la Saint-Valentin
Valentine's Day in French is la Saint-Valentin.
The phrase la Saint-Valentin is used to refer to both the specific calendar day and the general holiday/celebration.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, la Saint-Valentin translates to 'Saint Valentine's Day', as it refers to the feast day of the saint.
How does it change in a sentence?
la Saint-Valentin is a feminine noun phrase and is used with the definite article 'la'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the masculine article le instead of the feminine la because they associate the holiday with a male saint.
When do people say it?
A common way to express affection is to say Je t'aime, meaning 'I love you'.
Did you know?
- The word 'valentin' in la Saint-Valentin shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the English word 'valiant'. Both stem from the Latin 'valere', meaning 'to be strong' or 'to be well'.
- The French use the word saint in la Saint-Valentin to name the day, but they use the same structure for other name days, such as la Saint-Jean, which are different from birthdays.
- Although la Saint-Valentin is widely celebrated, some French traditionalists view the modern commercial focus on the day as an American import rather than a native custom.
Examples in context
- Vivement la Saint-Valentin !I wish it was Valentine's Day!This sentence shows how to express excitement for la Saint-Valentin.Tatoeba #139063 by gillux, translation #684012 by CM
- Aujourd'hui est la Saint-Valentin.Today is Valentine's Day.This sentence is useful for stating that today is la Saint-Valentin.Tatoeba #1083659 by sacredceltic, translation #1083652 by CM
- Cette année, la Saint-Valentin tombe un jeudi.This year, Valentine's Day falls on a Thursday.This sentence demonstrates how to use la Saint-Valentin when discussing which day of the week the holiday falls on.Tatoeba #2222109 by sacredceltic, translation #2220985 by Hybrid
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are planning their dinner for February 14th.
- LucasQu'est-ce qu'on fait pour la Saint-Valentin ?What are we doing for Valentine's Day?
- LéaJe veux aller au restaurant, Lucas.I want to go to a restaurant, Lucas.
- LucasC'est une excellente idée, Léa.That is an excellent idea, Léa.
- LéaJe vais réserver la table dès demain.I will reserve the table tomorrow.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
