à vos souhaits
/a vo swɛ/
The English phrase 'gesundheit' is translated into French as à vos souhaits.
À vos souhaits is the standard French equivalent of the English 'Bless you' or the German 'Gesundheit'. It is an expression used to wish someone good health after they have sneezed.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'to your wishes'.
Which one should you use?
À vos souhaits is the standard form, while à tes souhaits is the informal version. Use à tes souhaits when speaking to a friend, a family member or someone you address with 'tu'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the plural possessive adjective vos because souhaits (wishes) is a plural noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/a vo swɛ/
Did you know?
- If someone sneezes multiple times, the cycle of à vos souhaits and merci may repeat, but the phrases often change or stop after the third sneeze to avoid an endless loop.
- While À vos souhaits is the standard, some people simply say Santé! after a sneeze, which is the same word used for a toast like 'Cheers!'
- It is considered polite in French culture for the person who sneezed to respond to à vos souhaits by saying merci. In some English-speaking cultures, a response is not always expected.
Examples in context
- À vos souhaits !Bless you!
- Oh, à vos souhaits.Oh, bless you.
- Il a éternué, alors j'ai dit : « À vos souhaits ! »He sneezed, so I said, "Bless you!"
Example conversation
Lucas sneezes during a quiet meeting.
- ManonÀ vos souhaits, Lucas.Bless you, Lucas.
- LucasMerci, Manon.Thank you, Manon.
- ManonÇa va ? Tu es enrhumé ?Are you okay? Do you have a cold?
- LucasOui, juste un peu.Yes, just a little.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry à vos souhaits, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
