Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| joyeux anniversaire | /ʒwa.jø.z‿a.ni.vɛʁ.sɛʁ/ | |
| bon anniversaire | /bɔ.n‿a.ni.vɛʁ.sɛʁ/ | |
| bonne fête | /bɔn fɛt/ (France) /bɔn fɛːt/ (Quebec) |
Canada |
These phrases are used to offer good wishes to someone on their birthday. You may also use the verb phrase souhaiter un joyeux anniversaire to express the action of wishing someone a happy birthday. Related nouns include gâteau (cake), cadeau (gift) and fête (party).
Which one should you use?
While joyeux anniversaire and bon anniversaire are both common ways to say happy birthday, bonne fête is used specifically in Canada to mean happy birthday.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec and other parts of Canada, bonne fête is the standard way to say happy birthday.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ʒwa.jø.z‿a.ni.vɛʁ.sɛʁ/. It has 6 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
In France, do not use bonne fête to wish someone a happy birthday. In France, that phrase is used to celebrate a person's name day (saint's day).
Did you know?
- The word anniversaire is a linguistic compound that literally describes a year 'turning' or 'revolving', coming from the Latin annus for 'year' and vertō for 'to turn'.
- In France, the tradition of the 'name day' associated with bonne fête persists because many people are named after saints, and the feast day of that saint is often celebrated as a personal holiday.
Examples in context
- Bon anniversaire, Tom !Happy birthday, Tom!This is useful for saying happy birthday to Tom using bon anniversaire.Tatoeba #8648902 by Micsmithel, translation #2337263 by Hybrid
- Bon anniversaire, Shishir !Happy birthday, Shishir!This is useful for saying happy birthday to Shishir using bon anniversaire.Tatoeba #1111516 by sacredceltic, translation #1110954 by Ricardo14
- Joyeux anniversaire Muiriel !Happy birthday, Muiriel!This is useful for saying happy birthday to Muiriel using joyeux anniversaire.Tatoeba #3096 by sysko, translation #355041 by human600
- 36 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa calls Hugo to wish him a happy birthday.
- LéaJoyeux anniversaire, Hugo !Happy birthday, Hugo!
- HugoMerci beaucoup, Léa.Thank you very much, Léa.
- LéaTu vas faire une fête ?Are you going to have a party?
- HugoOui, je t'invite ce soir.Yes, I am inviting you tonight.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy birthday” translations and entries joyeux anniversaire, bon anniversaire, bonne fête, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anniversaire, bon, fête, joyeux, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
