joyeux Noël
/ʒwa.jø nɔ.ɛl/
Merry Christmas in French is joyeux Noël.
joyeux Noël is used to offer good wishes at Christmas time. You can use it as a standalone greeting or as part of a longer sentence, such as Joyeux Noël à tous (Merry Christmas to all).
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective joyeux (joyful/happy) and the noun Noël (Christmas).
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective joyeux is in the masculine singular form to agree with the masculine noun Noël.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒwa.jø nɔ.ɛl/
Did you know?
- The word Noël is a linguistic relative of the English word 'natal'. Both come from the Latin 'nātālis', meaning 'birthday'.
- The French word Noël is frequently used in the names of traditional Christmas carols, which are called noëls in French literature and music.
- In some French-speaking regions, it is common to combine joyeux Noël with bonne année because the holidays are viewed as one long festive season.
Examples in context
- Joyeux Noël à tous !Merry Christmas, everybody!This sentence shows how to wish Merry Christmas to everyone using joyeux Noël.Tatoeba #7663921 by Katastrauff, translation #6556054 by BHO
- Joyeux Noël, Tatoeba !Merry Christmas, Tatoeba!This sentence shows a direct address using joyeux Noël.Tatoeba #3663323 by fleur74, translation #6732233 by Eccles17
- Joyeux Noël à toi aussi.Merry Christmas to you, too.This sentence shows how to respond to a Christmas wish using joyeux Noël.Tatoeba #9489672 by Micsmithel, translation #5736627 by CM
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé meet at a Christmas market.
- LucasJoyeux Noël, Chloé !Merry Christmas, Chloé!
- ChloéMerci, joyeux Noël à toi aussi, Lucas.Thank you, merry Christmas to you too, Lucas.
- LucasTu passes de bonnes fêtes ?Are you having a good holiday season?
- ChloéOui, tout se passe très bien.Yes, everything is going very well.
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.
