que tengas un gran día
/ke tenɡas un ɡɾan dia/from spelling rules
To say 'have a great day' in Spanish, you use que tengas un gran día.
This is a friendly parting phrase used to wish someone a positive experience for the rest of their day.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is literally 'that you have a great day', using the subjunctive mood to express a wish.
Which one should you use?
While gran día (great day) is common, buen día (good day) is a slightly more standard and common way to express the same sentiment.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you may also use Que tengas un día estupendo to say 'have a great day'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the phrase changes depending on who you are addressing. If you are wishing a great day to a group of people, use que tengan un gran día.
Did you know?
- Although 'day' and 'day' look similar, the Spanish día is not a relative of the English word 'day'. Instead, it stems from an ancient root meaning 'heaven' or 'sky'.
- In some Latin American countries, you might hear que le vaya bien instead of wishing someone a 'great day'. This literally means 'that it goes well for you'.
- While English speakers use 'day' for both, Spanish uses día for the 24-hour period and jornada specifically for the working day.
Examples in context
- Amiga, que pases un día genial. No olvides disfrutar cada momento y sonreír siempre.Friend, have a great day. Don't forget to enjoy every moment and always smile.
- ¡Gracias! Que tengas un gran día.Thanks! Have a great day.
- ¡Que tengas un gran día!Have a great day!
- Espero que tengas un gran día en el trabajo.I hope you have a great day at work.
- Adiós, que tengas un gran día.Goodbye, have a great day.
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are leaving a coffee shop.
- Mateo¡Adiós, Sofía! Que tengas un gran día.Goodbye, Sofía! Have a great day.
- SofíaGracias, Mateo. Igualmente para ti.Thanks, Mateo. Same to you.
- Mateo¡Nos vemos luego!See you later!
- Sofía¡Chao!Bye!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries día, gran, que, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
