Fête Nationale
Bastille Day is called Fête Nationale in French.
While English speakers often use the name 'Bastille Day', the official and most common way to refer to the holiday in France is Fête Nationale. In everyday conversation, French people often refer to the holiday simply by its date, le 14 juillet.
Meaning: French national holiday (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The term Fête Nationale literally translates to 'National Feast' or 'National Festival'.
Which one should you use?
Fête Nationale is the most common way to refer to the holiday in France. For more formal contexts, you may use the full phrase La Fête Nationale (The National Celebration) or the formal expression Le 14 Juillet (the 14th of July).
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun Fête is feminine, so it is used with the feminine article la in the phrase la Fête Nationale.
Did you know?
- While the English name refers to the storming of the Bastille prison, the Fête Nationale actually commemorates the Fête de la Fédération, a celebration of national unity that occurred a year after the prison fell.
- In many French towns and villages, the Fête Nationale is celebrated with a bal des pompiers, a traditional dance hosted by the local firefighters.
- During the Fête Nationale, the French military conducts the oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe along the Champs-Élysées.
Examples in context
- On célèbre la Fête Nationale en juillet.We celebrate the Fête Nationale in July.
- Quels sont les événements pour la Fête Nationale ?What are the events for the Fête Nationale?
- J'adore les feux d'artifice de la Fête Nationale.I love the fireworks of the Fête Nationale.
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are discussing their plans for the upcoming holiday.
- NathanTu as prévu quelque chose pour la Fête Nationale ?Do you have plans for the Fête Nationale?
- ManonOui, je vais voir le défilé.Yes, I am going to see the parade.
- NathanC'est une excellente idée pour cette journée.That is an excellent idea for this day.
- ManonOn peut y aller ensemble si tu veux.We can go together if you want.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bastille day” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
