周末愉快
zhōumò yúkuài
The English phrase "have a great weekend" is translated into Chinese as 周末愉快 (zhōumò yúkuài).
周末愉快 is a friendly wish used to tell someone to enjoy their time off at the end of the week. It is typically used as a closing remark in conversation or at the end of an email/message on a Friday.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 周末 (weekend) and 愉快 (happy/pleasant).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
周末愉快 is a polite and standard way to wish someone a good weekend in both professional and social settings. For more formal situations, you can use 祝您周末愉快。 (Wishing you a pleasant weekend) or 希望您有个愉快的周末。 (Hope you have a pleasant weekend).
How does it change in a sentence?
Replacing 愉快 with 快乐 (kuàilè) creates a synonymous phrase, 周末快乐, which is slightly more common in casual, spoken contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
zhōumò yúkuài
Did you know?
- The character 乐 (lè) in the synonym 周末快乐 is the same character used to describe music, which is written as 音乐 (yīnyuè).
- When responding to 周末愉快, it is common to simply repeat the phrase back to the other person rather than saying 'you too'.
- The term 周末 (zhōumò) literally translates to 'week end', mirroring the English structure, but the concept of a formal 'weekend' is a relatively modern Western import into Chinese culture.
Examples in context
- 祝你周末愉快。Zhù nǐ zhōumò yúkuài.I wish you a great weekend.
- 大家周末愉快！Dàjiā zhōumò yúkuài!Have a great weekend, everyone!
- 祝大家周末愉快，再见。Zhù dàjiā zhōumò yúkuài, zàijiàn.Have a great weekend everyone, goodbye.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are leaving the office on Friday afternoon.
- 伟 Wei我走了，周一见！Wǒ zǒu le, zhōuyī jiàn!I'm leaving, see you Monday!
- 佳怡 Jiayi好的，周末愉快！Hǎo de, zhōumò yúkuài!Okay, have a great weekend!
- 伟 Wei谢谢，你也一样！Xièxie, nǐ yě yīyàng!Thanks, you too!
- 佳怡 Jiayi再见，伟。Zàijiàn, Wěi.Goodbye, Wei.
