Meaning
A farewell wishing someone a pleasant day.
Cultural Background
The 'Bonjour' and 'Bonne journée' ritual is non-negotiable in small shops. Failing to say them can result in noticeably colder service. In Quebec, 'Bonjour' can sometimes be used as a farewell, similar to 'Good day' in older English. However, 'Bonne journée' is still the standard for wishing someone well. Belgians use 'Bonne journée' just like the French, but you might find the tone slightly more informal in certain regions. In French-speaking Switzerland, politeness is extremely important. 'Bonne journée' is often followed by 'Au plaisir' (To the pleasure of seeing you again).
The 5 PM Rule
Switch to 'Bonne soirée' at 5 PM in winter and 6 PM in summer. When in doubt, listen to what others are saying!
Not a Hello
If you say 'Bonne journée' as a greeting, people will think you are leaving immediately. Stick to 'Bonjour' for hellos.
Meaning
A farewell wishing someone a pleasant day.
The 5 PM Rule
Switch to 'Bonne soirée' at 5 PM in winter and 6 PM in summer. When in doubt, listen to what others are saying!
Not a Hello
If you say 'Bonne journée' as a greeting, people will think you are leaving immediately. Stick to 'Bonjour' for hellos.
Add 'à vous'
Adding 'à vous' (to you) makes you sound much more fluent and polite: 'Bonne journée à vous !'
The Echo Effect
If someone says 'Bonne journée' to you, the most natural response is 'Merci, vous aussi !' (Thanks, you too!).
Test Yourself
You are leaving a cafe at 11:00 AM. What do you say to the waiter?
Au revoir, ___ !
Since you are leaving and it is still morning, 'Bonne journée' is the correct farewell.
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the adjective 'bon'.
Passe une ___ journée !
'Journée' is a feminine noun, so it requires the feminine adjective 'bonne'.
Match the phrase to the correct time of day.
1. Bonne journée 2. Bonne soirée
Use 'journée' during the day and 'soirée' in the evening.
Fill in the missing part of the dialogue.
A: Merci pour votre aide. B: Je vous en prie. ___ !
After helping someone, it is polite to wish them a good day as they leave.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Arriving vs. Leaving
Practice Bank
4 exercisesAu revoir, ___ !
Since you are leaving and it is still morning, 'Bonne journée' is the correct farewell.
Passe une ___ journée !
'Journée' is a feminine noun, so it requires the feminine adjective 'bonne'.
1. Bonne journée 2. Bonne soirée
Use 'journée' during the day and 'soirée' in the evening.
A: Merci pour votre aide. B: Je vous en prie. ___ !
After helping someone, it is polite to wish them a good day as they leave.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, 4 PM is still considered 'journée.' You usually switch to 'soirée' around 5 PM or 6 PM.
It is always 'Bonne journée' because 'journée' is feminine.
'Jour' is a unit of time (24 hours), while 'journée' refers to the duration of the day and what happens during it.
Yes, it is a very common and polite way to end an email sent during the day.
It is neutral. You can use it with friends, family, bosses, or strangers.
No, you say 'Bonjour' or 'Salut' when you arrive. You say 'Bonne journée' when you leave.
You still say 'Bonne journée'! It's a wish for their day to be good, regardless of the weather.
'Bon après-midi' is fine, but 'Bonne journée' is much more common and covers the whole day.
The best reply is 'Merci, vous aussi !' (Thanks, you too!) or 'Merci, à vous de même !' (formal).
Yes, it is perfectly polite for a student to say to a teacher.
Related Phrases
Bonne soirée
similarHave a good evening
Bon après-midi
specialized formHave a good afternoon
Bonne continuation
similarGood luck with what you are doing
Bon week-end
similarHave a good weekend
Bonne nuit
contrastGood night
