que Dieu vous bénisse
The English phrase 'God bless' is expressed in French as que Dieu vous bénisse.
This phrase is used to express a wish for divine favor or protection upon someone.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'may God bless you', where que functions as a particle to express a wish or desire.
Which one should you use?
While que Dieu vous bénisse is used for multiple people or formal situations, que Dieu te bénisse is used when speaking to a single person you know well or are addressing informally.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb bénisse is in the subjunctive mood, which is required in French to express a wish or a prayer.
Did you know?
- While que Dieu vous bénisse is used for divine favor, the common response to a sneeze in France is à tes souhaits or à vos souhaits, which means 'to your wishes'.
- In French culture, using que Dieu vous bénisse can feel significantly more religious or solemn than the English 'god bless', which is often used as a casual social convention.
- The word Dieu is a distant relative of the English word 'day', as both descend from a Proto-Indo-European root referring to the shining sky.
Examples in context
- Que Dieu vous bénisse !God bless you!This is useful for expressing 'God bless you!' using que Dieu vous bénisse.Tatoeba #3382349 by sacredceltic, translation #269618 by CM
- Que Dieu vous bénisse tous.God bless all of you.This shows how to say 'God bless all of you' using que Dieu vous bénisse.Tatoeba #6058861 by Tsar_Lyagushka, translation #5753453 by CM
- Chère Madame Dupont, je vous souhaite une journée merveilleuse. Que Dieu vous bénisse et vous protège.Dear Mrs. Dupont, I wish you a wonderful day. May God bless you and protect you.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan is saying goodbye to Emma after she helped him.
- NathanMerci beaucoup pour votre aide, Emma.Thank you very much for your help, Emma.
- EmmaJe vous en prie, Nathan.You are welcome, Nathan.
- NathanQue Dieu vous bénisse !God bless you!
- EmmaMerci, bonne journée !Thank you, have a nice day!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
