Happy New Year In French (Bonne Année And Real New Year Wishes)

My first New Year’s Eve in France, I thought I was ready. I’d memorised Bonne année /bɔn a.ne/ — happy new year, practiced my French “r” like a maniac, and showed up to a party in Lyon feeling very sophisticated.

Midnight hit, everyone shouted something that sounded like “BONANÉBONANSANTÉOUAISOUAISOUAIS,” kissed each other on both cheeks, and I just stood there like a confused yak saying my slow, textbook Bonne année to random shoulders.

The next day, I found out three important things:

People often say Bonne année, bonne santé /bɔn a.ne bɔn sɑ̃.te/ — happy new year, good health.
You keep wishing people happy new year for weeks after January 1st, every time you see them for the first time that year.
There are different versions depending on how close you are and how formal you want to sound.

This guide will walk you through how to say “Happy New Year” in French naturally, when to say it, what to write in messages and cards, and how not to sound like a walking greeting card generator.

Quick Primer: What Bonne Année Really Means

The core phrase is:

bonne année /bɔn a.ne/ — happy new year

You can use it:

On New Year’s Eve and after midnight
In the first days or weeks of January
With almost anyone: friends, family, coworkers, neighbours, shop staff

People often add bonne santé /bɔn sɑ̃.te/ — good health, because health is a big thing to wish for the new year:

bonne année, bonne santé /bɔn a.ne bɔn sɑ̃.te/ — happy new year, good health

You’ll also hear:

meilleurs vœux /mɛ.jœʁ vø/ — best wishes

This one appears a lot in written messages, cards, and more formal contexts.

If you only remember three things:

Bonne année is your default spoken “Happy New Year.”
Bonne année, bonne santé is an upgraded, very French version.
Meilleurs vœux is great for written or slightly formal wishes.

When And To Whom You Say Bonne Année

Timing: Not Just Midnight

In France, Bonne année is not only for midnight on December 31st. You use it:

From just after midnight on January 1st
Throughout January, when you see someone for the first time that year

Example:

You don’t see your coworker until January 9th. That day at the office:

Bonne année !
/bɔn a.ne/
Happy New Year!

People don’t usually say Bonne année before New Year’s, like on December 28th. You might hear:

Bon réveillon !
/bɔ̃ ʁe.vɛ.jɔ̃/
Have a good New Year’s Eve!

But the “Happy New Year” itself starts after midnight.

Who Gets A Bonne Année?

Short answer: anyone you interact with in January.

Friends and family
Colleagues and your boss
Neighbours
Your hairdresser, the baker, the pharmacist
People you email for the first time in January

You can adjust formality:

Informal: Bonne année !
Polite: Bonne année, je vous souhaite plein de bonnes choses. /bɔn a.ne ʒə vu swɛt plɛ̃ də bɔn ʃoz/ — Happy New Year, I wish you lots of good things.

It can feel repetitive, but that’s the culture. If you don’t say it at all to someone you see regularly, it can feel a bit cold.

Classic French New Year Wishes (And What They Really Say)

Here are the most common phrases you’ll hear and use.

Usage notes:

Meilleurs vœux often comes with extra details: Meilleurs vœux de bonheur et de santé — best wishes for happiness and health.
For close friends, you can personalise: Bonne année, plein de beaux projets ! /bɔn a.ne plɛ̃ də bo pʁo.ʒɛ/ — Happy New Year, lots of great projects!

Saying Happy New Year In Different Situations

With Friends And Family

Here you can be warm, playful, and a bit extra.

You can stack wishes:

Bonne année, bonne santé, et plein de beaux projets !
/bɔn a.ne bɔn sɑ̃.te e plɛ̃ də bo pʁo.ʒɛ/
Happy New Year, good health, and lots of great projects!

At Work Or In Formal Contexts

Here you keep it polite, maybe slightly more standard.

French | IPA | English
Bonne année, je vous souhaite beaucoup de succès. | /bɔn a.ne ʒə vu swɛt bo.ku də syk.sɛ/ | Happy New Year, I wish you lots of success.
Je vous présente tous mes vœux pour cette nouvelle année. | /ʒə vu pʁe.zɑ̃t tu me vø puʁ sɛt nu.vɛl a.ne/ | I offer you all my best wishes for this new year.
Bonne année à vous et à votre famille. | /bɔn a.ne a vu e a vɔtʁ fa.mij/ | Happy New Year to you and your family.

That last one is very useful if you want to sound both polite and warm without overcomplicating things.

With Messages, Cards And Emails

For written New Year wishes, French often goes a little more formal or poetic than spoken language.

French | IPA | English
Meilleurs vœux pour cette nouvelle année. | /mɛ.jœʁ vø puʁ sɛt nu.vɛl a.ne/ | Best wishes for this new year.
Je te souhaite une belle année 2026, pleine de joie et de réussite. | /ʒə tə swɛt yn bɛl a.ne dø mil sɛz plɛn də ʒwa e də ʁe.y.sit/ | I wish you a wonderful 2026, full of joy and success.
Je vous souhaite une excellente année, riche en beaux projets. | /ʒə vu swɛt yn ɛk.sɛ.lɑ̃t a.ne ʁiʃ ɑ̃ bo pʁo.ʒɛ/ | I wish you an excellent year, full of great projects.

For texts to friends, you can just go:

Bonne année !!! 🎉
/bɔn a.ne/
Happy New Year!!! 🎉

Or:

Bonne année, gros bisous !
/bɔn a.ne ɡʁo bi.zu/
Happy New Year, big kisses!

Midnight Chaos: What People Actually Shout

At midnight, it’s less about perfect sentences and more about surviving the noise and the cheek-kissing.

Words you’ll hear:

A typical sequence:

You clink glasses, maybe shout Trois, deux, un… BONNE ANNÉE ! /tʁwa dø ɛ̃ bɔn a.ne/ — three, two, one, Happy New Year!

Then you kiss people on the cheeks and say:

Bonne année !
/bɔn a.ne/
Happy New Year!

Bonne année, plein de bonheur !
/bɔn a.ne plɛ̃ də bɔ.nœʁ/
Happy New Year, lots of happiness!

No one is judging your grammar at this point. They’re mostly aiming their glass away from your face.

Region Notes: France, Québec And Beyond

In France:

Bonne année is standard everywhere.
People keep saying it through much of January when they see someone for the first time.
Bonne année, bonne santé is extremely common.

In Québec and other francophone regions:

You’ll still hear Bonne année, but some expressions and frequency may vary.
The idea of continuing to wish people Happy New Year into January is also present, though habits differ by context.

If your goal is France French, everything in this article will sound natural in Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Lille, Marseille and most of the country.

Mini Dialogues: New Year In Real French

Dialogue 1: At Midnight

Bonne année !
/bɔn a.ne/
Happy New Year!

Bonne année, bonne santé !
/bɔn a.ne bɔn sɑ̃.te/
Happy New Year, good health!

À toi aussi, plein de bonheur cette année.
/a twa o.si plɛ̃ də bɔ.nœʁ sɛt a.ne/
To you too, lots of happiness this year.

On trinque ?
/ɔ̃ tʁɛ̃k/
Shall we toast?

Dialogue 2: First Day Back At Work

Bonne année, ça va ?
/bɔn a.ne sa va/
Happy New Year, how’s it going?

Bonne année ! Tu as passé de bonnes fêtes ?
/bɔn a.ne ty a pa.se də bɔn fɛt/
Happy New Year! Did you have a good holiday?

Oui, très bien, merci. Et toi ?
/wi tʁɛ bjɛ̃ mɛʁ.si e twa/
Yeah, really good, thanks. And you?

Super, on se souhaite une année plus calme, hein.
/sy.pɛʁ ɔ̃ sə swɛt yn a.ne ply kalm ɛ̃/
Great, let’s wish for a calmer year, huh.

Dialogue 3: Texting A Friend On January 1st

Bonne année !!! 🎉
/bɔn a.ne/
Happy New Year!!! 🎉

Bonne année, plein de beaux voyages pour toi cette année !
/bɔn a.ne plɛ̃ də bo vwa.jaʒ puʁ twa sɛt a.ne/
Happy New Year, lots of great trips for you this year!

Merci, je te souhaite beaucoup de bonheur. ❤️
/mɛʁ.si ʒə tə swɛt bo.ku də bɔ.nœʁ/
Thanks, I wish you lots of happiness. ❤️

On fête ça bientôt ?
/ɔ̃ fɛt sa bjɛ̃.to/
We celebrate that soon?

Quick Reference: Happy New Year Phrases In French

Five-Minute Practice Plan: New Year Edition

Core Phrase Loop
Say out loud ten times:
Bonne année → Bonne année, bonne santé → Meilleurs vœux.
Focus on the nasal sounds in bonne /bɔn/ and santé /sɑ̃.te/.
Three Situations, Three Lines
Write one New Year wish for each:
- A close friend
- A coworker you like but use vous with
- A whole group (class, team, family)
  Read each aloud and adjust until it feels natural.
January Office Roleplay
Stand up, imagine you walk into an office, and say:
Bonne année, ça va ? then answer yourself:
Bonne année, oui ça va, merci.
Repeat a few times until it flows without thinking.
Message Templates
On your phone or in your notes, create two reusable French New Year messages:
- One short and casual (Bonne année !!! 🎉).
- One longer and warmer (Je te souhaite une belle année, pleine de bonheur et de projets).
Ear Training Mission
Next time you watch or listen to something in French around New Year, try to catch how fast they say Bonne année and what they add after it. See how close it is to your own phrases.

Starting Your Year Like A French Yak

Once you know how Bonne année, Bonne année, bonne santé, and Meilleurs vœux really work, January in French stops feeling like a social obstacle course. You’ll know what to shout at midnight, what to say at the office on January 9th, and what to type to that friend you swear you’re going to visit this year. And if the year turns out a bit chaotic anyway? At least your French New Year wishes will be flawless.