to you too.
Example conversation
Montserrat and Marc meet at a local cafe in the early evening.
- MontserratBona tarda, Marc.Good evening, Marc.
- MarcBona tarda, Montserrat. Com estàs?Good evening, Montserrat. How are you?
- MontserratMolt bé, gràcies.Very well, thank you.
- MarcEm alegro molt.I am very glad.
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry bona tarda.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tarda, CC BY-SA 4.0.
