bonjour ma belle, comment as-tu dormi ?
The English phrase "good morning, beautiful. How did you sleep?" is translated into French as bonjour ma belle, comment as-tu dormi ?
This phrase is used as an affectionate morning greeting and an inquiry into a partner's quality of sleep.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase bonjour ma belle, comment as-tu dormi ? is informal and intimate, suitable only for someone you are close to, such as a partner. For general informal greetings, you might use Salut (Hi/Hello) or Coucou (Hi/Hey).
Did you know?
- French has a specific word, grasse matinée, which describes the act of sleeping in late, often the goal of a 'good sleep' mentioned in this phrase.
- If you wanted to be even more poetic, you could replace ma belle with mon cœur, which literally translates to 'my heart' but is a standard way to address a loved one.
- The word jour in bonjour is a cognate of the English word 'journal', which originally referred to a daily record.
Example conversation
Hugo is waking up next to Manon in their bedroom.
- HugoBonjour ma belle, comment as-tu dormi ?Good morning, beautiful. How did you sleep?
- ManonTrès bien, merci mon chéri.Very well, thank you, my darling.
- HugoJe suis content de l'entendre.I am happy to hear that.
- ManonEt toi, tu as bien dormi ?And you, did you sleep well?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonjour, comment, ma, CC BY-SA 4.0.
