joie
/ʒwa/feminine
The French word for the English noun 'joy' is joie.
joie refers to a feeling of happiness. When you want to express the cause of an emotion, for example, crying or jumping because of joy, you use the phrase de joie.
Meaning: feeling of happiness (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
joie is a feminine noun, so it is used with the feminine article la (as in la joie).
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒwa/
Did you know?
- In French, the word for 'joy' is closely related to the Latin word gaudium, which is also the root of the English word 'gaudy'.
- The phrase la joie can be used ironically in French, such as quelle joie !, to express sarcasm when someone is actually miserable.
- While 'joy' in English is often used in abstract expressions, French speakers often use la joie de vivre to describe a specific, exuberant philosophy of enjoying life.
Examples in context
- Il pleura de joie.He cried with joy.This sentence shows how to describe crying caused by joie.Tatoeba #2104637 by sysko, translation #1392253 by CM
- J'ai sauté de joie.I jumped for joy.This sentence illustrates jumping as a reaction to joie.Tatoeba #8703366 by Julien_PDC, translation #20687 by CM
- Je suis fou de joie.I'm beside myself with joy.This sentence demonstrates being overwhelmed by joie.Tatoeba #3629 by TRANG, translation #1807 by Swift
- Je ressens une grande joie à l'idée de recevoir ce prix.I feel great joy at the thought of receiving this award.
- Sa joie était évidente lorsqu'elle a été acceptée à l'université.Her joy was evident when she got accepted to the university.
- Elle m'a souhaité un anniversaire joyeux et plein de joie.She wished me a happy and joyful birthday.
- J'ai trouvé le bonheur dans cette petite maison au bord de la mer.I found joy in this little house by the seaside.
- Rien ne peut gâcher mon bonheur quand je suis entouré de mes amis.Nothing can spoil my joy when I am surrounded by my friends.
- Quel plaisir de te voir après si longtemps ! Tu me remplis de joie.What a joy to see you after such a long time! You fill me with joy.
- Ton sourire me procure un immense plaisir.Your smile brings me immense joy.
- 92 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma tells Lucas about her new job.
- EmmaJ'ai enfin eu le poste !I finally got the position!
- LucasC'est génial, Emma !That's great, Emma!
- EmmaJe ressens une immense joie.I feel an immense joy.
- LucasTu le mérites vraiment.You really deserve it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “joy” translations and entries joie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries joie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
