What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal combination of bom dia (good day), meu amigo (my friend) and tenha um bom dia (have a good day).
Which one should you use?
While tenha um bom dia is grammatically correct, in casual spoken Portuguese, people often omit the verb and simply say bom dia or tenha um ótimo dia.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazilian Portuguese, you can say Bom dia, meu amigo. Tenha um ótimo dia. In European Portuguese, the phrasing Bom dia, meu amigo. Tenha um dia excelente. is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase meu amigo uses the masculine form. If speaking to a female friend, you would change it to minha amiga. The verb tenha in tenha um bom dia is the third-person singular imperative form of ter (to have), used here to express a wish or command.
When do people say it?
When someone greets you, you might respond with Obrigado (Thank you).
Did you know?
- While bom dia means 'good morning', the word dia actually shares a prehistoric root with the name of the god 'Zeus' because both originally referred to the 'sky'.
- In Brazil, the word amigo is frequently used as a generic filler to address complete strangers in a friendly way, similar to 'mate' or 'pal'.
- In many Portuguese-speaking cultures, a greeting like bom dia is often accompanied by a light touch on the arm or a handshake to reinforce the bond of meu amigo.
Examples in context
- Bom dia, meu amigo! Tenha um bom dia.Good morning, my friend! Have a nice day.
