Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| à tes souhaits | /a te swɛ/ | informal |
| à vos souhaits | /a vo swɛ/ | formal |
| 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 specifically in response to a sneeze. They are not used as a general blessing or to express gratitude.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase à tes souhaits literally translates to "to your wishes".
Which one should you use?
Use à tes souhaits for informal situations and à vos souhaits for formal situations or groups.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
À tes souhaits is the informal version, suitable for friends, family or children. For formal situations, use à vos souhaits or you can use À vos souhaits, madame / monsieur. In formal and religious contexts, one might use Que Dieu vous bénisse, which means "may God bless you".
How do you pronounce it?
/a te swɛ/
When do people say it?
A traditional and more old-fashioned, poetic way to respond to a sneeze is to say À tes amours, et qu'elles durent toujours, which means "Bless your loves and may they last forever".
Did you know?
- In a series of sneezes, a French speaker might say à tes souhaits for the first, à tes amours for the second, and et qu'elles durent toujours for the third.
- Using the phrase à tes amours today is often seen as a playful or flirtatious gesture rather than a formal social requirement.
- While English speakers often say 'God bless you', the common French equivalent À vos souhaits has no religious connection at all and focuses on 'wishes' instead.
Examples in context
- À tes souhaits !Bless you!This demonstrates the use of the informal form à tes souhaits.Tatoeba #928547 by U2FS, translation #434328 by lukaszpp
- À vos souhaits !Bless you.This demonstrates the use of the formal form à vos souhaits.Tatoeba #557819 by Pincenoire, translation #2111946 by CK
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are sitting in a quiet library.
- Lucas*Atchoum !**Achoo!*
- LéaÀ tes souhaits, Lucas.Bless you, Lucas.
- LucasMerci, Léa.Thanks, Léa.
- LéaDe rien, ça va ?You're welcome, are you okay?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bless you” translations and entries à tes souhaits, à vos 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.
