bonjour

See also: Bonjour

English

Clothing with bonjour text

Etymology

From French bonjour (“hello/good day/good morning”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /bɒn.ˈʒʊə/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /bɑn.ˈʒʊɹ/
• Rhymes: -ʊə(ɹ)

Interjection

bonjour

1. (in French contexts) good morning
   • 2009 March 13, Alexandra Jacobs, “Blame the Messager”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     Say bonjour to the botched R.S.V.P. The practice of replying to invitations, let alone actually showing up to parties as promised, has become as antiquated as the chimney sweep, and much messier.

Translations

hello — see hello

Verb

bonjour (third-person singular simple present bonjours, present participle bonjouring, simple past and past participle bonjoured)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To greet in French with "bonjour".
   • 1938, Donald Barr Chidsey, Each one was alone:

     He went on down the boulevard, bonjouring right and left, lifting his hat, bowing. He moved very slowly.

   • 1988, Gary Hart, The Strategies of Zeus:

     Connaughton entered the simple but cheery restaurant, checked his coat, bonjoured the maître d'...

   • 2005, James H Irwin, Mokanshan: A Tale of Wallis Simpson's Naughty Shanghai Postcards:

     They bonjoured back and stood there awkwardly. Finally, Flood broke the silence.

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French bonjour, from Old French bon jor (literally “good day”). By surface analysis, bon (“good”) +‎ jour (“day”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/
  • (France) IPA^(key): [bõ.ʒuə̯ʁ]

    • Audio (Paris, France)

      (file)

  • (Quebec) IPA^(key): [bɒ̃ʊ̯̃.ʒʊu̯ʁ]
  • (Louisiana) IPA^(key): [bɔ̃.ʒo(ɾ)]
• Homophone: Bonjour

Noun

bonjour m (plural bonjours)

1. greetings; hello (general salutation)

   Tu passeras le bonjour à ta mère !

   You will say hello to your mother!

   (literally, “You will pass a hello to your mother!”)

Interjection

bonjour

1. good day; good morning

   Bonjour, mon ami !

   Good day, friend!

   Bonjour, monsieur le Président !

   Good morning, Mr. President!

2. (Quebec, Louisiana) goodbye

Synonyms

• salut (familiar)
• bonjour/hi (Montréal)
• beaujour (Missouri)
• boujou (Normandy)

Antonyms

• au revoir

Derived terms

• bonjour les dégâts
• bonjourer
• rebonjour
• simple comme bonjour

Related terms

• bonne année
• bonne journée
• bonne nuit
• bonsoir

Descendants

• Antillean Creole: bonjou
• Haitian Creole: bonjou
• Louisiana Creole: bonjou
• Mauritian Creole: bonzour
• → Alemannic German: buschur
• → English: bonjour

Further reading

• “bonjour”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.