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 |
These phrases are used to acknowledge someone who has just sneezed. While the literal meaning relates to 'wishes', the functional use is the equivalent of saying 'bless you' in English.
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 is used when addressing a stranger, a superior or a group of people. In contrast, à tes souhaits is used when speaking to a friend, a child or someone you know well.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
À vos souhaits is the formal or plural form. À tes souhaits is the informal singular form. If you wish to say 'May God bless you' in a formal manner, you would use Que Dieu vous bénisse.
How do you pronounce it?
/a vo swɛ/
When do people say it?
When someone says one of these phrases to you, it is customary to respond with merci or merci beaucoup. A more traditional and elaborate response to a sneeze is à vos amours, et qu'elles durent toujours, which means 'to your loves and may they last forever', although this is much less common in modern daily speech than the shorter versions.
Did you know?
- In a traditional French sneeze ritual, the exchange doesn't stop at 'thank you'. It can evolve into a rhythmic three-part conversation where the first person says à vos souhaits, the sneezer says merci, and the first person returns with à vos amours.
- While English 'bless you' often has religious roots, the common French version à vos souhaits is secular, focusing on 'wishes' rather than divine intervention.
- If you use Que Dieu vous bénisse after a sneeze, a French speaker will likely perceive it as a literal prayer or a deeply religious statement rather than a casual social politeness.
Examples in context
- À tes souhaits !Bless you!This example shows the informal way to say 'Bless you!'Tatoeba #928547 by U2FS, translation #434328 by lukaszpp
- À vos souhaits !Bless you.This example shows the formal way to say 'Bless you.'.Tatoeba #557819 by Pincenoire, translation #2111946 by CK
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé sneezes during a formal meeting with Nathan.
- Chloé*Atchoum !**Achoo!*
- NathanÀ vos souhaits, Chloé.Bless you, Chloé.
- ChloéMerci beaucoup, Nathan.Thank you very much, Nathan.
- NathanJe vous en prie.You are 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.
