bonsoir

[ bawn-swar ]
/ bɔ̃ˈswar /

interjection French.

good evening; good night.

Words nearby bonsoir

bonobo, bononcini, bonporti, bonsai, bonsela, bonsoir, bonspiel, bontebok, bontebuck, bontempelli, bontemps

VOCAB BUILDER

What does bonsoir mean?

Bonsoir means good evening or good night.

Bonsoir is borrowed directly from French, in which it means the same thing.

Like many other expressions that have been borrowed from French (such as the more well-known bonjour, meaning “good day,” “good morning,” or simply “hello”), bonsoir is typically used in English to be a bit fancy or sound sophisticated.

Example: Bonsoir, bon ami—until we meet again!

Where does bonsoir come from?

The French word bonsoir is a combination of two French words: bon, meaning “good,” and soir, meaning “evening.” Both of these appear in many common English terms that have been borrowed from French, such as bon voyage, bon appétit, and soiree (which refers to an evening party).

French speakers say bonsoir in just about the same way that English speakers say good evening—as a greeting or expression of farewell used at night. It is similar to but distinct from the French expression bonne soirée, which literally means “good evening” but is often used to refer to later parts of the night or in reference to a party. Bonsoir is one of the many phrases adopted into English from French that are often associated with sophistication (or at least attempted sophistication).

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What are some synonyms for bonsoir?

What are some words that share a root or word element with bonsoir? 

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing bonsoir?

How is bonsoir used in real life?

English speakers typically used bonsoir as a classy way of saying good evening.

 

 

Try using bonsoir!

What does the bon part of bonsoir mean?

A. hello
B. evening
C. night
D. good

Example sentences from the Web for bonsoir