Nouvel An
The English phrase "new year" is translated into French as Nouvel An.
Nouvel An is used to refer to the holiday or the specific concept of the new year. If you wish to refer to the actual 365-day period of the upcoming year, you would instead use la nouvelle année.
Meaning: year following the current year (noun)
Which one should you use?
Nouvel An refers to the holiday or the concept of the new year, whereas la nouvelle année is more commonly used when speaking about the actual 365-day period of the upcoming year.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, people may say Bonne année et bonne santé! to mean "Happy New Year and good health!"
How does it change in a sentence?
Nouvel An is a masculine noun phrase.
When do people say it?
When the New Year is approaching and specifically referring to the New Year's Eve celebration, one might say Joyeux réveillon et bonne année. To focus specifically on wishing someone happiness for the upcoming year, you can use Bonne année et beaucoup de bonheur.
Did you know?
- The term réveillon used for New Year's Eve celebrations actually stems from the verb réveiller, meaning 'to awaken'.
- In many French-speaking cultures, it is customary to eat specific foods like lentils to symbolise wealth for the coming year during the Nouvel An celebrations.
- The word an comes from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to go'. This suggests the ancient concept of a year was viewed as a cycle or a journey.
Examples in context
- Le nouvel an se rapprocha.The new year drew closer.This sentence shows the approach of the Nouvel An.Tatoeba #539078 by sacredceltic, translation #534694 by blay_paul
- Tu fais quoi, pour le Nouvel An ?What are you doing for New Year?This sentence asks about plans for the Nouvel An.Tatoeba #3741312 by gillux, translation #3748427 by nagoyablue
- Où voulez-vous fêter le Nouvel An ?Where do you want to celebrate New Year?Tatoeba #10547951 by lbdx, translation #10547908 by sundown
- Je vous souhaite une bonne année remplie de bonheur et de succès.I wish you a Happy New Year filled with happiness and success.
- Bonne année et meilleurs vœux à tous mes amis!Happy New Year and best wishes to all my friends!
- Je te souhaite une bonne et heureuse année remplie d'amour et de réussite.I wish you a good and happy new year filled with love and success.
- Passez un joyeux réveillon et une bonne année entouré(e) de ceux que vous aimez.Have a joyful New Year's Eve and a Happy New Year surrounded by those you love.
- Que cette nouvelle année t'apporte beaucoup de bonheur et de belles surprises.May this new year bring you lots of happiness and beautiful surprises.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are planning their holiday celebrations.
- ManonTu as des projets pour le Nouvel An ?Do you have any plans for the New Year?
- NathanJe vais fêter le Nouvel An en famille.I am going to celebrate the New Year with my family.
- ManonC'est une excellente idée, Nathan.That is an excellent idea, Nathan.
- NathanEt toi, Manon, tu fais quoi ?And you, Manon, what are you doing?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries an, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
