buon viaggio
/ˈbwɔn viˈad.d͡ʒo/word by word
The English phrase "safe trip" is translated into Italian as buon viaggio.
buon viaggio is used to wish someone a pleasant and secure journey. If you know specifically that the person is traveling by air, you may also use buon volo, which means "Have a safe flight".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of buon (good) and viaggio (trip/journey).
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective buon is the truncated form of buono used before a masculine noun starting with a consonant.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈbwɔn viˈad.dʒo/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
When do people say it?
When someone says buon viaggio to you, and you are also traveling, a common response is Grazie, anche a te! (Thanks, to you too!).
Did you know?
- In Italy, wishing someone a buon viaggio is often accompanied by the gesture of touching iron toccare ferro to ward off bad luck during the trip.
- The word viaggio entered Italian via Old Occitan and Old French before settling into the form used today.
- Using buon cammino can be a poetic way to wish someone a 'good path' in life, moving beyond physical travel to their destiny.
Examples in context
- Caro Marco, buon viaggio! Tieniti al caldo durante la tua visita alle Alpi!Dear Marco, have a good trip! Keep warm during your visit to the Alps!
- Buon viaggio, caro!Have a safe trip, dear!
- Ti auguro un buon viaggio.I wish you a safe trip.
- Buon viaggio a tutti voi!Have a safe trip, everyone!
Example conversation
Francesco is leaving for a weekend trip and Chiara is seeing him off at the station.
- ChiaraIl treno sta arrivando.The train is arriving.
- FrancescoDevo andare adesso. Ciao, Chiara!I have to go now. Bye, Chiara!
- ChiaraBuon viaggio, Francesco!Have a safe trip, Francesco!
- FrancescoGrazie mille, a presto!Thanks a lot, see you soon!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (buon, viaggio) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries viaggio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
