It’s kind of reassuring that the French have a few ways to say “Happy belated birthday” – it shows that this kind of thing happens in other cultures, too, even if it’s not ideal. .. or just ‘et tu’, or something else? The birthday boy or girl blows out candles after the guests sing the French version of Happy Birthday to You (or, in Canada, a very pretty song sung to the tune of the Quebecois national anthem, which is linked to in this very informative article). "Even so" seems to be one of the most frequent meanings, one that quand même shares with tout de même, although you hear quand même more often. There is no particular reason; Bon anniversaire isn’t more or less formal than Joyeux anniversaire, for example. Benjamin, you are a star ! It’s very common to have a simple, homemade cake with no icing and minimal (if any) decorations at a birthday party, especially if it’s for kids. Anyway it has been very interesting reading your article. Interestingly, in the French version of Happy Birthday to You, sometimes the person’s name isn’t sung. Que du bonheur pour cette prochaine année de vie.” (Nothing but happiness in this next year of your life) or something you appreciate about them: Joyeux anniversaire à un super copain (Happy birthday to an awesome friend). She has taught English and French for more than ten years, most notably as an assistante de langue vivante for L'Education Nationale. What a terrible answer! He is also the creator of a marketing blog called Grow With Less, Benjamin, qu’est-ce que la réponse de ravi de faire votre connaissance ? I’m not sure that there’s a particular reason for this; I’ve heard it at family gatherings as well as larger parties where you might think that maybe not everyone knows the birthday person’s name, so it doesn’t seem to be tied to that. Creole (a mix of French and English) is spoken on every island around the world. the correct form is “et toi ?”. I didn’t want to answer “yes” of course. in this context? sink to a whisper v expr verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end." Are there traditional French birthday gifts? Ceci est bien sûr valable pour les cahiers de CE1. We never stop learning as the French language is my preference to other language as it is one of the most sublte language in the world. Of course, all of this depends on the person, their family/friends, social class, tastes, and so on. ‘Merci, et tu/vous..’? Rocket Record lets you perfect your French pronunciation. merci beaucoup pour ton aide, j’apprends beacoup des cette article , How to wish someone “Happy Birthday” in French, Saying “Happy Birthday” in Canadian French, Other ways to say “Happy Birthday” in French, How to wish someone a happy belated birthday in French, Joyeux anniversaire ! Now that we’ve learned what to say for a French person’s birthday, how do you celebrate it? You’re generally not expected to buy anything very expensive or elaborate. The big difference that I’ve noticed with French birthday parties, whether they’re for kids or adults, is that they tend to be more lowkey than in some other countries, very much including my native country, the US. Il en va de meme pour Bon Anniversaire. When it comes to anniversaire as a birthday, simply think of it as the anniversary of the day you were born. Gratuit. The birthday song in French is the same tune as the one in English, but with the words in French (bien sûr! 7. a coup sur -> à coup sûr 19. a huis clos -> à huis clos 21. a la belle etoile -> à la belle étoile (I’ll stop correcting all french prepositions a into à) 39. ausssitot dit, aussitot fait -> aussitot dit, aussitot fait 42. bellum omnium contra onnes -> bellum omnium contra omnes 49. cause sine qua non … definitely - traduction anglais-français. "Quand Même" and Its Synonyms . And I bet you may not know how to answer “nice to meet you” in French. For example, at a recent birthday party my son was invited to, we bought the guest of honor, a fan of Star Wars, a lightsaber toy. Forums pour discuter de definitely, voir ses formes composées, des exemples et poser vos questions. Je varie le matériel à chaque fois . Some say it sounds populaire (working class). For adult birthdays, it’s common to toast with champagne, although this definitely depends on the context – a twentysomething celebrating with friends might opt for something harder, for example. Then there may come a day when you’re invited to a French person’s birthday, or even that you’re the one planning it. I think this is due to the French finding it rude to talk about or bring up money (although money is the common, traditional gift at French weddings). I had never heard someone wish another a person Bon or Joyeux Anniversaire (because I presume it is because Anniversaire is in the feminine gender). If you’ve ever celebrated classmates’ birthdays in your French class, or seen a French movie or TV show where there was a birthday, you might think you’ve got French birthday traditions down pat. Let’s look at the basics and discover the big differences between French birthday celebrations and birthday celebrations in many other cultures, along the way. Still, lots of completely secular promotional or even official calendars do include the saint’s name for each day, and many non-religious television stations and newspapers will mention the name of the day’s saint. so if someone says ‘nice to meet you’ / ‘enchante’, what then do you reply back? Instead, most of the birthday parties I’ve been to have been held at people’s homes or (for kids’ birthdays) at local parks. In France, birthday cards tend to be sent by mail from people who aren’t present at the party, rather than given with gifts. The French expression au contraire is used not only to deny what someone just said but also to proclaim that the very opposite is true. In a way, birthday parties are a moment where even the most sophisticated French people show a down-to-earth side. You can use both phrases with your boss, colleagues and in situations when you feel that enchanté may be inappropriate. Once you’re done, you’ll get a score out of 100 on your pronunciation and can listen to your own audio playback. to the person whose name day it is. (voice: become quiet) (changement de sujet) So they say it accordingly. Practice Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record. ): Joyeux anniversaire, joyeux anniversaire, joyeux anniversaire [name], joyeux anniversaire! As you might imagine, these days aren’t arbitrary – they come from a calendar that was devised by the Catholic church and has been used for centuries (with a few new saints added and more modern names included over time). You can read about her adventures here, or feel free to stop by her website. There’s a sincerity and a less artificial feel to them. Some families, especially practicing Catholics, will celebrate someone’s name day like a mini birthday, with a cake, for example, although not a big party or presents. If you’re invited to a French birthday party, you might be wondering what kind of gift to get. Many French people consider icing to be écoeurant (disgusting) and prefer a subtler taste and look for their birthday pastries. Some people prefer this less common alternative. Your article about the different culture celebrating a birthday is very interesting.But I think that it has somehow change at the crossroad because of global interaction. The phrases you discovered above are only used when you meet someone and you can’t use them to say “it was nice to meet you”. If you’re from a culture where that’s not the case, you might worry that this will feel a bit lackluster, especially if you’re planning a party for a French loved one. P.S-This comment is written without prejudice to anyone as I am only sharing my view. And of course, France is no longer run by the Church, and is a secular, multicultural society, so many people don’t celebrate their saint’s day at all. The person will then ask you En bien j’espère ? Despite all this hostility, enchanté is a word you will hear a lot and remains the most common way to say nice to meet you in French. LibriVox is a hope, an experiment, and a question: can the net harness a bunch of volunteers to help bring books in the public domain to life through podcasting? Answering “merci et toi/vous” would be weird and “et tu” simply doesn’t exist in French. The French don’t use icing or make elaborate birthday cakes. Je parle français mais assez bien mais j’ai encore besoin d’aide. You head good things about me, right? The first time I met my wife’s colleagues, I made a fool of myself. That said, if you’re looking for a French birthday card or decorations, you may have to look a little harder to find this phrase. Fancy decorations or and getting dressed up also aren’t the norm, whether for adults or children. Some parents seem a bit embarrassed by this and will only give you vague answers, but others will at least tell you what the kid is interested in. I just didn’t know the proper way to answer in German (I was living in Berlin back then). how about ‘et toi’? Use On m’a tellement parlé de vous, l heard so much about you. If you want to pull out all the stops and say more than a simple phrase, an internet search like “façons originales de dire ‘joyeux anniversaire’” is a good idea. In France, you'd hear the useful adverbial phrase quand même several times a day, every day, and each time you might deduce a new meaning. But as a general rule, it’s what you can expect if you’re invited to a French birthday party. If you like cake, the good news is, these options are still delicious – just different than what you might be expecting if colorful cakes with icing and designs are the norm in your culture. Vous pouvez les trouver sur le site des éditions Jocatop : voici le récapitulatif : ici. If you come from another culture, you could offer them a quality product from yours, if you think they’d appreciate that. There are two main ways to say “Happy Birthday” in French: Joyeux anniversaire. There we speak indeed English, French, and a dialect, Creole. I think it’s just a personal vocabulary choice. As for a wedding anniversary, we used to congratulate the couple involved with the song, Congratulations from the evergreen, Sir Cliff Richard. There are some cultural details we take for granted. I greeted them, told them my name and they answered: “nice to meet you”. This is especially true when it comes to the cake. Often, there will be a fruit tart instead. Over time, though, I’ve come to really appreciate simple French birthdays in their own right. Here are some specific details that may make French birthday celebrations different from ones in your native culture: A typical French birthday celebration is like most birthday celebrations in the Western world: There’s cake and often presents (especially if the person celebrating their birthday is a child). Lots of sites will give you some eloquent phrases or quotations to use. For example, if you have a friend named Julien, his saint’s day is August 2. Alysa Salzberg is an American writer, worrier, teacher, and cookie enthusiast who has lived in Paris, France, for more than a decade. Feel like complimenting someone you already heard about? Another thing: if you listen carefully to the song,”Joyeux Anniversaire”, you will hear “Joyeuse Anniversaire” instead of Joyeux. So we write in English, speak French and argue in Creole (funny isn’t it), which I personally consider to be a “Paradox”. It can be confusing for us anglophones, of course, because the word anniversaire makes us think of a wedding anniversary (and actually, the same word is used for that in French, but with the phrase de mariage added). Thank you for all your helpful articles. Gift cards don’t seem to be as popular in France as they are in some other cultures. Enchanté(e): the everyday “nice to meet you”, Ravi(e)de faire votre connaissance: the formal nice to meet you, On m’a tellement parlé de vous: the compliment, C’était un plaisir de: The nice conclusion. If you had a wonderful time and would like the person you spent time with to know it, simply pick one of the following phrases: Voilà ! In France, theme parties or parties hosted at special venues don’t seem very popular. LibriVox About. Je pose les cartes sur le bac et les élèves remplissent les bacs avec des jetons ou cubes ou barres de 10 ou de la monnaie . There are two main ways to say “Happy Birthday” in French: Joyeux anniversaire is the most common birthday greeting in French. why does ‘tu’ (you) become ‘toi’ (you?) You can click here to see a very typical (like, so typical that I more or less have the same one taped to my refrigerator here in Paris) mini calendar that has saints’ names alongside completely non-religious things like school vacation periods. Tex's French Grammar is the integral grammar component of Français Interactif, an online French course from the University of Texas at Austin. You’ll also sometimes hear or read Bon anniversaire tardif,  but this is not as common and doesn’t seem to have a pleasant ring to it for French-speakers. Ei quelqun me dit Ravi de vous rencontre je lui reponds comment? I am from an island (established in Australia for nearly four decades not) which has experienced two eras of colonization: French and the so called English Empire. Explanation and Examples . Other people will simply say Bonne fête! Que du bonheur pour cette prochaine année de vie. But my quest is about which is right, and I believe that there is no right or wrong answer at whether you wish someone Joyeux or Joyeuse Anniversaire or even Bon or Bonne Anniversaire. That seems pretty straightforward, but if you’re also communicating with French speakers from other places, be careful: Bonne fête has a completely different meaning in other parts of the francophone world. It’s a way to get back to what a birthday is really about: celebrating someone’s presence in the world. After teaching French and English in South Korea for 7 months as part of a French government program, he created French Together™ to help English speakers learn the 20% of French that truly matters. For adults, you can obviously choose something based on what the person likes, but if you don’t know them well, some kind of quality food or drink offering (most typically a bottle of wine or a box of high-end chocolates) is always appreciated. That’s at least what you answer if you want to make a friend :). People use it when they meet people for the first time and using it is perfectly acceptable in most informal situations (including a laidback work environment); Peopple who meet in more formal environments use ravi(e) de faire votre connaissance or ravi(e) de vous rencontrer, two formal ways of saying “nice to meet you” in French. Pick a phrase and use it next time you meet someone new! The essential thing to know about French birthday celebrations is that they tend to be on the simple side. Just listen to the native speaker audio and then use the microphone icon to record yourself. Joyeux anniversaire or bon anniversaire are the standard ways to wish someone happy birthday in French. Joël Robuchon (French pronunciation: [ʒɔɛl ʁɔbyʃɔ̃], 7 April 1945 – 6 August 2018) was a French chef and restaurateur.He was named "Chef of the Century" by the guide Gault Millau in 1989, and awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (France's best worker) in cuisine in 1976. After teaching French and English in South Korea for 7 months as part of a French government program, he created French Together™ to help English speakers learn the 20% of French that truly matters. If the party is for a kid, I often get in touch with the parents to ask what they might want. There is another version of Happy Birthday to You in French with different lyrics, but while it’s the most common one you’ll find on YouTube, I’ve personally never heard it sung at any of the many French birthday parties I’ve been to over the years. Benjamin Houy is a native French speaker and tea drinker with a BA degree in Applied Foreign Languages and a passion for languages. Benjamin Houy is a native French speaker and tea drinker with a BA degree in Applied Foreign Languages and a passion for languages. But if you’re studying Canadian French (Quebecois) or just want to extend birthday wishes to a French-Canadian friend, you would say Bonne fête– literally, “Good party/celebration”. How to wish someone “Happy Birthday” in French. Je lui ai annoncé la nouvelle de façon confidentielle mais bien sûr, elle est allée la dire à tous ses amis. In case of doubt, it’s always safer to use ravi(e) de faire votre connaissance” instead of enchanté. You can hear it here. If you say “Bonne fête” to a French speaker who isn’t from Canada, they’ll think you’re referring to their saint’s day. Or, if you want to create your own birthday message, you could start with Joyeux anniversaire (or whichever variant you prefer) and then add something you wish for the person – for example: Joyeux anniversaire ! Merci. But wine, chocolates, or flowers are excellent go-to’s. A grown-up’s party would usually feature a freshly baked cake bought from a good local boulangerie. And I like it. Some say this word is an aberration and shouldn’t exist because it literally means “enchanted” as if the person you had just met was so amazing you were under a spell. After showing you how to greet people in French a few months ago, I am now going to show you how to say “nice to meet you” in French and help you understand all the nuances so you make a good first impression. The simplest way to wish someone a happy belated birthday in French is Joyeux anniversaire, avec un peu de retard (literally, “Happy Birthday, with a bit of lateness”). We’re all human. Bien sûr, of course! Also known as a “name day” in English, this is the feast day of the saint whose name they share. Je n'ai pas besoin d'assistance ; au contraire, je suis ici pour vous aider. Joyeux anniversaire is the most common birthday greeting in French. This may be when you realize that there are some details about celebrating birthdays in France that may surprise you. You now know how to say nice to meet you in French!