שיהיה לך יום נעים
sheyihye lecha yom na'im
שיהיה לך יום נעים (sheyihye lecha yom na'im) is the Hebrew way to say "have a nice day".
This phrase is used as a way to say goodbye, wishing the person you are speaking to a pleasant day ahead.
Meaning: goodbye (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "that there will be to you a pleasant day".
How does it change in a sentence?
The form שיהיה לך יום נעים uses the masculine singular pronoun lecha, meaning it is addressed specifically to one male. To address a group of people, you must change the pronoun to lachem so the phrase becomes שיהיה לכם יום נעים. Within the phrase, the adjective na'im (pleasant) is in the masculine singular form to agree with the masculine noun yom (day).
How do you pronounce it?
sheyihye lecha yom na'im
Did you know?
- The prefix ש (she-) in this phrase acts like a tiny linguistic engine, transforming a simple statement of fact into a heartfelt wish or prayer.
- The root of נעים (na'im) is also a cognate with the Arabic word نَعِيم (naʕīm), which specifically refers to 'bliss' or the luxury of paradise.
- While 'have a nice day' is a standard polite farewell in English, an Israeli might more commonly use the shorter, more casual יום טוב (yom tov), which simply means 'good day'.
Examples in context
- שיהיה לך יום נעים.Have a nice day.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase שיהיה לך יום נעים.Tatoeba #698987 by Eldad, translation #30085 by CK
Example conversation
Daniel and Maya are finishing a meeting at a cafe.
- דניאל Danielהיה נחמד לראות אותך, מאיה.haya nehmad lir'ot otach, Maya.It was nice seeing you, Maya.
- מאיה Mayaגם לי, דניאל. נשתמע בקרוב.gam li, Daniel. nishtame'a bkarov.Me too, Daniel. We'll talk soon.
- דניאל Danielבטח. שיהיה לך יום נעים!betach. sheyihye lach yom na'im!Sure. Have a nice day!
- מאיה Mayaתודה, גם לך!toda, gam lecha!Thanks, you too!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries יום, נעים, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
