How to Say "Bless" in French - How To Say Guide

bénir

/be.niʁ/

To bless in French is bénir.

The verb bénir is used to mean the act of conferring a blessing on someone or something.

Meaning: confer blessing on (verb)

How does it change in a sentence?

The past participle of bénir is bénit when it is functioning as an adjective, but it becomes béni in many other grammatical contexts.

The word is pronounced /be.niʁ/ and has two syllables.

While bénir means to bless, the French expression bénir le ciel is used to express intense relief or gratitude, similar to the English 'thank goodness'.
In some traditional French rural contexts, farmers would bénir their fields or livestock to ensure a good harvest, a custom that blends Catholic faith with older agrarian traditions.
The word bénir is a distant relative of the English word 'benediction'. Both share a root that describes the act of speaking well of someone.

Que Dieu continue de bénir les États-Unis d'Amérique.
May God continue to bless the United States of America.
Tatoeba #5762321 by Thomz, translation #5761694 by Hybrid
Je la bénirai, en te donnant, par elle aussi, un fils, je la bénirai, en ce qu’elle produira des nations et que des chefs de peuples naîtront d’elle.
And I will bless her, and of her I will give thee a son, whom I will bless, and he shall become nations, and kings of people shall spring from him.
Tatoeba #8589785 by Micsmithel, translation #7853975 by carlosalberto
Et maintenant, mon fils, sois docile à ma voix, sur ce que je vais t’ordonner : va au menu bétail et prends moi deux beaux chevreaux et j’en ferai pour ton père un ragoût tel qu’il l’aime. Tu le présenteras à ton père et il mangera, de sorte qu’il te bénira avant de mourir.
Now therefore, my son, follow my counsel: And go thy way to the flock, bring me two kids of the best, that I may make of them meat for thy father, such as he gladly eateth. Which when thou hast brought in, and he hath eaten, he may bless thee before he die.
Tatoeba #8589655 by Micsmithel, translation #7867934 by carlosalberto
Lors de votre mariage, que Dieu vous bénisse et vous comble de bonheur.
On your wedding day, may God bless you and fill your lives with happiness.
Ma nouvelle voiture, bénie soit-elle, me comble de joie.
My new car, bless her, brings me so much joy.
2 more sentences on Tatoeba

Lucas and Léa are praying together before a meal.

Sources

Wiktionary, “bless” translations and entries bénir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries bénir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏