c'est mon anniversaire
In French, "it is my birthday" is said as c'est mon anniversaire.
The phrase is used to state that today is the anniversary of the date one was born. You may also encounter the shortened version Bon anniv! to mean "Happy b-day!"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase breaks down literally as c'est (it is), mon (my) and anniversaire (birthday).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, one might say C'est ma fête aujourd'hui to mean "It is my birthday today".
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use ma anniversaire because anniversaire is a masculine noun, but it must be mon to match the gender.
Did you know?
- In France, it is customary for the person whose birthday it is to bring the treats or cake to share with colleagues at work, rather than the colleagues surprising them.
- In Quebec, using ma fête to mean 'my birthday' can cause confusion in France, where fête usually refers to the feast day of the saint you are named after.
- The word anniversaire comes from the Latin words for 'year' and 'to turn', literally describing the Earth turning once around the sun.
Examples in context
- Regarde, c'est mon anniversaire !Look, it is my birthday!
- Tu ne sais pas ? C'est mon anniversaire.You don't know? It is my birthday.
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are chatting at a cafe.
- LéaC'est mon anniversaire aujourd'hui.It is my birthday today.
- HugoAh bon ? Joyeux anniversaire, Léa !Oh really? Happy birthday, Léa!
- LéaMerci beaucoup, Hugo.Thank you very much, Hugo.
- HugoOn va fêter ça ?Are we going to celebrate?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anniversaire, c'est, mon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
