

While it is most commonly used to talk about one’s birthday, it can also be used to denote “anniversary” if you turn it into a phrase with context.įor example, you can say “notre anniversaire de marriage” (our wedding anniversary) or “l’anniversaire de la Bataille de Waterloo” (the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo).

It is equally worth briefly explaining the use of anniversaire (birthday). We should also note that occasionally French speakers substitute bon (good) for joyeux in this version. It is worth mentioning that joyeux can be used in place of “joyful,” “merry” or “cheerful” in addition to “happy,” depending on the context. Happy birthday (name of the person being celebrated) Joyeux anniversaire (nom de la personne fêtée) The lyrics and their translation are as follows: It is extremely similar to its English counterpart, with the same basic structure and tune. “Joyeux anniversaire” is the simplest and probably most commonly sung version of the French “Happy Birthday” song, and therefore the perfect one with which to start learning. With this in mind, let’s get to celebrating with the various French “Happy Birthday” songs! Celebrate Good Times! The “Happy Birthday” Song in French Version #1: “Joyeux anniversaire” Lastly, just about all of the versions expose you to useful vocabulary.

Others are a fantastic way to brush up on different grammar lessons.

This means that there are many different French lessons to be learned from it.įor example, some of the versions are great for practicing French pronunciation of difficult letter combinations. Try FluentU for FREE! Reasons to Learn the French Birthday SongĪpart from singing at friends’ birthday parties and being able to participate in public scenes such as the one above like a true native, there are many reasons to learn the “Happy Birthday” song in French.įor starters, there are actually several different versions of the song. Yes, this a thing that the French really do when something goes wrong in a public place.Īnd unless you want to get caught off guard like my fellow American and me, you’ll brush up on the French “Happy Birthday” song below!ĭownload: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that youĬan take anywhere. My husband just laughed and said, “No, you don’t get it! We are singing ‘Joyeux anniversaire’ because the lights went out.” I poked him, begging him to stop since we were certainly not part of whoever’s birthday party it was, and exchanged embarrassed looks with my American friend. My husband started singing at the top of his lungs. I was sitting in Bistrot des Artistes, a trendy Parisian bar, with my husband and our friend visiting from the States, when the lights went out and a chorus of “Joyeux anniversaire” (“Happy Birthday”) promptly broke out. By Camille Turner How to Sing “Happy Birthday” in French: Audio and Lyrics
