schönen Sommer
/ˈʃøːnən ˈzɔmɐ/word by word
To say "have a good summer" in German, use schönen Sommer.
schönen Sommer is a friendly wish used to say goodbye to someone before a summer break.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase means "beautiful summer". While the word schön literally means "beautiful" or "nice", in this context it is the standard way to say "good" when wishing someone well.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʃøːnən ˈzɔmɐ/
Did you know?
- The word Sommer is a linguistic cousin to the English word 'summer', as both share the same Proto-West Germanic root *sumar.
- In Germany, this phrase is most commonly heard in late June or July as students and workers leave for their 'Sommerferien'.
- While you might say schönen Sommer to a friend, if you were at a formal event or a business meeting, you might expand it to Ich wünsche Ihnen einen schönen Sommer to show proper respect.
Examples in context
- Einen schönen Sommer!Have a good summer.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase schönen Sommer.Tatoeba #8058854 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #4013174 by CK
- Ich wünsche dir einen schönen Sommer!I wish you a good summer!
- Wir wünschen euch einen schönen Sommer.We wish you all a good summer.
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are saying goodbye at the end of their course.
- JuliaTschüss, Lukas! Hab einen schönen Sommer!Bye, Lukas! Have a good summer!
- LukasDanke, Julia! Dir auch einen schönen Sommer.Thanks, Julia! A good summer to you too.
- JuliaViel Spaß im Urlaub!Have lots of fun on your vacation!
- LukasDanke, bis bald!Thanks, see you soon!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (schönen, Sommer) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Sommer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
