良い一日を
Yoi ichinichi o
良い一日を (Yoi ichinichi o) is the Japanese phrase for "have a good day".
良い一日を is a polite phrase used to wish someone a pleasant day when saying goodbye. It is most commonly used by service workers, such as shop clerks, when addressing customers or between acquaintances. It is not typically used in very formal business settings.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal fragment meaning "a good day" followed by the object marker o, which implies an omitted verb such as "wish" or "take" (negau or toru).
Which one should you use?
While 良い一日を is a wish for someone else's day, do not confuse it with 行ってきます, which is the standard phrase used by a person leaving their own home to mean "I'm leaving (and will return)".
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form 良い一日を is an elliptical, polite version of the full sentence 良い一日を過ごしてください, which means "please spend a good day".
How do you pronounce it?
Yoi ichinichi o
Did you know?
- The phrase 良い一日を is often seen as a 'translation-style' expression influenced by English 'Have a nice day', making it sound slightly Western to some native speakers.
- While 良い一日を is common in textbooks, Japanese people traditionally rarely wish others a 'good day' upon parting, as the culture emphasizes the shared experience of the moment over future wishes.
- If you say 良い一日を to a colleague in an office, it may sound as if you are saying goodbye for the entire day, implying they are leaving work early.
Examples in context
- みなさん、良い一日を。Have a good day, everyone.This sentence is useful for showing how to address a group with 良い一日を.Tatoeba #11013632 by small_snow, translation #11013687 by CK
- 今日は良い一日を。Kyō wa yoi ichinichi o.Have a good day today.
- それでは、良い一日を。Sore de wa, yoi ichinichi o.Well then, have a good day.
Example conversation
Hiyori and Ren are saying goodbye at the train station.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮くん、ここで別れるね。Ren-kun, koko de wakareru ne.Ren, we'll split up here.
- 蓮 Renうん、気をつけてね。Un, ki o tsukete ne.Yeah, take care.
- 陽葵 Himariありがとう。良い一日を！Arigatou. Yoi ichinichi o!Thanks. Have a good day!
- 蓮 Ren陽葵もね。またね！Hiyori mo ne. Mata ne!You too, Hiyori. See you!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
