passe une merveilleuse journée
To say "have a wonderful day" in French, use passe une merveilleuse journée.
This phrase is a friendly wish used when saying goodbye to someone to hope their day is pleasant. It is used specifically during a departure and cannot be used as a greeting when first meeting someone.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "spend a wonderful day", where the verb passe means "spend" in the context of time rather than "have" in the context of possession.
Which one should you use?
While bonne journée is the much more common and standard way to say "have a good day", passe une merveilleuse journée is more emphatic and enthusiastic.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a stranger, a superior or a group of people, the verb changes from the informal passe to the formal or plural passez, as seen in passez une merveilleuse journée. Additionally, the informal version of "you" can be used in a sentence like Je te souhaite une excellente journée.
Did you know?
- The word journée comes from a Latin root that originally referred to a 'day's journey' or the distance one could travel in a single day. This is why the word focuses on the duration of time passing rather than just a point in time.
- If you are in Quebec, you might hear people use bonne journée even when arriving at a place if the encounter is very brief, which is rarely done in France.
- While passe une merveilleuse journée is grammatically perfect, it can sound slightly theatrical or overly poetic in a casual setting like a local bakery. Most Parisians would stick to the simpler, punchier bonne journée.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, Monsieur Martin. Passez une excellente journée !Good day, Mr. Martin. Have a wonderful day!
- Madame Dupont, je vous souhaite une merveilleuse journée.Mrs. Dupont, I wish you a marvelous day.
- Salut, Claire! Passe une super journée !Hi, Claire! Have a great day!
- Paul, je te souhaite une excellente journée.Paul, I wish you an excellent day.
- Passe une merveilleuse journée !Have a wonderful day!
- Merci, toi aussi, passe une merveilleuse journée.Thanks, you too, have a wonderful day.
- Allez, passe une merveilleuse journée, mon ami.Go on, have a wonderful day, my friend.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are saying goodbye after a quick meeting at a cafe.
- GabrielAu revoir Emma, passe une merveilleuse journée.Goodbye Emma, have a wonderful day.
- EmmaMerci Gabriel, c'est gentil.Thanks Gabriel, that's kind.
- GabrielÀ bientôt !See you soon!
- EmmaÀ plus tard !See you later!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries journée, une, CC BY-SA 4.0.
