良い一日を
yoi ichinichi o
To say "have a great day" in Japanese, you use 良い一日を (yoi ichinichi o).
良い一日を is a friendly parting phrase used to wish someone a positive experience for the remainder of their day. It is typically used when parting ways with someone during the morning or early afternoon, rather than at the end of a workday.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a fragment that literally translates to "good day (object marker)". It consists of yoi (good), ichinichi (one day/the whole day) and the particle o (object marker), which implies a verb like "have" or "spend" that is left unsaid.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase 良い一日を is a shortened, conversational version of the more complete and polite form 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?
- While 良い一日を is common in textbooks, Japanese people rarely say it to each other in daily life, as wishing for a 'good day' is traditionally a Western custom.
- In a professional setting, a Japanese person is more likely to say お疲れ様です ('you are tired/worked hard') than to wish someone a 'great day' when parting.
- The word 一日 ('one day') can be read as 'ichinichi' to mean a duration of time or 'tsuitachi' to mean the first day of the month.
Examples in context
- それでは、良い一日を。Sore dewa, yoi ichinichi o.Well then, have a great day.
- 今日も良い一日を！Kyou mo yoi ichinichi o!Have a great day today too!
- 皆さんも、良い一日を。Minasan mo, yoi ichinichi o.Have a great day, everyone.
Example conversation
Kenta and Himari are saying goodbye after breakfast.
- 健太 Kentaもう行くね。良い一日を！Mou iku ne. Yoi ichinichi o!I'm leaving now. Have a great day!
- 陽葵 Himariありがとう。健太さんも良い一日を。Arigato. Kenta-san mo yoi ichinichi o.Thanks. You have a great day too, Kenta.
- 健太 Kentaまた後でね。Mata ato de ne.See you later.
- 陽葵 Himariうん、またね！Un, mata ne!Yeah, see you!
