Updated December 22, 2025 — Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a voice artist from France.
Bon appétit meaning and pronunciation
Bon appétit is a common French expression that translates literally to “good appetite” and means “enjoy your meal.” It’s said just before someone starts eating, either to invite them to begin or to wish them enjoyment of their food. It’s also a widely used loanword in English, especially in restaurant and food contexts. You may also hear bonne dégustation, which sounds slightly more refined, or the shortened, informal bon ap’ in casual conversation.
The pronunciation of bon appétit is /bɔ̃‿na.pe.ti/ (IPA), roughly pronounced “bon ah-peh-TEE.”
Example sentences
Heureux de vous avoir à notre restaurant, bon appétit !
Happy to have you at our restaurant. Enjoy your meal!
Je suis certain que tu vas adorer ce repas ! Bon appétit !
I’m sure you’ll love this meal. Bon appetit!
Je suis ravi de vous présenter quelques specialités de la région. Bonne dégustation !
I’m delighted to show you some specialities from the region. Enjoy!
Bon ap, mes amis!
Dig in, my friends!
If you’ve found these sentences useful, you’ll definitely enjoy my lesson explaining how to order meals in restaurants.
👉 See also: How to order meals in French »
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🔗 Related words and expressions
- bonne dégustation — enjoy your tasting
- bon ap’ — informal short form of bon appétit
- se régaler — to really enjoy a meal
- avoir bon appétit — to have a good appetite
- commander un repas — to order a meal
- le serveur/la serveuse — waiter/waitress
- le repas — meal
- le dîner — dinner
- le déjeuner — lunch
📚 Related lessons on FrenchLearner!
👉 French food vocabulary »
👉 French restaurant phrases »
👉 Commander — to order (examples) »
👉 Commander — to order (conjugation chart) »
👉 Rassasié — Full, satisfied »
👉 Repas — meal »
👉 French table manners »
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