à vos souhaits
/a vo swɛ/
The English phrase 'God bless you' can be translated into French as à vos souhaits when responding to a sneeze. Wiktionary also lists à tes souhaits.
Meaning: said to somebody who has sneezed (intj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| à vos souhaits | /a vo swɛ/ |
| à tes souhaits | /a te swɛ/ |
In French, when someone sneezes, the phrase is secular and does not mention God, unlike the English version. Instead, you say à vos souhaits, which means 'to your wishes'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase à vos souhaits literally translates to 'to your wishes'.
Which one should you use?
You may use à tes souhaits when speaking to a friend, a child or someone you know well.
How do you pronounce it?
/a vo swɛ/
Did you know?
- In some very traditional circles, there is a hierarchy of responses: one says à vos souhaits for the first sneeze, à vos enfants for the second, and à vos grands-parents for the third.
- In some regions, people use santé as a shorthand for à vos souhaits. While this also means 'health', it is the same word used when clinking glasses for a toast.
- While 'god bless you' is an imperative command in English, à vos souhaits is a prepositional phrase acting as a toast or a dedication of wishes.
Examples in context
- Que Dieu te bénisse, mon amiMay God bless you, my friend
- Que Dieu vous bénisse, cher Monsieur/MadameMay God bless you, dear Sir/Madam
- À vos souhaits !Bless you!
- Il a éternué, alors je lui ai dit : « À vos souhaits. »He sneezed, so I said to him: "Bless you."
- Dites « à vos souhaits » quand quelqu'un éternue.Say "bless you" when someone sneezes.
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are talking in the office.
- ManonAtchoum !Achoo!
- HugoÀ vos souhaits, Manon.Bless you, Manon.
- ManonMerci, Hugo.Thank you, Hugo.
- HugoJe t'en prie.You're welcome.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “God bless you” translations and entries à vos souhaits, à tes souhaits, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
