Good Day: Why Can't You Talk Like That

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

"Good day": why you can't say that

I think many have read or even heard "Good day" as a greeting. Some have sinned themselves, according to linguists, using this expression. Why linguists are advised to forget such greeting words, let's try to figure it out.

What caused the dislike of linguists for the expression "Good day"

It is customary to start personal or business correspondence with a greeting, but it is not always possible to know at what time the addressee will read the letter. So people try to write something neutral like "Good day." About 20 years ago, this option sounded fresh and original, but now it has become a hackneyed cliche. For some people, this greeting causes strong rejection. According to the norms of the Russian language, speech etiquette still recommends "Good morning", "Good afternoon", "Good evening" or the universal "Hello". Even if a person lives in a different time zone or does not immediately read the letter for some reason, such a greeting will be correct. This is especially true for business correspondence.

Not only linguists, but also many other people consider the greeting "Good time of the day" unsuitable, especially when meeting in person, and not in correspondence

Although writing "Good day" is not prohibited by the rules of the Russian language, linguists do not recommend using this expression. In his own book "The Russian Language on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" Maxim Krongauz explains this unspoken prohibition by an incorrect case. If we take the nominative case - good time of the day, then it is better to replace the phrase with the clarification day, morning, etc. The genitive case is traditionally associated with a wish at parting, therefore it is inappropriate in a greeting message.

Video: etiquette and speech culture specialist Anna Wall on the phrase "Good day"

I used to think it original to say hello to friends in this way. Having received several messages in a row with exactly the same welcome text, I again returned to what some people think, "Hello", which is banal. Even if not so original, but less annoying.

The rules of the Russian language do not prohibit the use of the expression "Good day", but it is better to use other greeting words. If in friendly correspondence it may be appropriate, then in business communication it should be avoided.