Bonne fête des mères
Happy Mother's Day in French is Bonne fête des mères.
This phrase is a greeting used to wish a mother a happy Mother's Day. Joyeuse Fête des Mères! is the most commonly used phrase for Happy Mother's Day in French.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Bonne fête des mères literally translates to 'Good feast of the mothers'.
Which one should you use?
The term Bonne fête can be used for name days or other celebrations, but adding des mères specifies that the occasion is Mother's Day.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec and other parts of French-speaking Canada, Bonne fête des mères is the standard greeting. Additionally, Bonne fête des Mamans! is commonly used in parts of Canada.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase Bonne fête des mères, the adjective bonne is feminine to agree with the feminine noun fête.
Did you know?
- While English speakers say 'Happy Birthday', in Quebec, French speakers use Bonne fête for both birthdays and Mother's Day.
- In France, Bonne fête is traditionally used to wish someone a happy 'name day', which is the feast day of the saint they were named after.
- The word fête shares its ancient roots with the English word 'festive', both tracing back to the Latin 'fēstus' meaning a feast or festival.
Examples in context
- Bonne fête des mères !Happy Mother's Day!Tatoeba #585100 by qdii, translation #706874 by papabear
- Bonne fête des mères, maman !Happy Mother's Day, Mom!
- Je te souhaite une bonne fête des mères.I wish you a happy Mother's Day.
Example conversation
Lucas gives a bouquet of flowers to his mother, Emma.
- LucasTiens, c'est pour toi. Bonne fête des mères !Here, this is for you. Happy Mother's Day!
- EmmaOh, merci beaucoup, Lucas !Oh, thank you very much, Lucas!
- LucasEst-ce que les fleurs te plaisent ?Do you like the flowers?
- EmmaOui, elles sont magnifiques !Yes, they are magnificent!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries des, fête, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
