ma journée s'est bien passée
The English phrase "my day was good" can be translated into French as ma journée s'est bien passée.
This phrase is used to report that the events of one's day were positive or satisfactory.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, ma journée s'est bien passée translates to "my day passed itself well".
Which one should you use?
While you might be tempted to say ma journée était bonne, it is much more natural in French to use ma journée s'est bien passée to express that your day went well.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because journée is a feminine noun, the past participle passée must end in -ée to agree with it.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying mon jour était bon. English speakers often mistakenly use jour instead of journée. In French, jour refers to a unit of time, while journée refers to the duration and content of the day.
Did you know?
- The word journée is derived from the Vulgar Latin word *diurnāta, which originally referred to a day's wage or a day's work.
- Saying ma journée était bonne sounds like you are describing a delicious meal or a pleasant person rather than a successful sequence of events.
- While ma journée s'est bien passée is a standard response, a French speaker might simply reply ça s'est bien passé to refer to the day without mentioning it explicitly.
Examples in context
- Ma journée était génialeMy day was great.
- Ma journée s'est bien passée. Et toi ?My day went well. And you?
- Ma journée a été agréable aussi. Merci de demander.My day was pleasant too. Thanks for asking.
- J'ai eu une bonne journée. C'était génial !I had a good day. It was great!
- Ma journée s'est bien passée, merci.My day went well, thank you.
- Heureusement, ma journée s'est bien passée.Fortunately, my day went well.
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are talking at home in the evening.
- NathanLéa, est-ce que ta journée s'est bien passée ?Léa, did your day go well?
- LéaOui, ma journée s'est bien passée.Yes, my day went well.
- NathanJe suis content pour toi.I am happy for you.
- LéaEt toi, Nathan, comment était ta journée ?And you, Nathan, how was your day?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, journée, ma, CC BY-SA 4.0.
