si Dieu veut
The English phrase "God willing" is translated into French as si Dieu veut. Wiktionary also lists Dieu voulant and s'il plaît à Dieu.
Meaning: God willing (intj)
Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| si Dieu veut |
| Dieu voulant |
| s'il plaît à Dieu |
| si Dieu le veut bien |
| Dieu veuille |
The phrase si Dieu veut is often used as an interjection or a parenthetical remark to express hope for a future event.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase si Dieu veut literally translates to "if God wants".
Which one should you use?
si Dieu le veut is a formal expression meaning God willing. The form s'il plaît à Dieu is a more formal or literary way to express 'God willing' compared to si Dieu veut.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase si Dieu veut, the verb veut is in the indicative mood, not the subjunctive, despite the use of si.
Did you know?
- In modern spoken French, people often use the Arabic loanword inchallah instead of si Dieu veut to express the same sentiment, regardless of their own religion.
- The word Dieu descends from the Latin Deus, which originally comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *deywós, meaning 'celestial' or 'shining'.
- In some French-speaking regions, particularly in North Africa, si Dieu veut is used not just for hope but as a polite way to avoid giving a firm 'yes' or 'no' to a request.
Examples in context
- Si Dieu veut !God willing!This sentence shows how to use si Dieu veut as an interjection.Tatoeba #10505423 by pkill, translation #3167764 by Theocracy
- Demain, si Dieu veut, nous serons avec tes parents.Tomorrow, God willing, we'll be with your parents.This sentence demonstrates how to use si Dieu veut as a parenthetical remark within a sentence.Tatoeba #1949187 by sacredceltic, translation #1949171 by erikspen
- Je serai là demain, si Dieu le veut.I will be there tomorrow, God willing.
- Je te retrouve demain pour le déjeuner, inch Allah.I will meet you for lunch tomorrow, God willing.
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are discussing their future plans.
- LucasJe pense que j'achèterai une maison l'année prochaine.I think I will buy a house next year.
- LéaC'est un beau projet, si Dieu veut.That is a beautiful project, God willing.
- LucasOui, j'espère que tout se passera bien.Yes, I hope everything goes well.
- LéaJe croise les doigts pour toi, Lucas.I am crossing my fingers for you, Lucas.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “God willing” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Dieu, bien, dieu, le, si, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
