fijn weekend
/fɛi̯n ˈʋikɛnt/word by word
In Dutch, the English phrase "happy Friday" is best expressed as fijn weekend.
The phrase fijn weekend is typically used as a parting wish when leaving a colleague or acquaintance on a Friday, rather than as a standalone greeting like "Hello".
Which one should you use?
While English speakers often say "Happy Friday", Dutch speakers more commonly use fijn weekend (have a nice weekend) as the standard Friday greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
/fɛi̯n ˈʋikɛnt/
Did you know?
- Dutch people often use fijn weekend on Thursday afternoon if they know they will not see a colleague again before Monday.
- In many Dutch offices, the Friday afternoon ritual of 'vrijdagmiddagborrel' (Friday afternoon drinks) is the primary time when people actually exchange these weekend wishes.
- The Dutch word fijn used in this phrase originally comes from the Latin word 'fīnis' meaning 'end' or 'limit'.
Examples in context
- Goedemorgen! Fijne vrijdag!Good morning! Happy Friday!
- Dank je wel, jij ook een fijne vrijdag!Thank you, you too, a happy Friday!
- Fijn weekend!Have a nice weekend!
- Ik wens je een fijn weekend.I wish you a nice weekend.
- Maak er een fijn weekend van!Have a great weekend!
Example conversation
Lisa and Daan are saying goodbye at the office on Friday afternoon.
- LisaHet is bijna tijd om te gaan.It is almost time to go.
- DaanJa, eindelijk vrijdag!Yes, finally Friday!
- LisaFijn weekend, Daan!Have a nice weekend, Daan!
- DaanDank je, jij ook!Thanks, you too!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (fijn, weekend) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fijn, weekend, CC BY-SA 4.0.
