j'espère que tu as bien dormi
In French, 'hope you slept well' is expressed as j'espère que tu as bien dormi.
This phrase is a friendly greeting used in the morning to express a wish that the other person had a restful sleep.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from j'espère (I hope), que (that), tu as (you have), bien (well) and dormi (slept).
Which one should you use?
Use j'espère que vous avez bien dormi instead of the default form when speaking to a stranger, a superior or a group of people.
When do people say it?
A common way to respond to this greeting is to confirm you slept well and thank the person, for example by saying Oui, très bien, merci !
Did you know?
- While j'espère que tu as bien dormi is a kind wish, French has a specific word grasse matinée to describe the act of sleeping in late.
- The word tu is a direct relative of the English 'thou', both descending from the same Proto-Indo-European roots.
- If someone tells you they slept poorly, you can respond with ma pauvre or mon pauvre, which translates to 'my poor thing'.
Examples in context
- J'espère que tu as bien dormi.I hope you slept well.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase j'espère que tu as bien dormi.Tatoeba #3037679 by alexmarcelo, translation #2360985 by CK
- Bonjour Monsieur Dupont, j'espère que vous avez bien dormi. Comment allez-vous aujourd'hui?Hello Mr. Dupont, I hope you slept well. How are you today?
- Chère Madame Martin, j'espère que vous avez passé une bonne nuit. Avez-vous des projets passionnants pour la journée?Dear Mrs. Martin, I hope you had a good night. Do you have any exciting plans for the day?
- Salut Thomas! J'espère que tu as bien dormi. Prêt pour une journée formidable?Hi Thomas! I hope you slept well. Ready for a great day?
- Coucou Julie! J'espère que t'as passé une bonne nuit. On se voit cet après-midi pour prendre un café?Hey Julie! I hope you had a good night. Shall we meet this afternoon for a coffee?
- Bonjour Sophie, j'espère que vous avez passé une nuit paisible. Votre présence est toujours apaisante lors de nos réunions.Hello Sophie, I hope you had a peaceful night. Your presence is always calming during our meetings.
- J'espère que tu as bien dormi, mon chéri.I hope you slept well, my darling.
- Bonjour, j'espère que tu as bien dormi cette nuit.Hello, I hope you slept well last night.
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are having breakfast in their kitchen.
- LucasBonjour Léa, j'espère que tu as bien dormi.Good morning Léa, I hope you slept well.
- LéaOui, très bien, merci Lucas.Yes, very well, thank you Lucas.
- LucasTu as l'air en forme ce matin.You look energetic this morning.
- LéaC'est vrai, je me sens reposée.It's true, I feel rested.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries as, que, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
