أتمنى لك يوما سعيدا
atamanna laka yawman sa'idan
To say "have a good day" in Arabic, you use أتمنى لك يوما سعيدا (atamanna laka yawman sa'idan).
This phrase is used as a parting wish when leaving a conversation or a shop to wish someone a pleasant day.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I wish to you a happy day".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The more concise phrase طاب يومك is a formal way to say "may your day be pleasant".
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun used for "to you" changes depending on whom you are addressing: use أتمنى لكِ يوما سعيدا to address a female and أتمنى لكم يوما سعيدا to address a group of people.
How do you pronounce it?
atamanna laka yawman sa'idan
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, people rarely use the literal phrase أتمنى لك يوما سعيدا in casual speech. Instead, they often use religious blessings like في أمان الله, which means 'in the safety of God', to wish someone well upon parting.
- The formal alternative طاب يومك uses a verb طاب that describes something becoming sweet, fragrant or pure. It suggests that the day should not just be 'good', but aesthetically and spiritually pleasant.
- The word يوم (yawm), meaning 'day', is a common root in many Semitic languages, sharing a deep ancestral connection with the Hebrew word for day, יום (yom).
Examples in context
- أتمنى لك يوما سعيدا يا صديقي.atamannā laka yawman sa'īdan yā ṣadīqī.I wish you a good day, my friend.
- أتمنى لك يوما سعيدا في عملك.atamannā laka yawman sa'īdan fī 'amalik.I wish you a good day at your work.
- أتمنى لك يوما سعيدا جداً.atamannā laka yawman sa'īdan jiddan.I wish you a very good day.
Example conversation
Ziad and Sarah are leaving a coffee shop.
- زياد Ziadشكراً على القهوة، أتمنى لك يوما سعيدا يا سارة.shukran 'alā al-qahwa, atamannā laki yawman sa'īdan yā Sarah.Thanks for the coffee, I wish you a good day, Sarah.
- سارة Saraشكراً لك يا زياد، وأتمنى لك يوما سعيدا أيضاً.shukran laka yā Ziyād, wa atamannā laka yawman sa'īdan ayḍan.Thank you Ziad, and I wish you a good day too.
- زياد Ziadإلى اللقاء.ilā al-liqā'.See you later.
- سارة Saraمع السلامة.ma'a al-salāma.Goodbye.
