à vos souhaits
/a vo swɛ/formal
The English phrase "bless you" is translated into French as à vos souhaits. Wiktionary also lists à tes souhaits and à vos amours.
Meaning: said to somebody who has sneezed (intj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| à vos souhaits | /a vo swɛ/ | formal |
| à tes souhaits | /a te swɛ/ | informal |
| à vos amours | /a vo.z‿a.muʁ/ | |
| à tes amours | /a te.z‿a.muʁ/ | |
| et qu'elles durent toujours |
This expression is said to someone who has just sneezed.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase à vos souhaits literally translates to "to your wishes".
Which one should you use?
à vos souhaits and à tes souhaits are used depending on your relationship with the person who sneezed. à vos souhaits is the formal version, while à tes souhaits is the informal version.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use à vos souhaits when speaking to a stranger, a superior or a group. Use à tes souhaits when speaking to a friend or a family member.
How do you pronounce it?
/a vo swɛ/
When do people say it?
There is a traditional, somewhat old-fashioned extended version of this phrase: À vos souhaits, à vos amours, et qu'elles durent toujours, which means "Bless you, to your loves and may they last forever".
Did you know?
- In France, if someone sneezes multiple times, the responses often cycle through à vos souhaits, à vos amours and et qu'elles durent toujours for each successive sneeze.
- The phrase à vos amours reflects an old tradition where a sneeze was seen as an omen of romantic luck or a sign that someone was thinking of you.
- While English speakers say 'bless you' to invoke divine protection, the French version, à vos souhaits, shifts the focus from God to the person's own 'wishes'.
Examples in context
- À tes souhaits !Bless you!This sentence shows how to say "bless you" using the informal form à tes souhaits.Tatoeba #928547 by U2FS, translation #434328 by lukaszpp
- À vos souhaits !Bless you.This sentence shows how to say "bless you" using the formal form à vos souhaits.Tatoeba #557819 by Pincenoire, translation #2111946 by CK
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are in a professional office meeting.
- GabrielAtchoum !Achoo!
- EmmaÀ vos souhaits, Gabriel.Bless you, Gabriel.
- GabrielMerci beaucoup, Emma.Thank you very much, Emma.
- EmmaJe vous en prie.You're welcome.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bless you” translations and entries à vos souhaits, à tes souhaits, à vos amours, à tes amours, et qu'elles durent toujours, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
