amusez-vous bien
The English phrase "enjoy yourselves" is translated into French as amusez-vous bien.
You use this phrase to tell a group of people to have a good time. It is a common thing to say when seeing a group off to a social event such as a party or a concert.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase amusez-vous bien literally translates to "amuse yourselves well", composed of the imperative verb amuser (to amuse), the reflexive pronoun vous (yourselves) and the adverb bien (well).
Which one should you use?
While amusez-vous bien is the standard way to say "enjoy yourselves", other options exist depending on the desired tone. Éclatez-vous! is like saying "Have a blast!", whereas Kiffez bien! is a colloquial way to express the same sentiment.
Did you know?
- The colloquialism Kiffez bien! comes from 'kiffer', a word borrowed from Arabic slang that has become a staple of modern French youth language.
- While amuser now means to entertain, in Old French it meant to deceive or trick someone into a false sense of security.
- The adverb bien in this phrase shares a common ancestor with the English word 'benefit', both stemming from the Latin 'bene' meaning 'well'.
Examples in context
- Amusez-vous bien !Enjoy yourselves.This example shows how to use the phrase amusez-vous bien.Tatoeba #583314 by sacredceltic, translation #3636128 by CK
- Amusez-vous bien à la fête!Enjoy yourselves at the party!
- Amusez-vous bien, mes amis!Enjoy yourselves, my friends!
- Profitez-en bien lors de la cérémonie de remise des diplômes!Enjoy yourselves at the graduation ceremony!
- Amusez-vous bien pendant vos vacances en France!Have fun during your vacation in France!
- Éclatez-vous à la soirée de ce soir!Have a blast at tonight's party!
- Passez un bon moment à l'anniversaire de Pierre!Have a good time at Pierre's birthday!
- Amusez-vous bien à la fête ce soir !Have a good time at the party tonight!
- Allez au cinéma et amusez-vous bien.Go to the cinema and enjoy yourselves.
Example conversation
Lucas is seeing Chloé and her friends off to a concert.
- LucasChloé, amusez-vous bien au concert !Chloé, enjoy yourselves at the concert!
- ChloéMerci, Lucas ! C'est très gentil.Thanks, Lucas! That is very kind.
- LucasOn se voit demain ?Shall we see each other tomorrow?
- ChloéOui, à demain !Yes, see you tomorrow!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
