よい旅を
yoi tabi o
よい旅を (yoi tabi o) is the Japanese way to say "happy travels".
This phrase is used to wish someone a pleasant and safe journey.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal combination of yoi (good), tabi (journey/travel) and the particle o (object marker). The use of the object marker implies an omitted verb such as "wish you" or "have."
Which one should you use?
The phrase can be written using the kanji 良い for yoi (good) or in hiragana as よい.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While this is a standard way to wish someone well, it is slightly more formal and poetic than common casual greetings used when someone is leaving.
How do you pronounce it?
yoi tabi o
Did you know?
- The word tabi (journey) is conceptually different from ryokō (tourism). While ryokō is used for a planned vacation, tabi suggests a more spiritual or life-changing voyage, making よい旅を sound more poetic.
- The phrase よい旅を ends with the particle o, which leaves the sentence grammatically 'hanging'. This is a deliberate linguistic choice to avoid sounding too aggressive or demanding.
- In Japan, you are much more likely to hear 行ってらっしゃい (itte rasshai), which literally means 'go and come back,' than the more poetic よい旅を.
Examples in context
- 明日から、よい旅を。ashita kara, yoi tabi o.Happy travels starting tomorrow.
Example conversation
Kenta is seeing Misaki off at the train station before her trip.
- 健太 Kenta美咲さん、気をつけてね。Misaki-san, ki o tsukete ne.Misaki, please be careful.
- 美咲 Misakiうん、ありがとう。行ってくるね。un, arigatou. itte kuru ne.Yeah, thanks. I'm heading off now.
- 健太 Kentaよい旅を！yoi tabi o!Happy travels!
- 美咲 Misakiありがとう、健太さん！arigatou, Kenta-san!Thank you, Kenta!
