Buzz
The most direct way to say "Happy Birthday" in French is "Joyeux anniversaire," but there are actually many other ways to express birthday wishes in French. Below are some different methods that might be very useful for you.
Steps
Popular Birthday Wishes
"Joyeux anniversaire!" This is the primary way to say "Happy Birthday" in France.
- Note: You can use this phrase in Quebec and other French-speaking regions of Canada, but it is not the most common way to wish someone a happy birthday there.
- This phrase directly translates to "Happy Birthday."
- Joyeux means "happy," "joyful," or "merry."
- Anniversaire means "birthday" or "anniversary," but when used alone, it typically refers to someone's birthday. To specify a wedding anniversary, you would say "anniversaire de mariage."
"Bon anniversaire!". This is the second way to say "Happy Birthday" in France.
- Similar to Joyeux anniversaire, Bon anniversaire can be used and understood in French-speaking regions of Canada, but it is also not the most common way to wish someone a happy birthday there.
- Bon generally means "good" or "well." Thus, this phrase directly translates to "have a good birthday" rather than "Happy Birthday."
The phrase "Bonne fête" can also be used in French-speaking regions of Canada. This is the simplest and most commonly used way to say "Happy Birthday" in French-speaking areas of Canada, such as Quebec.
- Unlike the phrases "Joyeux anniversaire" and "bon anniversaire," "bonne fête" cannot be used in both France and Canada. In France, "bonne fête" is typically used to wish someone a good "name day." Your name day refers to the feast day of the saint you are named after.
- Bonne is the feminine form of "bon," also meaning "good" or "well."
- Fête means "celebration."
- The entire phrase "bonne fête" translates to "have a good celebration."
Less Common Birthday Wishes
Use the phrase "Passez une journée Merveilleuse!". In English, this means “have a wonderful day.”
- Passez is a conjugated form of the French verb "passer," meaning "to spend" or "to pass."
- Merveilleuse translates to "wonderful."
- Une journée means "a day."
Tell someone "Meilleurs voeux". Use this phrase to express your wish for the best things to come to them on their birthday.
- Note that this is not a particularly common birthday wish, but it can still be used.
- Meilleurs translates to "best," and "voeux" means "wishes" or "greetings."
You can also use "félicitations" to congratulate someone on their birthday.
- This is not a particularly common birthday greeting, but it seems to be used more frequently in France compared to the United States.
- Félicitations directly translates to "congratulations" in English.
The question "quel âge avez-vous?" is used to ask someone's age.
- Only use this question if you know the person well and have already wished them a happy birthday. This question can easily come across as rude. In English, it's generally considered impolite to ask a stranger their age!
- Quel means "what" or "which."
- The French word "âge" translates to "age" in English.
Longer Birthday Wishes
The wish "Je vous souhaite plein de bonheur en cette journée Speciale". This phrase can be roughly translated to "Wishing you happiness on your special day" or "I wish you happiness on this special day.".
- Je means "I," and vous is the direct pronoun for "you."
- Souhaite means "wish," plein means "full," de means "of," and bonheur means "happiness."
- En means "on," cette means "this," journée means "day," and Speciale means "special."
"Que vous puissiez être heureux (or heureuse, if speaking to a woman) encore de nombreuses années!" This phrase is equivalent to "wishing you good health" or "long-lasting happiness." Essentially, you can use this wish to express your hope for the person to continue being happy for many years to come.
- Que here means "may," vous means "you," puissiez means "can," être means "be," and Heureux (-se) means "happy."
- Encore means "still" or "yet" and conveys the wish for happiness to last a long time.
- Nombreuses means "many," and années means "years."
The wish "Que tous vos désirs se réalisent" translates to "May all your dreams/wishes come true."
- Tous means "all," and vos means "your."
- Désirs refers to "desires," "dreams," or "wishes."
- Se réalisent means "come true" or "become reality."
