Buongiorno, buona giornata
The English phrase "good morning have a nice day" is translated into Italian as Buongiorno, buona giornata.
This combination is used to greet someone in the morning and then wish them well as you depart or finish the conversation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of two parts: Buongiorno (Good day/morning) and buona giornata (good day/duration of the day).
Which one should you use?
While Buongiorno is a greeting used when arriving, buona giornata is a wish used when leaving or ending an interaction.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase buona giornata, the word buona is the feminine singular form of buono used to agree with the feminine noun giornata.
Did you know?
- The word giornata shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the English word 'journey'. Both evolved from roots describing a period of time or a stage of a trip.
- While Buongiorno is used upon arrival, saying buona giornata too early in a conversation can signal to an Italian that you are in a rush to leave.
- If you are in a very formal setting, such as a high-end hotel or a formal business meeting, you might hear the more traditional buon proseguimento, which literally means 'have a good continuation'.
Examples in context
- Buongiorno, signora. Le auguro una piacevole giornata.Good morning, madam. Have a pleasant day.
- Buongiorno, buona giornata a tutti.Good morning, have a nice day, everyone.
- Buongiorno, buona giornata, dottore.Good morning, have a nice day, doctor.
- Buongiorno, buona giornata e grazie mille.Good morning, have a nice day and thank you very much.
Example conversation
Giulia is leaving a small coffee shop and greeting Francesco, the barista.
- GiuliaBuongiorno, buona giornata, Francesco.Good morning, have a nice day, Francesco.
- FrancescoGrazie, anche a lei, Giulia.Thank you, to you too, Giulia.
- GiuliaGrazie, arrivederci!Thank you, goodbye!
- FrancescoArrivederci, a presto.Goodbye, see you soon.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries buongiorno, giornata, CC BY-SA 4.0.
