How Do You Say Happy Birthday in French? Pronunciation, Vocab & More

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Your guide to saying "Happy birthday" like a native French-speaker
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Do you have a French friend or relative whose birthday is coming up? Why not surprise them with a birthday greeting in French? Learning to speak the entire language takes time—but a simple celebratory phrase like “Joyeux anniversaire” or “Bonne fête” is easy to learn! In this article, we’ll teach you several different ways of saying “Happy Birthday” in French, including standard expressions, less common variations, and the lyrics for a “Happy Birthday” song.

Saying “Happy Birthday” in French: Common Phrases

“Joyeux anniversaire” and “Bon anniversaire” both mean “Happy birthday” in French. You can use either one, although “Bon anniversaire” is modern and “Joyeux anniversaire” is more traditional. In French-speaking Canada, “Bonne fête” means “Happy birthday.”

Section 1 of 5:

Standard French Birthday Wishes

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  1. This translates directly to “Happy birthday!” in French. It’s the first of two standard “happy birthday” greetings used commonly in France. While you can also use this saying in Quebec and other French-speaking parts of Canada, note that it’s not the most common way to offer birthday wishes there. [1]
    • Pronunciation : Zhwa-yeu zah-ni-vehr-sehr
    • Joyeux means "happy," "joyful," or "gleeful."
    • Anniversaire can mean "birthday" or "anniversary," but when said alone, it most commonly refers to one's birthday. To refer to a wedding anniversary, you would say "anniversaire de mariage."
  2. This is the second of two standard “happy birthday” greetings used in France. Bon means "good" or "well" in French. As such, this phrase translates more directly to "Have a good birthday" rather than "Happy birthday." [2]
    • Pronunciation : Buhn ah-ni-vehr-sehr
    • “Bon anniversaire” uses the male version of “good” (“bon”) because it’s followed by a vowel (“ a nniversaire”), but it’s actually pronounced as bonne. So while “happy birthday” in French is pronounced like “bonne anniversaire,” it’s spelled as “bon anniversaire.”
    • As with Joyeux anniversaire, Bon anniversaire can be used in French-speaking parts of Canada, but it’s not the most common birthday greeting there.
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  3. This is the most casual and commonly used way to say “Happy birthday” in French-speaking portions of Canada, like Quebec. Unlike the previous two expressions, "Bonne fête" can’t be used in France. There, "Bonne fête" is usually used to wish someone a good "name day,” which refers to the feast day of the saint they’re named after. [3]
    • Pronunciation : Buhn feht
    • Bonne is the feminine form of the word "bon", meaning "good" or "well."
    • Fête means "celebration."
    • Translated directly, "Bonne fête" means "Good party."
    Learn regional birthday wishes for French-speaking areas. "I wanted to wish a Canadian friend happy birthday, but I had only learned French greetings used in France. Reading this helped me understand the subtle regional differences in birthday sayings. Now I know what's most common in different areas." - Leon R.
    Use French birthday phrases for language practice. "I'm teaching myself French, so having various birthday greetings to try out allows me to gain practical experience. Using them to wish my Francophone coworker a happy birthday let me apply what I've learned." - Christophe-Aaron H.
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  4. This means “Happy belated birthday!” Use it if you forgot to wish someone a happy birthday on their actual birthday, or missed their birthday for some other reason. “Joyeux anniversaire” is the standard phrase, and “en retard” at the end simply means belated or late in French. [4]
    • Pronunciation : Zhwa-yeu zah-ni-vehr-sehr ehn ruh-tarh
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Section 2 of 5:

Less Common French Birthday Expressions

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  1. In English, this means, “Have a wonderful day!” Passez is a conjugated form of the French verb "passer," meaning "pass" or "spend." Merveilleuse translates into "wonderful," and une journée means "a day." Use this phrase to wish someone a happy, satisfying special day. [5]
    • Pronunciation : Pah-say oon mehr-vay-euze zhour-nay
    • Alternatively, you could use “Passez un bon anniversaire!” to say “Have a good birthday!” instead.
  2. This means “Best wishes!” Use this phrase to warmly wish someone well on their birthday. While it isn’t an especially common birthday greeting in France, it’s still acceptable to use. Meilleurs translates into "best," and vœux translates into "wishes" or "greetings." [6]
    • Pronunciation : May-yeur veu
  3. This translates directly to “Congratulations!” in English. Use the greeting to congratulate someone on celebrating their birthday. While this isn’t an especially common way to wish someone a happy birthday, it’s slightly more common to say “Congratulations” in France than in the United States. [7]
    • Pronunciation : Feh-lee-see-tah-see-ohn
  4. This translates to “Thanks for being born!” It’s a silly, friendly way to let someone close to you know how much you appreciate them on their birthday. “Né” is the masculine form of the word (for men), while “Née” is the feminine form (for women). [8]
    • Pronunciation : Mehr-see det-ruh ney
    • “Merci” means “thank you,” while “d'être” means “reason for being” and “né” means “born.”
  5. This means “Happy birthday, my love.” You can be more specific with your “Happy birthday” wishes if you’re talking to someone special! Whether it’s a partner, parent, sibling, friend, or other family member, add a reference to them after the initial “Happy birthday” statement. [9]
    • Pronunciation : Zhwa-yeu zah-ni-vehr-sehr, mohn ah-moor
    • Terms for friends and family include:
      • Mon frère = My brother
      • Ma sœur = My sister
      • Maman = Mother
      • Papa = Father
      • Mémé = Grandma
      • Pépé = Grandpa
      • Mon ami(e) = My friend
      • Mon beau/Ma belle = My beautiful
      • Ma chérie / Mon chéri = My dear
      • Mon cœur = My heart
  6. This means “How old are you?” in French—but it translates more directly to, “How many years do you have?” since “as” (or “avez” in the formal version of the phrase) is a form of the verb “avoir,” which means “to have.” Use the question to ask someone how old they are on their birthday. [10]
    • Pronunciation : Kel ahj ah-too
    • “Quel âge avez-vous?” is the more formal version of this phrase, although it means the same thing.
    • Quel means "what" or "which,” and "âge" means "age" in English.
    • Just remember to use this with people you know well, and have already wished a happy birthday. It’s not considered outright rude in France—but, after all, you wouldn’t ask a stranger how old they are in English.
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Section 3 of 5:

Longer French Birthday Wishes

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  1. This translates to "Wishing you every happiness on your special day," or "I wish you lots of happiness on this special day." It’s another way to kindly wish someone a happy birthday without using the same phrase every time. [11]
    • Pronunciation : Zhe voo zou-hette plehn duh buhn-ehr ehn set zhour-nay speh-cee-ahl
    • Je means "I" and vous is a direct object pronoun used to refer to "you." Souhaite means "wish," plein means "full," de means "of," and bonheur" means "happiness."
    • En means "on," cette means "this," journée means "day," and spéciale means "special."
    • There are plenty of similar variations as well, such as:
      • Je te souhaite un super anniversaire! (I wish you a great birthday!)
      • Je te souhaite un très joyeux anniversaire! (Wishing you a very happy birthday!)
      • Joyeux anniversaire, passe une belle journée! (Happy birthday, have a good one!)
  2. This roughly translates to "May you be happy for many more years," or "Many happy returns." You’re essentially wishing someone many more happy birthdays in the future! If the person you’re talking to is female, use “heureuse” instead of “heureux.” [12]
    • Pronunciation : Keh voo pwee-see-eh zetrah uhr-eu ehn-cor dey nohm-brhus ah-nay
    • Que here means "may," vous means "you," puissiez means "(to) be able," être means "(to) be," and heureux (-se) means "happy."
    • Encore means "still" or "yet" and expresses the "still to come" part of this sentiment. Nombreuses means "many" and années means "years."
    • Similar variant phrases include:
      • Que cette nouvelle année t’apporte plein de bonheur! (May this new year bring you lots of happiness!)
      • Je te souhaite pour l’année à venir du bonheur et de l’amour! (I wish you happiness and love for the coming year!)
  3. This sentiment means "May all your wishes (or dreams) come true." Since it’s common to make wishes when blowing out the candles on a birthday cake, it’s a sweet and fitting thing to say to someone on their birthday! [13]
    • Pronunciation : Keh too voh deeh-zir suh ray-al-eez
    • Tous means "all" and vos means "your."
    • Désirs can mean "desires," "dreams," or "wishes."
    • Se réalisent means "to be brought about."
    • Similar variant phrases include:
      • J'espère que tous tes vœux d'anniversaire se réaliseront! (Hope all your birthday wishes come true!)
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Section 4 of 5:

Other French Birthday Vocabulary

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  1. If you’re at a birthday party (or discussing plans) and want to show off a little extra French, why not use a few of the words most often associated with birthdays? A few common things you’ll likely find (or hear) at a birthday celebration include: [14]
    • Une fête d’anniversaire = A birthday party
    • Un cadeau d’anniversaire = A birthday gift
    • Un gâteau d’anniversaire = A birthday cake
    • Une carte d’anniversaire = A birthday card
    • Des bougies = Candles
    • Fais un voeu = Make a wish
    • C’est quand, ton anniversaire? = When is your birthday?
    • Tu fais quoi pour ton anniversaire? = What are you doing for your birthday?
    • Qu’est-ce que tu as eu pour ton anniversaire? = What did you get for your birthday?
Section 5 of 5:

How to Sing “Happy Birthday” in French

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  1. In fact, it’s likely the most commonly used French version of the Happy Birthday song. It’s also relatively easy to learn, since it’s so similar to the classic English Happy Birthday song, using the same tune and basic structure. The lyrics are: [15]
    • Joyeux anniversaire
      Joyeux anniversaire
      Joyeux anniversaire (name of the birthday person)
      Joyeux anniversaire
  2. Like the previous song, it still uses the same tune and structure of the English Birthday song. However, its lyrics are more intricate and varied than a simple, repeating “Happy birthday,” and it has two verses instead of one. The lyrics are: [16]
    • Joyeux anniversaire (Joyful birthday)
      Heureux anniversaire (Happy birthday)
      Tous nos vœux sont sincères (All of our most sincere wishes)
      Pour ton anniversaire (For your birthday)
      Tes amis aujourd’hui (Your friends today)
      Se sont tous réunis (Are all gathered)
      Ton bonheur on l’espère (We wish for happiness)
      Pour ton anniversaire (For your birthday)
  3. Alternatively, if you’re in French-speaking Canada (or singing to someone from that region), there’s a Quebecois version of the Birthday song. Like the others, it uses the same tune and structure of the English Birthday song. Its lyrics are: [17]
    • Bonne fête à toi
      Bonne fête à toi
      Bonne fête à (name of the birthday person)
      Bonne fête à toi
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Birthday Phrases Cheat Sheets

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  • Question
    What is the meaning of "Joyeux Noel"?
    Dodo47
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    It means Merry Christmas!
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    How does one say, "Have A Beautiful And Blessed Day?"
    Community Answer
    We don't have any special translation because we rarely say that in France, but you could say "soyez béni en cette belle journée," literally meaning, "be blessed in this beautiful day."
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  • Question
    How do you sing happy birthday in French?
    Community Answer
    In Canadian French, it is: Bonne fête à toi (x2), Bonne fête (insert name here), Bonne fête à toi. In France French, it is: Joyeux anniversaire (x4). It is optional to add the celebrant's name after the third repetition.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.lawlessfrench.com/expressions/joyeux-anniversaire/
      2. ↑ https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/french-english/bon-anniversaire_1
      3. ↑ https://langster.org/en/blog/how-to-say-happy-birthday-in-french
      4. ↑ https://langster.org/en/blog/how-to-say-happy-birthday-in-french
      5. ↑ https://langster.org/en/blog/have-a-good-day-in-french/
      6. ↑ https://langster.org/en/blog/how-to-say-happy-birthday-in-french
      7. ↑ https://langster.org/en/blog/how-to-say-happy-birthday-in-french
      8. ↑ https://frenchtogether.com/thank-you-in-french/
      9. ↑ https://langster.org/en/blog/48-words-of-endearment-in-french
      1. ↑ https://www.lawlessfrench.com/vocabulary/ages-birthdays-anniversaries/
      2. ↑ https://en.bab.la/phrases/personal/best-wishes/english-french
      3. ↑ https://the6track.com/birthday/happy-birthday-wishes-french-bon-anniversaire/
      4. ↑ https://the6track.com/birthday/happy-birthday-wishes-french-bon-anniversaire/
      5. ↑ https://langster.org/en/blog/how-to-say-happy-birthday-in-french
      6. ↑ https://www.fluentu.com/blog/french/happy-birthday-song-in-french/
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/ZJTC9LuQQwY
      8. ↑ https://www.fluentu.com/blog/french/happy-birthday-song-in-french/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      The easiest way to say “Happy Birthday” in French is to say “Joyeux Anniversaire” ((jhoy-OOS ah-knee-verh-SAIR). You could also say “Bon Anniversaire” (bon ah-nee-verh-SAIR), which translates to “Have a good birthday.” If you’re in French-speaking Canada, the most common birthday greeting is “Bonne Fête,” (bon fet), or “Have a good celebration.” If you want to ask someone how old they are, read on!

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