Dieu soit loué
/djø swa lwe/
In French, 'praise God' is translated as Dieu soit loué.
Dieu soit loué is an exclamation used to express relief, gratitude or joy when a positive event occurs.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'God be praised', utilizing the subjunctive mood of the verb être (to be).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Dieu soit loué is a formal expression that carries a religious or traditional tone. For other formal contexts, you might use Louange à Dieu (Praise God), Adorons Dieu (Let us adore God) in worship settings or Gloire à Dieu (Glory to God).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the subjunctive form soit to express a wish or a prayer.
Did you know?
- The verb louer in Dieu soit loué means 'to praise' in this context, but in everyday French it is most commonly used to mean 'to rent' a house or car.
- The word Dieu descends from the Latin Deus, which originated from the Proto-Indo-European root *deywós, meaning 'sky' or 'shining'.
- Because Dieu soit loué is quite formal, using it in a casual setting like a cafe might make you sound like a character from a 19th-century novel.
Examples in context
- Dieu soit loué !Praise God.Tatoeba #5986398 by christian63, translation #9687509 by Amastan
- Dieu soit loué !Praise God!Tatoeba #9987386 by Micsmithel, translation #9687510 by Amastan
- Dieu soit loué, j'ai enfin retrouvé mes clés.Praise God, I finally found my keys.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are talking after a stressful drive through a storm.
- GabrielNous sommes arrivés sains et saufs, Dieu soit loué !We arrived safe and sound, praise God!
- ChloéC'est vrai, j'ai eu très peur pour toi, Gabriel.It is true, I was very scared for you, Gabriel.
- GabrielTout va bien maintenant, ne t'inquiète plus.Everything is fine now, do not worry anymore.
- ChloéJe suis tellement soulagée que nous soyons à la maison.I am so relieved that we are home.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Dieu soit loué, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Dieu, Dieu soit loué, dieu, soit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
