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The French phrase "Joyeux anniversaire"
Ready to find out everything you want to know about the basic sentence "Joyeux anniversaire"? This include a full guide of what it is and how you can use it in a casual conversation with an audio example. But wait, we also added some useful informations like synonyms, slow pronunciation audio, dialogue example and more!
Translation in English
Translation : Happy birthday
Register : Neutral - Basic - Celebration
How to pronounce it?
IPA : / ʒwajø anivɛʁsɛʁ /
What does joyeux anniversaire mean?
Definition
"Joyeux anniversaire" is the common way to say "Happy birthday" in French. (We also use "Bon anniversaire" frequently.)
How to use
To keep it simple, use one of these:
- Joyeux anniversaire → Happy birthday
- Bon anniversaire → Good birthday
For a complete sentence in an informal context, use instead:
- Je te souhaite un joyeux anniversaire → I wish you a happy birthday
- Je te souhaite un bon anniversaire → I wish you a good birthday
And for a formal context, use:
- Je vous souhaite un joyeux anniversaire → I wish you a happy birthday
- Je vous souhaite un bon anniversaire → I wish you a good birthday
Finally, if you want to amplify your wish, you can add "très" (very) before "bon". Example: "Je te souhaite un très bon anniversaire" (I wish you a very good birthday)
Funny stuff
To wish someone a happy birthday in Quebec, you should use instead "Joyeuse fête". (Which doesn't work in France)
Also, when singing to wish someone a happy birthday in France, we use exactly the same melody as the song "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you *name* (...)". So it becomes "Joyeux anniversaire, joyeux anniversaire *name* (...)"
Synonyms
- Bon anniversaire → Good birthday
- Je te souhaite un joyeux anniversaire → I wish you a happy birthday
- Je te souhaite un (très) bon anniversaire → I wish you a (very) good birthday
- Je vous souhaite un joyeux anniversaire → I wish you a happy birthday (Formal)
- Je vous souhaite un (très) bon anniversaire → I wish you a (very) good birthday (Formal)
↓ Example in a story with English translation ↓
Finally, let's see an example in a parallel story with slow audio.
Organiser un anniversaire
Organize a birthday
Un mois avant l'anniversaire de Philippe...
A month before the birthday of Philippe...
... Emily décide de lui préparer une surprise...
... Emily decides to prepare him a surprise...
Alors elle lui achète un cadeau.
So she buys him a present.
Et elle choisit où elle achèterait le gâteau, les ballons et les décorations le jour J.
And she chooses where she would buy the cake, balloons and decorations on D-Day.
Elle était fière d'avoir tout planifié.
She was proud to have planned everything.
Cependant, parfois, les choses ne se passent pas comme prévu...
However, sometimes things aren't going as planned...
Le jour de l'anniversaire de Philippe, elle découvre qu'il fallait commander le gâteau trois jours à l'avance...
On Philippe's birthday, she discovers that she had to order the cake three days in advance...