vie heureuse
The English phrase "happy life" is translated into French as vie heureuse.
vie heureuse describes a life characterized by happiness and contentment. While this phrase refers to a happy life, you might also encounter the expression Joie de vivre, which literally means "joy of living" and is used to convey a happy and fulfilling life.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun vie (life) and the feminine adjective heureuse (happy), meaning "life happy" when translated literally.
Which one should you use?
The adjective heureuse is used for a state of happiness, whereas joyeuse would imply a more active, exuberant or festive kind of joy.
How does it change in a sentence?
In French, the adjective heureuse follows the noun vie because most French adjectives follow the noun they modify. Because vie is a feminine noun, the indefinite article must be une (as in une vie heureuse) and the adjective must be the feminine form heureuse.
Did you know?
- The word heureuse shares a root with the English word 'hour', because the concept of being 'happy' was historically linked to having a 'good hour' or a favorable moment in time.
- In French, the word for happiness bonheur is a compound of bon (good) and heur (luck or fortune). This suggests that a happy life was historically viewed as one blessed with good luck.
- French has several ways to express a 'happy life' depending on the nuance. For instance, une vie épanouie refers to a 'fulfilled' life, suggesting a flower that has fully bloomed.
Examples in context
- Il passa une vie heureuse.He lived a happy life.This sentence is useful for showing how to use vie heureuse with the verb for living/passing time.Tatoeba #834764 by sacredceltic, translation #296297 by CM
- Il passait une vie heureuse.He was living a happy life.This sentence is useful for showing how to use vie heureuse in the imperfect tense.Tatoeba #834765 by sacredceltic, translation #13824002 by tieguy
- Le couple vécut une vie heureuse.The couple led a happy life.This sentence is useful for showing how to use vie heureuse to describe a couple's life.Tatoeba #12260414 by lbdx, translation #44277 by CK
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are talking about their future retirement plans.
- ManonJe veux simplement mener une vie heureuse.I simply want to lead a happy life.
- NathanC'est un très beau projet, Manon.That is a very beautiful project, Manon.
- ManonEt toi, Nathan, quel est ton rêve ?And you, Nathan, what is your dream?
- NathanMoi aussi, je souhaite une vie heureuse.Me too, I wish for a happy life.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
