bon appétit

See also: bon appetit

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from French bon appétit (literally “good appetite”), from bon (“good”) + appétit (“appetite”).

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌbɒn apəˈtiː/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˌboʊn æpəˈti(t)/[1][2]
  • Most American and British dictionaries prescribe French-like pronunciations like /ˌbɔː.næ.peɪˈtiː/,[3][4][5] /ˌbɒn apɛˈtiː/[6][7][8] and /ˈbɔn ˌæpəˈti/,[9] which, however, are not encountered in American speech, where the pronunciations /ˌboʊn æpəˈtit/ and /ˌboʊn æpəˈti/ predominate.
  • Rhymes: -iː, -iːt
  • Hyphenation: bon ap‧pé‧tit

Interjection

bon appétit

  1. Used to wish someone enjoyment of the meal they are about to eat.
    Synonym: enjoy your meal

Translations

References
  1. “bon appétit” (US) / “bon appétit” (UK) in Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford University Press. (US)
  2. Wordsworths Concise English Dictionary →ISBN /ˌbo(ʊ).næ.pəˈti/
  3. “bon appétit” in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary.
  4. “bon appétit” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
  5. “bon appétit” in Michael Agnes, editor-in-chief, Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4th edition, Cleveland, Oh.: Wiley, 2010, →ISBN; reproduced on the Collins English Dictionary, Glasgow: HarperCollins Publishers.
  6. Oxford Dictionary of English (2012, →ISBN
  7. Concise OED (2011, →ISBN
  8. “bon appétit” (US) / “bon appétit” (UK) in Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford University Press. (UK)
  9. WordReference's Random House Learner's Dictictionary of American English

French
French phrasebook
This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on usefulness, simplicity and commonness.

Etymology

Literally “good appetite”.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /bɔ.n‿a.pe.ti/
  • Rhymes: -i

Interjection

bon appétit !

  1. bon appétit, enjoy your meal
    Synonyms: bon ap' (informal shortening), bon app

Usage notes

Unlike equivalent phrases in an English-speaking context, bon appétit in French is a politeness formula used much more automatically, like please or thank you. As well as when serving a meal or sitting down to eat with others, it is also used when getting up from the table where others are still eating, or when greeting or departing from someone who is eating.

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