einen schönen Abend
The German phrase for "have a good evening" is einen schönen Abend.
einen schönen Abend is a parting wish used when leaving a shop, restaurant or a social gathering in the evening.
Which one should you use?
While Guten Abend is a greeting used when arriving, einen schönen Abend is a parting wish used when leaving. You can also say Schönen Abend noch! to mean "Have a nice rest of the evening!", which is a very common and natural way to phrase the sentiment during a conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase einen schönen Abend is in the accusative case because it is a shortened version of Ich wünsche Ihnen einen schönen Abend (I wish you a beautiful evening).
When do people say it?
When someone says this to you, a common and polite way to respond is Danke, gleichfalls! (Thanks, likewise!).
Did you know?
- While einen schönen Abend is standard, some speakers use the word Feierabend to refer specifically to the evening after work has finished.
- The word Abend shares a common ancestor with the English word 'even', as seen in the term 'eventide'.
- In many German service sectors, staff will use Schönen Abend noch! as a rhythmic, almost automatic signal that the transaction is complete.
Examples in context
- Ich wünsche Ihnen einen schönen Abend.I wish you a good evening.
- Machen Sie es gut und haben Sie einen schönen Abend!Take care and have a good evening!
Example conversation
Felix and Laura are leaving a cafe at night.
- FelixTschüss, Laura!Bye, Laura!
- LauraBis bald, Felix. Hab einen schönen Abend!See you soon, Felix. Have a good evening!
- FelixDanke, gleichfalls!Thanks, you too!
- LauraEinen schönen Abend noch!Have a good evening!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Abend, CC BY-SA 4.0.
