joyeux anniversaire, mon amour
The English phrase "happy anniversary, my love" is translated into French as joyeux anniversaire, mon amour.
This phrase is a romantic greeting used to celebrate the anniversary of a relationship or a marriage.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of joyeux (joyful), anniversaire (anniversary/birthday) and mon amour (my love).
Which one should you use?
You can also say bon anniversaire, mon amour as a common and equally correct alternative to the default form.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, one might say Bonne fête de mariage, mon amour! to specifically mean "Happy wedding anniversary, my love!"
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the term of endearment mon amour, the possessive adjective mon remains masculine even if the person being addressed is female, because amour is a masculine noun.
Did you know?
- While mon amour is a classic romantic term, French has many animal-based terms of endearment like mon petit chou (my little cabbage) or ma puce (my flea) that are equally common.
- The word anniversaire contains a hidden logic of movement. It derives from the Latin 'vertō', meaning 'to turn' or 'to revolve', suggesting that an anniversary is a point where the year turns back around.
Examples in context
- Joyeux anniversaire, mon amour.Happy anniversary, my love.
- Je t'aime, joyeux anniversaire, mon amour.I love you, happy anniversary, my love.
- Merci pour tout, joyeux anniversaire, mon amour.Thank you for everything, happy anniversary, my love.
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are having a romantic dinner.
- EmmaJoyeux anniversaire, mon amour !Happy anniversary, my love!
- LucasMerci beaucoup, mon cœur.Thank you very much, my heart.
- EmmaJ'aime être avec toi aujourd'hui.I love being with you today.
- LucasMoi aussi, je t'aime.Me too, I love you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amour, anniversaire, joyeux, mon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
