Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| bonnes vacances ! |
| passe de bonnes vacances ! |
This phrase is used to wish someone a good holiday. Depending on the level of formality and the person you are addressing, there are several ways to express this. You can use Profitez bien de vos vacances! for a standard 'Enjoy your holidays!' or the more formal Je vous souhaite d'excellentes vacances! to mean 'I wish you an excellent holiday!' in professional settings. For a more casual 'Have fun on holiday!' directed at one person, you can say Amuse-toi bien en vacances!
What does it mean word for word?
The exclamation bonnes vacances ! literally translates to 'good holidays!'
Which one should you use?
Bonnes vacances ! is a shorter and more common exclamation, whereas passe de bonnes vacances ! is a full sentence meaning 'spend/have a good holiday'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb-based forms, passe de bonnes vacances ! is used for speaking to one person informally. If you are speaking to multiple people or using the polite form, you should use passez de bonnes vacances !
What mistakes should you avoid?
When using this expression, remember that vacances is almost always used in its plural form. Do not treat it as a singular noun.
Did you know?
- The word vacances shares the same Latin root as the English word 'vacation' and 'vacant', both deriving from 'vacare', meaning 'to be empty'.
- In France, the 'grandes vacances' refers specifically to the long summer break for students, which is a cultural cornerstone of the French year.
- While vacances is always plural when referring to a holiday, the singular vacance exists to describe an unoccupied position or a 'vacancy' in a job.
Examples in context
- Profitez bien de vos vacances! Revenez-nous en forme!Enjoy your holidays! Come back refreshed!
- Amuse-toi bien en vacances! J'espère que tu passeras de bons moments sous le soleil!Have fun on holiday! I hope you have great moments under the sun!
- Je vous souhaite de bonnes vacances !I wish you a good holiday!
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are saying goodbye at the office before summer break.
- EmmaAu revoir Hugo, bonnes vacances !Goodbye Hugo, enjoy your holiday!
- HugoMerci Emma, à bientôt !Thanks Emma, see you soon!
- EmmaÀ l'année prochaine !See you next year!
- HugoSalut !Bye!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “enjoy your holiday” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
