Ways to say it
| Hungarian | IPA |
|---|---|
| jó estét | [ˈjoːɛʃteːt] (narrow) |
| jó estét kívánok | [ˈjoːɛʃteːt ˌkiːvaːnok] (narrow) |
The phrase is used as a greeting during the evening hours. While Jó estét! is a common formal way to say good evening, you may also encounter Kellemes estét kívánok! when someone wishes you a pleasant evening.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase jó estét consists of the adjective jó meaning "good" and the accusative form of the noun este, which means "evening".
Which one should you use?
Jó estét is a standard greeting, but the longer form jó estét kívánok is more polite and is often used in professional or service settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Jó estét is considered a standard formal greeting. The version jó estét kívánok is even more formal because it includes the verb kívánok (I wish), making it a complete sentence that literally translates to "I wish you a good evening".
How does it change in a sentence?
The word for evening uses the accusative case ending -t in the form estét because the phrase is a shortened version of the sentence "I wish you a good evening".
Did you know?
- The adjective jó shares an ancient ancestor with the Finnish word joki, which means 'river'.
- The phrase jó estét kívánok is a complete sentence because it includes the personal suffix -ok, which explicitly marks the speaker as 'I'.
- While jó estét is used when arriving, Hungarians use the phrase jó éjszakát when leaving for the night or going to bed.
Examples in context
- Jó estét, hogy van?Good evening, how are you?This example shows how to use jó estét when asking how someone is.Tatoeba #2465599 by Muelisto, translation #413820 by Dorenda
- Jó estét, hogy vagy?Good evening. How are you?Tatoeba #3075966 by Aleksandro40, translation #6985178 by Eccles17
- Jó estét, hölgyeim és uraim!Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.This example shows jó estét used in a formal address to a group.Tatoeba #5454136 by felvideki, translation #1597893 by fanty
- Jó estét! Kérem, engedjen bemutatkozni.Good evening! Allow me to introduce myself.
- Kellemes estét kívánok! Hogy van?Have a pleasant evening! How are you?
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Katalin and László meet in a hallway at an evening event.
- KatalinJó estét, László!Good evening, László!
- LászlóJó estét, Katalin!Good evening, Katalin!
- KatalinHogy telt a napod?How was your day?
- LászlóNagyon sűrű volt.It was very busy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good evening” translations and entries jó estét, jó estét kívánok, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries estét, jó, jó estét, kívánok, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
