buon pomeriggio
/ˈbwɔm po.meˈrid.d͡ʒo/
The phrase "good afternoon" in Italian is buon pomeriggio. Wiktionary also lists buongiorno.
Meaning: greeting said in the afternoon (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| buon pomeriggio | /ˈbwɔm po.meˈrid.d͡ʒo/ |
| buongiorno | /ˌbwɔnˈd͡ʒor.no/ /bwonˈd͡ʒor.no/ |
buon pomeriggio is used to say "good afternoon" during the afternoon hours.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of buon (good) and pomeriggio (afternoon).
Which one should you use?
While buon pomeriggio is a literal translation of "good afternoon", Italians frequently use buongiorno as a general greeting from the morning until the late afternoon.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective buono is truncated to buon when placed before a masculine noun starting with a consonant like pomeriggio.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbwɔm po.meˈrid.dʒo/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word pomeriggio comes from the Latin post merīdiem, which is the same root used for 'PM' in English timekeeping.
- If you want to say 'good afternoon' as a way to say goodbye rather than a greeting, you might use buon proseguimento to wish someone a pleasant continuation of their activities.
- In Italy, the transition from buongiorno to buonasera often happens around 4 PM or 5 PM, skipping buon pomeriggio entirely in casual speech.
Examples in context
- Buon pomeriggio a tutti!Good afternoon everybody!This is useful for greeting a group of people with buon pomeriggio.Tatoeba #3401412 by Guybrush88, translation #5551071 by carlosalberto
- Buon pomeriggio a tutti.Good afternoon, everybody.This is useful for a period ending with a full stop using buon pomeriggio.Tatoeba #6966884 by Guybrush88, translation #6964665 by CK
- Buon pomeriggio.Good afternoon.This is useful for a simple, short greeting using buon pomeriggio.Tatoeba #2491622 by Guybrush88, translation #499689 by CK
- Buon pomeriggio a tuttiGood afternoon, everyone
- Ciao! Come stai? Buon pomeriggio!Hi! How are you? Good afternoon!
- Ehi, buon pomeriggio a tuttiHey, good afternoon, everyone
- 1 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Francesco meet in a sunny park.
- SofiaBuon pomeriggio, Francesco!Good afternoon, Francesco!
- FrancescoBuon pomeriggio a te, Sofia.Good afternoon to you, Sofia.
- SofiaCome stai oggi?How are you today?
- FrancescoSto molto bene, grazie.I am doing very well, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good afternoon” translations and entries buon pomeriggio, buongiorno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries buongiorno, pomeriggio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
