How to Say "Have a Good Vacation" in French

bonnes vacances

In French, 'have a good vacation' is expressed as bonnes vacances.

bonnes vacances is a phrase used to wish someone an enjoyable time during their holiday. The noun phrase alone functions as the complete wish.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase literally translates to 'good holidays' or 'good vacations'.

Unlike English, where 'vacation' is often singular, the French term vacances is almost always used in the plural form.

In France, it is common to say Bonnes vacances et amuse-toi bien! to mean 'Have a good vacation and have fun!'

The word vacances is always feminine and plural in French, so the adjective bonnes must also be feminine and plural.

The word vacances comes from the Latin vacare, which means 'to be empty'. It originally referred to a period when a seat of power or a professional post was vacant.
French speakers often use the expression faire le pont during their vacances to 'make a bridge'. This means taking an extra day off between a public holiday and the weekend to create a long break.
In France, the concept of les vacances is so culturally significant that the phrase le départ en vacances describes a massive, synchronized migration of millions of people hitting the roads simultaneously.

Tu as passé de bonnes vacances ?
Did you have a good vacation?
This sentence is useful for asking if someone had a good vacation using bonnes vacances.
Tatoeba #10518363 by lbdx, translation #6263470 by CK
Madame Dupont, je vous souhaite de bonnes vacances en Provence.
Mrs. Dupont, I wish you a good vacation in Provence.
Sophie, passe de bonnes vacances en Bretagne avec ta famille!
Sophie, have a good vacation in Brittany with your family!
Passe de bonnes vacances !
Have a good vacation!
Je vous souhaite de bonnes vacances.
I wish you a good vacation.

Gabriel and Léa are colleagues saying goodbye before a break.

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏