bon dia
[ˈbo̞n ˈdi.ə]
The Catalan phrase for "good morning" is bon dia.
bon dia is used when seeing someone for the first time in the morning.
Meaning: when seeing someone for the first time in the morning (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bon (good) and dia (day).
Which one should you use?
Once the midday meal has passed, you should switch from bon dia to bona tarda (good afternoon).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Balearic Islands, you might hear Bones matinades or Bons matins as a greeting in the morning.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective bon is the masculine singular form used to agree with the masculine noun dia.
Did you know?
- The word dia shares its deep roots with the word for 'heaven' or 'sky' in Proto-Indo-European, linking the concept of a 'day' to the bright light of the sky.
- Across the Catalan-speaking territories, the transition from bon dia to bona tarda is traditionally triggered by the midday meal rather than a specific clock time like 12:00.
- The word bon in bon dia is a shortened version of the standard adjective bo, a common pattern in Catalan where certain adjectives drop their final vowel before a noun.
Examples in context
- Bon dia!Good morning!This example shows the use of bon dia.Tatoeba #465489 by Espi, translation #329713 by YURY0608
- Bon dia, senyor.Good morning, sir.
- Bon dia a tothom.Good morning to everyone.
- Bon dia, com va tot?Good morning, how is everything going?
Example conversation
Aleix and Laia meet at a local cafe in the morning.
- AleixBon dia, Laia!Good morning, Laia!
- LaiaBon dia, Aleix. Com estàs?Good morning, Aleix. How are you?
- AleixMolt bé, gràcies.Very well, thanks.
- LaiaEm alegro molt.I am very glad.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good morning” translations and entries bon dia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bon, dia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
