joyeux Noël
/ʒwa.jø nɔ.ɛl/
Merry Christmas in French is joyeux Noël.
The phrase joyeux Noël is the standard way to wish someone a Merry Christmas in French.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The word joyeux literally means 'joyful' or 'merry'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because Noël is a masculine noun, you must use the masculine adjective joyeux.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒwa.jø nɔ.ɛl/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the feminine form joyeuse Noël because Noël sounds like a feminine name, but you should use the masculine joyeux instead.
Did you know?
- The word Noël is actually a cognate of the English word 'natal', as both derive from the Latin 'natalis', meaning 'relating to birth'.
- In France, you might hear Joyeux Noël et bonne année because it is common to combine Christmas and New Year wishes into one phrase.
- In some French-speaking regions like Quebec, you might hear people use the term Bon Noël as a shorter, more casual alternative to joyeux Noël.
Examples in context
- Joyeux Noël à tous !Merry Christmas, everybody!This example shows how to wish a Merry Christmas to a group of people using joyeux Noël.Tatoeba #7663921 by Katastrauff, translation #6556054 by BHO
- Joyeux Noël, Tatoeba !Merry Christmas, Tatoeba!This example uses joyeux Noël to address a specific entity.Tatoeba #3663323 by fleur74, translation #6732233 by Eccles17
- Joyeux Noël à toi aussi.Merry Christmas to you, too.This example shows how to respond to a Christmas wish using joyeux Noël.Tatoeba #9489672 by Micsmithel, translation #5736627 by CM
- Joyeux Noël! Que cette période de fêtes soit remplie de joie et de bonheur pour vous et votre famille.Merry Christmas! May this holiday season be filled with joy and happiness for you and your family.
- Joyeux Noël, cher(e)! Passe un bon moment avec tous tes proches et profite bien des festivités.Merry Christmas, dear! Have a great time with all your loved ones and enjoy the festivities.
- Meilleurs vœux pour Noël! J'espère que tu passeras une belle fête entouré(e) de ta famille et de tes amis.Best wishes for Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful celebration surrounded by your family and friends.
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are greeting each other during a holiday party.
- NathanJoyeux Noël, Chloé !Merry Christmas, Chloé!
- ChloéMerci, Joyeux Noël à toi aussi, Nathan !Thank you, Merry Christmas to you too, Nathan!
- NathanTu as reçu beaucoup de cadeaux ?Did you receive many gifts?
- ChloéOui, j'en ai eu plein !Yes, I got plenty!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry Christmas” translations and entries joyeux Noël, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Noël, joyeux, noël, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
