How Do You Say “Bless You” in French? 🤧🇫🇷

When someone sneezes in French, you don’t say “bless you.” Instead, you say à vos souhaits or à tes souhaits.

The Phrase for “Bless You” in French

The standard phrase is à vos souhaits (pronounced ah voh swèh).
Literally, it means “to your wishes.”

When speaking informally with friends, you can say à tes souhaits.

Example

  • “À tes souhaits !” m’a dit Sophie quand j’ai éternué.
    “Bless you!” said Sophie when I sneezed.



Sneezing Traditions in French

In French tradition, the phrase can change depending on how many times you sneeze:

  1. À tes souhaits → To your wishes (first sneeze)

  2. À tes amours → To your loved ones (second sneeze)

  3. Qu’ils durent toujours → May they last forever (third sneeze)

Fun fact: many believe the English “atishoo” comes from à tes souhaits!


🌱 Rooted in Meaning

The word souhait comes from the verb souhaiter, meaning to wish. It breaks down into:

  • sou (from sous, “under”)

  • haiter (from the Frankish haitan, “order” or “promise”)

So souhaiter literally means “under order/promise.” To make a wish is to order or promise something into existence.


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