bonne journée de travail
The English phrase 'have a good day at work' can be translated into French as bonne journée de travail.
You can say bonne journée de travail in the morning to mean 'have a good day at work'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'good day of work'.
Which one should you use?
While bonne journée de travail specifies the work context, it is much more common and natural in French to simply say bonne journée if the person is already known to be going to work.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase bonne journée de travail is a noun phrase used as an elliptical expression, omitting the verb 'passer' (to spend/have) which is common in French greetings.
Did you know?
- The word travail has a dark history, originating from the Latin word tripālium, which refers to a 'torture device' consisting of three stakes.
- While bonne journée is used when leaving, if you arrive at a workplace, you would say bon courage to acknowledge the effort required for the day.
- French distinguishes between jour, which refers to a unit of time or a date, and journée, which refers to the duration and experience of the day.
Examples in context
- Je vous souhaite une excellente journée de travail.I wish you an excellent day at work
- Passe une bonne journée de travail.Have a good day at work
- Je vous souhaite une bonne journée de travail.I wish you a good day at work.
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are saying goodbye in the kitchen.
- NathanJe pars maintenant. À ce soir !I'm leaving now. See you tonight!
- LéaD'accord, bonne journée de travail, Nathan !Okay, have a good day at work, Nathan!
- NathanMerci, Léa. Toi aussi !Thanks, Léa. You too!
- LéaMerci beaucoup !Thank you very much!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, journée, travail, CC BY-SA 4.0.
