Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| anniversaire | /a.ni.vɛʁ.sɛʁ/ | masculine |
| fête | /fɛt/ (France) /fɛːt/ |
Canada, feminine |
The term anniversaire is used to mean birthday. The most common way to wish someone a happy birthday is to say Bon anniversaire ! You can also say Je te souhaite un bon anniversaire to say "I wish you a happy birthday" or Passe un bon anniversaire to say "Have a good birthday". Additionally, the phrase Que cette journée soit remplie de bonheur can be used to say "May this day be filled with happiness".
Which one should you use?
While anniversaire is the standard term for a birthday, it is also the general word for any anniversary, such as a wedding anniversary. In contrast, fête is used for birthdays in specific regions.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec and other parts of Canada, fête is commonly used to mean birthday. In France, however, fête usually refers to a name day or a festival.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because anniversaire is a masculine noun, you must use the masculine possessive adjective mon (my) rather than the feminine ma.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.ni.vɛʁ.sɛʁ/
Did you know?
- In some French traditions, a 'name day' (the fête of a saint) was historically considered more important to celebrate than the actual date of birth.
- The word anniversaire stems from the Latin roots meaning 'to turn' and 'year', literally describing the earth's yearly revolution around the sun.
- The word fête is a cognate of the English word 'feast', though its meaning in French has expanded to include birthdays in certain regions.
Examples in context
- Bon anniversaire, Tom !Happy birthday, Tom!This sentence is useful for saying Happy birthday to Tom using anniversaire.Tatoeba #8648902 by Micsmithel, translation #2337263 by Hybrid
- C'est mon anniversaire !It's my birthday!This sentence is useful for stating it is my birthday using anniversaire.Tatoeba #8640068 by Julien_PDC, translation #8912385 by DemonicSatori
- Bon anniversaire, Shishir !Happy birthday, Shishir!This sentence is useful for saying Happy birthday to Shishir using anniversaire.Tatoeba #1111516 by sacredceltic, translation #1110954 by Ricardo14
- 454 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are talking about their upcoming plans.
- LéaC'est quand ton anniversaire, Nathan ?When is your birthday, Nathan?
- NathanMon anniversaire est samedi prochain.My birthday is next Saturday.
- LéaOn va fêter ton anniversaire ensemble ?Are we going to celebrate your birthday together?
- NathanOui, avec plaisir !Yes, with pleasure!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “birthday” translations and entries anniversaire, fête, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anniversaire, fête, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
