buon pomeriggio
/ˈbwɔm po.meˈrid.d͡ʒo/
In Italian, "hello good afternoon" is said as buon pomeriggio.
buon pomeriggio is a way to say "good afternoon" in Italian. While it is a correct way to greet someone during the afternoon, many Italians more frequently use the more general buongiorno (good day) during this time of day.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of buon (good) and pomeriggio (afternoon).
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective buon is a truncated form of buono used before a masculine noun starting with a consonant or certain other letters to facilitate easier pronunciation.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈbwɔm po.meˈrid.dʒo/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word pomeriggio shares its exact Latin origin with the English abbreviation 'PM', which stands for 'post meridiem' or 'after noon'.
- Unlike the English 'good afternoon', which is often used as a greeting, buon pomeriggio is frequently used as a polite way to say goodbye when leaving a shop or office.
- In Italy, the shift to buonasera often happens as early as 4 PM, regardless of whether the sun has actually set.
Examples in context
- Buon pomeriggio a tutti.Good afternoon to everyone.
- Buon pomeriggio, signora.Good afternoon, ma'am.
- Le auguro un buon pomeriggio.I wish you a good afternoon.
Example conversation
Sofia enters a small cafe where Francesco is working.
- SofiaBuon pomeriggio, Francesco.Good afternoon, Francesco.
- FrancescoBuon pomeriggio, Sofia. Come stai?Good afternoon, Sofia. How are you?
- SofiaBene, grazie. Vorrei un caffè.Fine, thanks. I would like a coffee.
- FrancescoCertamente, lo preparo subito.Certainly, I will prepare it right away.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry buon pomeriggio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pomeriggio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
