¡buenas vacaciones!
/ˈbwenas bakaˈθjones/word by word
To say "have a good holiday" in Spanish, use ¡buenas vacaciones!
¡buenas vacaciones! is a phrase used to wish someone an enjoyable time during their vacation. In Spanish, it is common to omit the verb tener (to have) when making such wishes, using only the adjective and the noun.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "good holidays!" because buenas means "good" and vacaciones means "holidays" or "vacation".
Which one should you use?
While English speakers often use the singular "holiday" or "vacation", Spanish speakers almost exclusively use the plural vacaciones to refer to a period of time off.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word vacaciones is a feminine plural noun, which is why the adjective buenas must also be in the feminine plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbwenas bakaˈθjones/
Did you know?
- While ¡buenas vacaciones! is used for travel, if someone is taking a short break or a 'long weekend', Spanish speakers might use the word puente meaning 'bridge'.
- The word buenas in this greeting may actually be a shortened version of the common greeting buenas tardes, meaning 'good afternoon'.
- In Spain, the word vacaciones often refers specifically to the mandatory period of paid leave from a job, whereas in English 'vacation' can be any short trip.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are colleagues saying goodbye before a break.
- JavierMe voy, Elena. ¡Nos vemos pronto!I'm leaving, Elena. See you soon!
- Elena¡Igualmente, Javier! ¡Buenas vacaciones!Same to you, Javier! Have a good holiday!
- JavierMuchas gracias por tus deseos.Thank you very much for your wishes.
- ElenaDe nada. ¡Hasta luego!You're welcome. See you later!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (buenas, vacaciones) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries buenas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
