bonan tagon: Greetings With -n
Good Day and Good Evening
A wish ends in -n, as in bonan tagon.
How It Works
| Say | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|
| Bonan matenon! | good morning | in the morning |
| Bonan tagon! | good day | during the day |
| Bonan vesperon! | good evening | in the evening |
| Bonan nokton! | good night | when a conversation or a day ends |
| Bonvenon! | welcome | when someone arrives |
Behind each greeting hides a full sentence: Mi deziras al vi bonan tagon (I wish you a good day). The thing wished for is the object, so the noun takes -n, and the adjective bona agrees with it. Many set expressions of this kind end in -n.
Bonvenon is one word: bonveno is a good arrival, and the -n turns it into a wish for one.
You can answer a greeting by saying the same greeting back.
Examples (5)
- Bonan matenon, Ana!
Good morning, Ana!
Both the adjective and the noun end in -n.
- Bonan tagon, Kenji!
Good day, Kenji!
Bonan tagon is a friendly hello during the day.
- Bonan vesperon, Kofi!
Good evening, Kofi!
The same pattern with vespero, evening.
- Bonan nokton, Ewa!
Good night, Ewa!
Bonan nokton ends a conversation or wishes someone a restful night.
- Bonvenon, Hiro!
Welcome, Hiro!
Bonvenon is a single word with -n, wishing a good arrival.
Common Mistakes
Matching the adjective but not the noun.
Bonan tago!Bonan tagon!The adjective bonan and its noun must match. Since bonan ends in -n, the noun needs -n too.
How It Connects
Learn This First
A greeting wishes something good, so its noun takes -n.
- saluton / ĝis revidoHello and Goodbye
Know saluton and the other greetings, since these are the same kind of wish.
Level 1 - Object Ending -nThe Object Ending -n
Know the object ending -n, because a greeting wishes something good, so the noun takes -n: Bonan tagon!
Level 1 - -aAdjectives End in -a
Know the adjective ending -a, since bonan is bona plus -n.
Level 1
Related Patterns
Practice bonan tagon: Greetings With -n in Bubblegum
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