Bonne fête des pères
To say "happy father's day" in French, use Bonne fête des pères.
Bonne fête des pères is the greeting used to wish a father a happy Father's Day. In French, the word fête is used to refer to name days or specific holidays like Father's Day, rather than journée.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Bonne fête des pères literally translates to "good feast of the fathers".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec, Canada, it is common to hear Bonne fête des Pères, papa! In France, you might hear Je te souhaite une bonne fête des Pères, papa! and in Switzerland, you may encounter Joyeuse Fête des Pères, papa adoré!
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using journée when translating this holiday. English speakers often mistakenly use journée instead of fête when translating this holiday.
When do people say it?
You can use Joyeuse fête des Pères! to mean "Joyful Father's Day!", or a more elaborate phrase like Papa, je te souhaite une excellente fête des Pères! to say "Dad, I wish you an excellent Father's Day!"
Did you know?
- In Québec, the phrase Bonne fête is used not only for Father's Day but also as the standard way to say 'Happy Birthday'.
- The word fête is used for 'name days', which are celebrations of the saint whose name a person carries, a custom separate from birthdays.
- The word fête descends from the Latin fēsta, which referred to celebrations or religious rites.
Examples in context
- Bonne fête des pères !Happy Father's Day!This example shows how to use the phrase Bonne fête des pères as a greeting.Tatoeba #1334839 by Scott, translation #3317420 by BoriQa
- Je te souhaite une bonne fête des pères.I wish you a happy Father's Day.
Example conversation
Emma is giving a small gift to her father, Hugo, on Father's Day.
- EmmaBonne fête des pères, papa !Happy Father's Day, Dad!
- HugoMerci beaucoup, Emma !Thank you very much, Emma!
- EmmaC'est pour toi.This is for you.
- HugoC'est très gentil de ta part.That is very kind of you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries des, fête, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
