feu de joie
/fø də ʒwa/masculine
The English word 'bonfire' is translated into French as feu de joie.
feu de joie refers to a large, controlled outdoor fire lit to celebrate something or as a signal.
Meaning: large, controlled outdoor fire lit to celebrate something or as a signal (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'fire of joy'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun feu de joie is masculine. When referring to a single bonfire, it is preceded by the masculine indefinite article un, as in un feu de joie.
How do you pronounce it?
/fø də ʒwa/
Did you know?
- In French, the word feu can have two completely different origins. While it usually means 'fire', it can also refer to someone who has passed away, coming from the Latin fatum for 'destiny'.
- In French, the word feu is used for both a bonfire and a traffic light, such as feu rouge for a red light.
- The word feu in feu de joie comes from the Latin 'focus', meaning 'hearth', rather than 'ignis', which is the root of the English 'ignite'.
Examples in context
- Les gitans dansaient autour du feu de joie.The gypsies danced around the bonfire.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use feu de joie in a descriptive context.Tatoeba #12451158 by lbdx, translation #7954294 by adiante19
- Nous avons allumé un grand feu de joie.We lit a large bonfire.
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are planning a party for the solstice.
- HugoOn prépare un feu de joie pour ce soir ?Are we preparing a bonfire for tonight?
- EmmaOui, j'ai déjà ramassé du bois, Hugo.Yes, I already gathered some wood, Hugo.
- HugoC'est parfait pour fêter l'été ensemble.It's perfect for celebrating summer together.
- EmmaOn va bien s'amuser autour du feu.We are going to have a lot of fun around the fire.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bonfire” translations and entries feu de joie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, feu, feu de joie, joie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
