Happy birthday in French and what to write in the card

Happy birthday in French is bon anniversaire or joyeux anniversaire [1][2]. This page gives the French wish for each occasion: birthday, Christmas, New Year, good luck and congratulations. It also shows how to answer a wish and what to write in a card. For the everyday basics around these wishes see Common French phrases, for pet names in a card to someone close see French terms of endearment, and to place a birthday in the calendar see Months in French.

The card wording below comes from the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), which publishes example wishes for cards. Larousse gives the English match. All were opened on 30 October 2026; the dates shown, where a page has one, are in the sources below.

How do you say happy birthday in French?

You say bon anniversaire or joyeux anniversaire. Larousse gives bon anniversaire ! as “Happy Birthday!” [2]. The OQLF uses both in its sample birthday cards: Joyeux anniversaire, Thomas ! and Bon anniversaire, Mathéo ! [1]. The word for birthday is anniversaire.

Add a wish to make it personal. The OQLF samples use mes meilleurs vœux de santé et de bonheur (my best wishes for health and happiness) and Tous mes vœux (all my wishes) [1]. Health is la santé.

How do you reply to a birthday wish in French?

Say merci or merci beaucoup. Larousse lists Merci beaucoup as “Thank you very much” [3]. The word merci has a recording on this site: merci.

For a written reply to a wish in a card, the OQLF has set thank-you lines. One reads Recevez tous nos remerciements pour vos bons vœux (accept all our thanks for your good wishes), and it is given as a reply to New Year wishes [4].

How do you say merry Christmas in French?

You say joyeux Noël. Larousse gives Joyeux Noël ! as “Merry Christmas!” and Je vous souhaite de très bonnes fêtes de fin d’année as “I wish you a very happy Christmas” [3]. A party or feast is la fête.

The OQLF’s short wishes include Joyeux Noël et bonne année ! and Joyeuses fêtes ! [4]. In the OQLF samples, Noël is written with a capital N [4].

How do you say happy new year in French?

You say bonne année. Larousse gives Bonne année ! as “Happy New Year!” [3]. The OQLF’s fuller version is Bonne et heureuse année ! [4]. Year is une année in French.

For a card, the OQLF has wishes that name what you hope for [4]:

The OQLF page tells you to change the year in its samples. Change it to the current one before you copy a line [4].

How do you say good luck in French?

You say bonne chance. Larousse gives Bonne chance ! as “Good luck!” and bonne chance pour ton nouveau travail as “good luck in your new job” [3][5]. Luck is la chance.

For a formal card, the OQLF wishes success instead of luck. Its sample for a new appointment wishes the person le plus grand succès dans vos nouvelles fonctions (the greatest success in your new duties) [6].

How do you say congratulations in French?

You say félicitations. Larousse gives Félicitations ! as “Congratulations!” and Bravo ! as “Well done!” [3]. Both have recordings here: les félicitations and bravo.

Two rules from the OQLF are worth knowing [6][7]:

• Always plural. The OQLF notes that félicitations is used only in the plural [6].
• De, not pour, before a verb. With a noun you can use either: Je te félicite de ta persévérance or pour ta persévérance. With a verb in the infinitive, use de: Je te félicite d’avoir mené ton projet à terme. The OQLF advises against pour there [7].

The verb for celebrating is fêter.

What is a Christmas tree in French?

It is un arbre de Noël or un sapin de Noël. The OQLF defines arbre de Noël as a tree decorated for Christmas, with gifts usually placed at its foot [8]. It adds that sapin de Noël and sapin carry the same meaning, even when the tree is a pine or a spruce [8]. A sapin on its own is a fir [9].

The OQLF also says artificial Christmas trees are now as popular as natural ones [8].

What do you write in a French card?

Pick the line by the occasion, then match tu or vous to the person.

For a longer message, add a wish clause from the tables above, such as paix, santé et bonheur [4].

Common mistakes

• Writing félicitation with no s. The OQLF says the word is used only in the plural [6].
• Using pour before a verb after féliciter. The OQLF advises de in that case [7].
• Copying last year’s date from a sample. The OQLF samples carry a year to change [4].
• Treating the English column here as official. The French lines come from the OQLF and Larousse. The English glosses on the card tables are ours.
• Relying on a list from a blog, including this one. Pages change. Compare each official page’s own date, where it shows one, with the date at the top of this one.

See also: French quotes and sayings.

Sources