passe une belle journée
To say "have a lovely day" in French, you say passe une belle journée.
This is a friendly wish used when saying goodbye to someone to hope they enjoy the rest of their day.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "spend a beautiful day" because the verb passer is used to mean "to spend time".
Which one should you use?
While passe une belle journée is a full sentence, the shorter bonne journée is a very common and slightly more concise way to say "have a good day" when departing.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase passe une belle journée uses the imperative mood of the verb passer to issue a friendly command or wish. If you are speaking to more than one person or to one person in a formal setting, use the form passez une belle journée.
Did you know?
- The word journée comes from the Vulgar Latin word *diurnāta, which originally referred to a day's work or a daily allowance.
- If you say passe une belle journée to a stranger in a shop, you might sound overly intimate, as the form passe is used only for friends or family.
- In some French-speaking regions, you might hear bonne fin de journée, which specifically wishes someone a good 'end' of the day if the afternoon is already half over.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, Monsieur Dupont. Passez une bonne journée !Hello, Mr. Dupont. Have a good day!
- Je vous souhaite une réunion productive. Que votre journée soit agréable.I wish you a productive meeting. May your day be pleasant.
- Bon courage pour votre présentation. Je vous souhaite une excellente journée.Good luck with your presentation. I wish you an excellent day.
- Salut Marie. Passe une belle journée !Hi Marie. Have a nice day!
- Profite de ton dimanche ! Que ta journée soit ensoleillée.Enjoy your Sunday! May your day be sunny.
- Bonne chance pour ton examen ! Je te souhaite une super journée.Good luck on your exam! I wish you a great day.
- Bonjour, Sophie. Que ta journée soit remplie de joie.Hello, Sophie. May your day be filled with joy.
- Passe une merveilleuse journée, mon ami !Have a wonderful day, my friend!
- Que cette journée te soit très agréable.May this day be very pleasant for you.
- Merci, passe une belle journée toi aussi.Thanks, have a lovely day too.
- Allez, passe une belle journée !Alright, have a lovely day!
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are saying goodbye after a coffee.
- LucasAu revoir Chloé, passe une belle journée !Goodbye Chloé, have a lovely day!
- ChloéMerci Lucas, toi aussi !Thanks Lucas, you too!
- LucasÀ bientôt !See you soon!
- ChloéSalut !Bye!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries journée, une, CC BY-SA 4.0.
