French · Greetings & Essentials

"Have a nice day" in French: bonne journée

bonne journée

Say it: bun zhoor-NAYphrase/bɔn ʒuʁ.ne/

Have a nice day in French is bonne journée. Keep the whole phrase together. Use it as you leave a shop or end a daytime chat; bonne soirée takes over in the evening.

Leaving a shop

Merci, bonne journée !
Thanks, have a nice day!
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How to pronounce bonne journée

Say it

bun zhoor-NAY

/bɔn ʒuʁ.ne/

Bonne: bun. Journée: zhoor-NAY. Together: bun zhoor-NAY.

"Have a nice day" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
bonne journéehave a nice day

Daytime farewell.

bonne journée !have a nice day!

Stand-alone.

bonne soiréehave a nice evening

After late afternoon.

bonne fin de journéehave a good rest of the day

Mid/late day.

How to use bonne journée in real life

  1. 1Leaving a shop

    Merci, bonne journée !

    Thanks, have a nice day!

    Whole phrase.

  2. 2End of a call

    Allez, bonne journée, à demain.

    Alright, have a nice day—see you tomorrow.

    Warm close.

  3. 3Office

    Bonne journée à toute l'équipe !

    Have a nice day, everyone on the team!

    À toute l'équipe.

Mistakes English speakers make with bonne journée

Incorrect: Bon journée.

Correct: Bonne journée.

Journée is feminine: bonne.

Incorrect: Bonne journée (at midnight goodbye).

Correct: Bonne soirée / bonne nuit.

Match the time of day.

Good to know

Cashiers and pharmacists say bonne journée constantly; answering merci, vous aussi or toi aussi (with tu) feels natural. Switch to bonne soirée once evening starts.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Leaving a bakery in the morning

  1. ChatPal

    Voilà vos pains. Bonne journée !

    Here are your loaves. Have a nice day!

  2. You

    Merci, bonne journée à vous aussi.

    Thanks, have a nice day to you too.

  3. ChatPal

    À bientôt.

    See you soon.

  4. You

    À bientôt !

    See you soon!

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"Have a nice day" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Have a nice day" in French

Bonne journée or bonne soirée?

Journée by day; soirée in the evening.

How do I reply?

Merci, toi aussi / vous aussi.

Why bonne not bon?

Journée is feminine.

Pronunciation?

Bun zhoor-NAY.

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