French Expression of the Day: De bon matin
This French expression might be referenced at the coffee station at work on a Monday morning.
Why do I need to know de bon matin?
Because this does not translate word-for-word as you might expect it to.
What does it mean?
De bon matin - roughly pronounced duh boh mah-tahn - technically translates as ‘the good morning’.
However, this expression does not mean ‘good morning’ in the sense that ‘bonjour’ does. That being said, if you visit French-speaking Canada, you might hear it used this way.
As for the French you will hear in France, however, it actually means ‘very early in the morning’.
For example, your friend might tell you a story about their boisterous neighbour that includes the phrase ‘il a hurlé de bon matin’. This does not mean the neighbour yelled ‘good morning’, but rather the neighbour was yelling early in the morning.
In English you might say 'at the crack of dawn'.
Some other ways to say ‘early in the morning’ in French would be to say ‘très tôt le matin’ or ‘au petit matin’.
Use it like this
Il est venu à la maison de bon matin. - He came to the house at the crack of dawn.
Elle m'a dit que l'événement commencerait de bon matin. - She told me the event would start very early in the morning.
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Why do I need to know de bon matin?
Because this does not translate word-for-word as you might expect it to.
What does it mean?
De bon matin - roughly pronounced duh boh mah-tahn - technically translates as ‘the good morning’.
However, this expression does not mean ‘good morning’ in the sense that ‘bonjour’ does. That being said, if you visit French-speaking Canada, you might hear it used this way.
As for the French you will hear in France, however, it actually means ‘very early in the morning’.
For example, your friend might tell you a story about their boisterous neighbour that includes the phrase ‘il a hurlé de bon matin’. This does not mean the neighbour yelled ‘good morning’, but rather the neighbour was yelling early in the morning.
In English you might say 'at the crack of dawn'.
Some other ways to say ‘early in the morning’ in French would be to say ‘très tôt le matin’ or ‘au petit matin’.
Use it like this
Il est venu à la maison de bon matin. - He came to the house at the crack of dawn.
Elle m'a dit que l'événement commencerait de bon matin. - She told me the event would start very early in the morning.
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