What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally means "a good trip," with the verb "to have" or "to do" omitted at the end.
Which one should you use?
While 良い旅を focuses on the quality of the journey, much more common in daily Japanese is 行ってらっしゃい, used when someone is leaving home or a fixed location.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
良い旅を is a relatively casual or friendly way to wish someone well and is most appropriate for friends or acquaintances. For a more polite variation, you can use 行ってらっしゃいませ. If you wish to express a very formal sentiment such as "I pray for your safety," use ご無事をお祈りいたします.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle を (o) marks the phrase as the direct object of an implied verb like "have" or "enjoy."
How do you pronounce it?
yoi tabi o
When do people say it?
The expression いってらっしゃい translates to Go and come back and is used by family members when someone is leaving the house.
Did you know?
- The phrase 良い旅を is often perceived as 'cinematic' by native speakers because it appears frequently in dubbed Western movies and translated books rather than in everyday speech.
- In Japan, people seeking a 'safe trip' in a spiritual or religious sense may visit a shrine to pray for 交通安全, which specifically focuses on 'traffic safety'.
- While 'safe trip' sounds like a wish for protection, the standard departure greeting 行ってらっしゃい actually translates to 'Go and come back'.
Examples in context
- 良い旅を。Yoi tabi o.Have a good trip.
- 結衣さん、良い旅を！Yui-san, yoi tabi o!Yui, have a good trip!
- 皆、良い旅を。Minna, yoi tabi o.Have a good trip, everyone.
Example conversation
A friend is seeing another friend off at the airport.
- 大翔 Hirotoもうすぐ出発だね。Mou sugu shuppatsu dane.It's almost time to depart.
- 結衣 Yuiうん、行ってくるね。Un, itte kuru ne.Yeah, I'm off.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣、良い旅を！Yui, yoi tabi o!Yui, have a good trip!
- 結衣 Yuiありがとう、大翔！Arigatou, Hiroto!Thank you, Hiroto!
