félicité
/fe.li.si.te/feminine
Bliss in French is translated as félicité. Wiktionary also lists béatitude.
Meaning: perfect happiness (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| félicité | /fe.li.si.te/ | feminine |
| béatitude | /be.a.ti.tyd/ | feminine |
Both béatitude and félicité are feminine nouns used to express a state of perfect happiness.
Which one should you use?
Félicité is a more general term for profound bliss, whereas béatitude often carries a stronger connotation of spiritual or religious ecstasy. For standard, everyday happiness, you should use the common word bonheur instead of these terms.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Félicité is a high-register, literary term. It is rarely used in everyday spoken French to describe simple happiness.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun félicité is feminine. When used in a general or abstract sense, it is typically preceded by the definite article la (e.g., la félicité).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables and is pronounced /fe.li.si.te/.
Did you know?
- While félicité describes a state of bliss, the related verb féliciter means 'to congratulate'. A French speaker might 'féliciter' someone on their wedding without implying the couple has reached a state of félicité.
- The Latin ancestor of félicité originally referred to the concept of 'luck', showing that profound bliss was once viewed as a fortunate stroke of fate.
- In Catholic theology, béatitude refers specifically to the 'Beatitudes', the eight blessings preached by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
Examples in context
- L'ignorance, c'est la félicité.Ignorance is bliss.This sentence shows how to express the idea that ignorance is bliss using félicité.Tatoeba #452183 by sacredceltic, translation #276998 by Zifre
- Son malheur changea en félicité dès lors qu'elle entendit sa voix.Her unhappiness turned to bliss when she heard his voice.This sentence illustrates a transition from unhappiness to félicité.Tatoeba #458734 by sacredceltic, translation #309686 by Dejo
- Quel bonheur que d'être aimé ! Et d'aimer, Ô Dieux, quelle félicité !What bliss to be loved! And to love, ye Gods, what bliss!This sentence uses félicité to express a profound, poetic sense of bliss.Tatoeba #2221273 by sacredceltic, translation #2221194 by Dejo
- Lorsque j'ai obtenu mon diplôme, j'ai ressenti une joie parfaite.When I graduated, I felt perfect joy.
- Elle a vécu le bonheur suprême lorsqu'elle a épousé l'amour de sa vie.She experienced supreme bliss when she married the love of her life.
- Le concert de ce soir m'a transporté dans une véritable extase.Tonight's concert took me into a true state of ecstasy.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are discussing their dream retirement.
- ChloéImagine vivre seul face à la mer, quelle félicité !Imagine living alone facing the sea, what bliss!
- NathanCe serait un rêve devenu réalité, Chloé.That would be a dream come true, Chloé.
- ChloéOn oublierait tout le stress du travail.We would forget all the stress of work.
- NathanOui, ce serait la félicité absolue.Yes, that would be absolute bliss.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bliss” translations and entries félicité, béatitude, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries béatitude, félicité, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
