buona

Buona is the feminine singular form of the Italian adjective buono, meaning good. It agrees with feminine singular nouns and is used before them: una buona idea, una buona persona, una buona notizia. The masculine singular form is buono; plural forms are buoni (masc) and buone (fem).

Before certain masculine nouns, Italian frequently uses the elided form buon, producing compounds such as buongiorno (good day/good morning), buon pomeriggio, and buonasera. In modern writing these are almost always single words: buongiorno, buonasera, buonanotte.

Buona also appears in common phrases expressing well-wishing, such as buona giornata, buona fortuna, buona notte. The word derives from Latin bonus and has cognates in other Romance languages, including Spanish buena, French bonne and Portuguese boa.

Usage notes: While buona primarily modifies feminine nouns, it can function as a general intensifier in phrases like buona notizia (good news). The form is essential for agreement, and incorrect gender/number agreement is considered a slip in standard Italian.

See also: Buono, Buoni, Buone; Italian grammar; Romance languages.