Learn French: Le dîner est prêt. Bon appétit ! - Dinner is ready. Enjoy your meal!

Le dîner est prêt. Bon appétit !

Dinner is ready. Enjoy your meal!

Breakdown of Le dîner est prêt. Bon appétit !

Questions & Answers about Le dîner est prêt. Bon appétit !

Why do French speakers say Bon appétit instead of a direct translation for "Enjoy your meal"?

French doesn't have a direct verb translation for "enjoy" in this context. Instead, Bon appétit literally translates to "Good appetite" and is the standard, everyday phrase used to wish someone a good meal.

How is Bon appétit pronounced? Do you hear the "n"?

Yes, you do hear it! Normally, the "n" in bon is a nasal sound. But because appétit starts with a vowel, the "n" links directly to it. This spoken link is called a liaison, making the phrase sound like "bun-nah-pay-tee".

Why is the word for ready spelled prêt and not prête?

French adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. Since le dîner is masculine, we use the masculine form prêt. If we were talking about a feminine noun like la pizza, it would be prête.

Do I pronounce the "t" at the end of prêt and appétit?

No, the final "t" is silent in both of these words. However, if you were using the feminine form prête, you would pronounce the "t" sound because of the "e" at the end of the word.