Which one should you use?
The choice between forms depends on the person you are addressing. Use the form with tengas for friends, family or people your age. Use the form with tenga for strangers, bosses or people you wish to show respect to. You can also vary the intensity of the wish by choosing different adjectives, such as un día genial for a great day or un día increíble for an incredible day.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase que tengas… uses the subjunctive mood to express a wish or a desire for the other person. When speaking to someone in a formal context or to an elder, change the verb form from tengas to tenga. In informal settings, it is also very common to replace excelente with gran to say Buenos días, que tengas un gran día.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying buenos días is not just a greeting but a social requirement. Failing to say it when entering a small shop or elevator can be perceived as a sign of poor breeding or rudeness.
- Although día sounds like the English 'day', it is actually not a linguistic relative. It stems from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'heaven' or 'sky', whereas the English 'day' comes from a different lineage.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if you want to be extra warm, you might follow your greeting with bendiciones, which means 'blessings'. This is a common way to extend the 'great day' sentiment through a spiritual wish.
Examples in context
- Buenos días, que tengas un excelente día en la oficina.Good morning, have a great day at the office.
- Buenos días, que tengas un excelente día con tu familia.Good morning, have a great day with your family.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are passing each other in a hallway in the morning.
- ElenaBuenos días, Alejandro.Good morning, Alejandro.
- AlejandroHola, Elena. ¿Cómo estás?Hello, Elena. How are you?
- ElenaMuy bien, buenos días, que tengas un excelente día.Very well, good morning, have a great day.
- AlejandroGracias, igualmente.Thanks, you too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries día, excelente, que, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
