bom dia, meu querido
/ˈbõ ˈd͡ʒi.ɐ mew keˈɾi.du/word by word
bom dia, meu querido is the Portuguese way to say "good morning, my dear".
This phrase is a warm greeting used in the morning for a loved one or someone close to the speaker. While bom dia alone is a standard greeting, adding meu querido or minha querida shifts the register from a polite/neutral greeting to an intimate or highly affectionate one.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bom (good), dia (day), meu (my) and querido (dear/beloved).
Which one should you use?
The form changes based on whom you are addressing. You can use bom dia, meu querido for a male and bom dia, minha querida for a female. Another common alternative for a loved one is bom dia, meu bem, which is slightly more colloquial and uses bem (well/good) as a term of endearment.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must change gender to match the person being addressed: use meu querido for a male and minha querida for a female.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈbõ ˈdʒi.ɐ mew keˈɾi.du/. The first of the 5 syllables is stressed.
Did you know?
- The word dia shares an ancient root with the names of gods like 'Zeus' and 'Jupiter' because both originally referred to the 'bright sky'.
- While English speakers use 'dear' to mean 'beloved', the Portuguese querido is tied to the verb querer, meaning to 'want' or 'desire'.
- While querido is a term of affection, using it with a stranger in certain Portuguese-speaking regions can sometimes be perceived as overly familiar or slightly condescending.
Examples in context
- Bom dia, meu querido.Good morning, my dear.
- Bom dia, meu querido, como você dormiu?Good morning, my dear, how did you sleep?
- Diga ao seu filho: bom dia, meu querido.Tell your son: good morning, my dear.
Example conversation
Juliana greets Gabriel in the kitchen.
- GabrielBom dia, meu querido!Good morning, my dear!
- JulianaBom dia, Juliana. Você já acordou?Good morning, Juliana. Are you already awake?
- GabrielSim, acordei cedo hoje.Yes, I woke up early today.
- JulianaQue ótimo, obrigado pelo carinho.That's great, thanks for the affection.
