As the calendar flips to a fresh year, there's no better time to spruce up your French language skills – starting with those all-important New Year's greetings!
Think about it – while "Bonne Année" might be the go-to phrase you've heard before, French actually offers a delightful array of ways to spread New Year cheer. From casual French texts to formal wishes, and everything in between, French speakers have developed a rich vocabulary around New Year celebrations that goes way beyond the basics.
Ready to discover how to ring in the New Year like a true Emily in Paris fan? We've rounded up more than 10 essential French New Year greetings that'll help you express your well-wishes with authentic French flair.
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How To Say Happy New Year In French
The most common way to say "Happy New Year" in French is "Bonne Année!" (pronounced as "bun ah-nay"). In this French greeting, "Bonne" means "good" or "happy" (it's the feminine form because "année" is a feminine noun), and "année" means "year." The locals also use "année" instead of "an" (another word for year) because "année" emphasizes the duration or quality of the year ahead, rather than just the numerical concept.
Unlike English, French capitalizes neither word when writing "bonne année" – unless it's at the start of a sentence, of course! And while you might be tempted to add "une" before it (like "have a good year"), that's not how the French do it. They keep it clean and simple with just "Bonne année!"
Here are three ways you might use this greeting in real-life situations:
- "Bonne année, Marie! J'espère que tu passeras une année merveilleuse!" (Happy New Year, Marie! I hope you have a wonderful year!)
- "Je vous souhaite une très bonne année 2025!" (I wish you a very happy 2025!)
- "Bonne année à toute la famille!" (Happy New Year to the whole family!)
French Greetings For The New Year
You know how sometimes "Happy New Year" just doesn't quite capture everything you want to say? Well, French speakers feel the same way! That's why they've developed this table of New Year expressions that can convey everything from formal well-wishes to casual texts to your besties.
French Greeting | When to Use It | English Translation | Pro Tip |
---|---|---|---|
"Bonne année !" | Universal, works everywhere | "Happy New Year!" | The absolute classic - you can't go wrong with this one |
"Meilleurs vœux pour la nouvelle année !" | Formal settings, written cards | "Best wishes for the New Year!" | Perfect for your boss or that fancy New Year's card |
"Je te souhaite une merveilleuse année" | Close friends, family (informal) | "I wish you a wonderful year" | Add "te" for friends, "vous" for formal situations |
"Que cette année vous apporte bonheur et santé" | Thoughtful, works for anyone | "May this year bring you happiness and health" | Super versatile - works in speech and writing |
"Une année pleine de joie et de réussite" | Professional contexts | "A year full of joy and success" | Great for LinkedIn or work emails |
"Tous mes vœux pour [année]" | Elegant, slightly formal | "All my best wishes for [year]" | Short but sophisticated - très chic! |
"Que du bonheur pour cette nouvelle année" | Casual, among friends | "Nothing but happiness for this new year" | Has that modern, friendly vibe |
"365 jours de bonheur" | Social media, casual | "365 days of happiness" | Perfect for that Instagram caption |
"Belle année [année]!" | Modern, trendy | "Beautiful year [year]!" | The cool, contemporary choice |
"Santé et prospérité" | Business, networking | "Health and prosperity" | Especially good for professional contacts |
"Une année remplie de petits bonheurs" | Intimate, thoughtful | "A year filled with little moments of happiness" | Shows you put thought into your wishes |
"Je vous/te souhaite le meilleur" | Versatile, heartfelt | "I wish you the best" | Can be formal or informal - just switch vous/te |
Please note that French speakers often string these together depending on who they're talking to. You might start with "Bonne année" and then add one or two more expressions for extra warmth.
Making New Year's Resolutions In French
Here's a super handy sentence pattern that'll help you express all those ambitious plans for the year ahead: "Cette année, je vais..." (This year, I'm going to...), followed by an infinitive verb. The beauty of this pattern is that you can plug in practically any goal you've got in mind, and voilà – you're speaking French while manifesting your best life.
French Infinitive | Complete Resolution | English Translation |
---|---|---|
faire du sport | Cette année, je vais faire du sport | This year, I'm going to exercise |
apprendre | Cette année, je vais apprendre le français | This year, I'm going to learn French |
manger | Cette année, je vais manger plus sainement | This year, I'm going to eat healthier |
économiser | Cette année, je vais économiser de l'argent | This year, I'm going to save money |
voyager | Cette année, je vais voyager en France | This year, I'm going to travel to France |
lire | Cette année, je vais lire un livre par mois | This year, I'm going to read a book per month |
arrêter | Cette année, je vais arrêter de fumer | This year, I'm going to quit smoking |
passer | Cette année, je vais passer plus de temps en famille | This year, I'm going to spend more time with family |
commencer | Cette année, je vais commencer la méditation | This year, I'm going to start meditating |
réduire | Cette année, je vais réduire mon stress | This year, I'm going to reduce my stress |
See how natural that flows? You're not just making resolutions; you're wrapping them in authentic French flair! And hey, if you're feeling extra ambitious, you can add "c'est promis" (I promise) at the end to show you really mean business.
French Words For New Year Celebrations
You know that electric feeling in the air during New Year's celebrations? Well, French has this delightful collection of words that perfectly capture all those festive moments – from the buzz of anticipation right up to that magical countdown. And trust me, once you get these words under your belt, you'll start picking up on all those little cultural nuances that make French New Year celebrations so special!
French Word/Phrase | Pronunciation | English Meaning | Usage Example |
---|---|---|---|
le réveillon | luh ray-vay-yon | New Year's Eve party | "On va faire le réveillon chez Marc?" |
le compte à rebours | luh cont-ah-ruh-boor | countdown | "Le compte à rebours commence!" |
les cotillons | lay co-tee-yon | party favors/streamers | "N'oublie pas les cotillons!" |
le champagne | luh shom-pan-yuh | champagne | "On ouvre le champagne à minuit!" |
les feux d'artifice | lay fuh dar-tee-fees | fireworks | "Les feux d'artifice étaient magnifiques!" |
minuit | mee-nwee | midnight | "À minuit pile!" |
les résolutions | lay ray-zo-lu-syon | resolutions | "Tu as fait tes résolutions?" |
le toast | luh toast | toast (speech) | "Qui fait le toast cette année?" |
la fête | la fet | party/celebration | "Quelle fête inoubliable!" |
le Nouvel An | luh noo-vel on | New Year | "C'est bientôt le Nouvel An!" |
les voeux | lay vuh | wishes | "Il faut envoyer les voeux!" |
le festival | luh fes-tee-val | festival | "Le festival du Nouvel An" |
Here's the really cool part – you can actually hear all these words come to life in authentic contexts when you dive into French movies and TV shows on Lingopie!
Whether it's watching Parisians celebrate on the Champs-Élysées or following a family's intimate New Year's dinner, you'll catch these expressions being used naturally by native speakers. It's like having a front-row seat to real French celebrations, minus the jet lag!
Plus, with Lingopie's interactive features, you can pause, replay, and really absorb how these festive phrases fit into everyday French conversations. Pretty neat way to level up your French while getting into the holiday spirit, don't you think?
Keep Your French Journey Going With Lingopie!
So there you have it – everything you need to ring in the New Year like a true French speaker! But hey, why stop at just learning these festive phrases? If you've caught the French-learning bug (and honestly, who hasn't after discovering all these delightful traditions?), Lingopie's features got your back.
Think about it – wouldn't it be amazing to catch these New Year's expressions in real French conversations? To see actual French families celebrating le Réveillon or friends exchanging leurs voeux? That's exactly what you'll get with Lingopie's vast collection of French movies and TV shows.
Plus, you'll pick up so much more than just holiday vocab – we're talking real, everyday French that'll have you speaking like a local in no time. Curious? Pop over to Lingopie and start your free trial!