Good Luck In French (Bonne Chance And What People Actually Say)

The first time someone wished me “good luck” in France, it sounded… suspicious. I was about to call my internet provider (a heroic quest), and my French flatmate said, with a sympathetic smile: Bon courage /bɔ̃ ku.ʁaʒ/ — literally “good courage.” I’d been waiting for bonne chance /bɔn ʃɑ̃s/ — good luck, and suddenly felt like I was going into battle, not a phone call.

Later that week, I used bonne chance for everything. Exam? Bonne chance. Job interview? Bonne chance. Friend trying to assemble IKEA furniture? Bonne chance. Eventually someone laughed and said, “You know, we use bon courage or other phrases more often, right? Bonne chance is fine, but sometimes sounds like ‘You’ll need it.’”

So this guide is the shortcut I wish I’d had pinned to my fridge. By the end, you’ll know when to use bonne chance, when bon courage is better, how to wish someone luck in exams, sports, and performances, and how to say “fingers crossed” like a real French human, not a walking dictionary.

Quick Primer: Bonne Chance vs Bon Courage (The Big Fork In The Road)

Let’s start with the two phrases you’ll see everywhere:

bonne chance /bɔn ʃɑ̃s/ — good luck
bon courage /bɔ̃ ku.ʁaʒ/ — hang in there, you’ve got this, “good luck” with effort

Very rough rule:

bonne chance is more about chance and outcome.
bon courage is more about effort, difficulty, and support.

French people often prefer bon courage when someone is about to do something hard, stressful, or annoying: workday, exam, surgery, bureaucracy, moving house, Monday.

So:

Lottery ticket, game, something very luck-based? bonne chance.
Long exam, job interview prep, awful phone call, big project? bon courage.

If you only remember one phrase for daily life, bon courage will get used way more than you expect.

Saying “Good Luck” With Bonne Chance (And When It Fits)

bonne chance /bɔn ʃɑ̃s/ — good luck is absolutely valid. You just want to use it where the focus is more on luck or outcome than on slogging through.

French | IPA | English
bonne chance | /bɔn ʃɑ̃s/ | good luck

Example use:

Usage notes:

With friends you say Bonne chance using tu /ty/, with polite vous /vu/ it becomes Bonne chance pour votre examen.
In casual talk, it can sometimes sound a tiny bit like “Well… you’ll need it,” especially with the wrong tone or face. Think supportive, not sarcastic.

When in doubt, you can soften it by adding something encouraging:

French | IPA | English
Bonne chance, tu vas assurer. | /bɔn ʃɑ̃s ty va a.sy.ʁe/ | Good luck, you’re going to nail it.

Bon Courage: The Everyday “You’ve Got This”

If bonne chance is a coin toss, bon courage /bɔ̃ ku.ʁaʒ/ is a hand on your shoulder.

French | IPA | English
bon courage | /bɔ̃ ku.ʁaʒ/ | hang in there, stay strong, you’ve got this

Where you’ll hear it:

When you say you’re going to work or back to work
When you mention a long day, stressful project, or boring task
In shops or offices when you leave: Bon courage pour la suite. /bɔ̃ ku.ʁaʒ puʁ la sɥit/ — good luck with the rest (of your day, situation).

Examples:

Usage notes:

You can say this to strangers. If someone at the checkout says your day looks busy, Bon courage pour la journée /bɔ̃ ku.ʁaʒ puʁ la ʒuʁ.ne/ is perfectly normal.
It’s supportive, not dramatic. Think “You’ve got this,” not “May God be with you.”

Good Luck For Exams, Interviews And Projects

You’re going to say this a lot, so let’s give you ready-made lines.

Exams

Job Interviews

Big Projects Or Presentations

Usage tip:
For anything that involves work and effort, bon courage + a supportive sentence (Tu vas gérer, Tu vas assurer) often feels more natural than just bonne chance.

Fingers Crossed, Knock On Wood And… Merde

Sometimes you’re not just saying “good luck,” you’re invoking all the tiny superstitions too.

Fingers Crossed

This is friendly and very common, especially in messages.

Knock On Wood

French | IPA | English
Je touche du bois. | /ʒə tuʃ dy bwa/ | I’m knocking on wood.

Used when you hope something continues to go well.

“Break A Leg” For Performers: Saying Merde

In theatre and performance contexts, instead of “good luck,” people say merde /mɛʁd/ — literally “shit.”

Usage notes:

This is informal and specific to performances (theatre, dance, sometimes exams among friends who know the tradition).
Don’t say this to your boss before their big shareholder presentation unless you’re very sure of the relationship.

Real-Life “Good Luck” Moments (And What French People Actually Say)

Let’s plug these into real French life.

When Someone Leaves For Work

French | IPA | English
Bon, je vais au boulot. | /bɔ̃ ʒə vɛ o bu.lo/ | Okay, I’m off to work.

Likely answers:

Before An Exam

French | IPA | English
J’ai un examen tout à l’heure. | /ʒe ɛ̃n ɛɡ.za.mɛ̃ tu.ta.lœʁ/ | I’ve got an exam in a bit.

Friend says:

Before A Performance

French | IPA | English
Je monte sur scène dans cinq minutes. | /ʒə mɔ̃t syʁ sɛn dɑ̃ sɛ̃k mi.nyt/ | I go on stage in five minutes.

Friend says:

French | IPA | English
Merde pour ce soir, tu vas être génial. | /mɛʁd puʁ sə swaʁ ty va ɛtʁ ʒe.njal/ | Break a leg tonight, you’ll be great.

Mini Dialogues: Good Luck In Action

Dialogue 1: Exam Day

Tu passes ton examen aujourd’hui ?
/ty pas tɔ̃n ɛɡ.za.mɛ̃ o.ʒuʁ.dɥi/
You’re taking your exam today?

Oui, à quatorze heures.
/wi a ka.tɔʁ.z‿œʁ/
Yeah, at two p.m.

Bon courage, tu as bien révisé.
/bɔ̃ ku.ʁaʒ ty a bjɛ̃ ʁe.vi.ze/
Good luck, you studied well.

Merci, je croise les doigts.
/mɛʁ.si ʒə kʁwaz le dwa/
Thanks, fingers crossed.

Dialogue 2: Leaving The Office Late

Bon, je retourne au bureau, j’ai encore beaucoup de travail.
/bɔ̃ ʒə ʁə.tuʁn o by.ʁo ʒe ɑ̃.kɔʁ bo.ku də tʁa.vaj/
Okay, I’m going back to the office, I still have a lot of work.

Ah ouais, bon courage pour ce soir.
/a wɛ bɔ̃ ku.ʁaʒ puʁ sə swaʁ/
Ah yeah, good luck with tonight.

Merci, bonne soirée à toi.
/mɛʁ.si bɔn swa.ʁe a twa/
Thanks, have a good evening.

Dialogue 3: Before A Show

Stressé pour le spectacle ?
/stʁe.se puʁ lə spɛk.takl/
Stressed for the show?

Un peu, oui.
/ɛ̃ pø wi/
A bit, yeah.

Allez, merde pour ce soir, tu vas assurer.
/a.lɛ mɛʁd puʁ sə swaʁ ty va a.sy.ʁe/
Come on, break a leg tonight, you’re going to nail it.

Merci, ça fait du bien d’entendre ça.
/mɛʁ.si sa fe dy bjɛ̃ d‿ɑ̃.tɑ̃dʁ sa/
Thanks, it feels good to hear that.

Quick Reference: Good Luck Expressions In French

Five-Minute Practice Plan: Train Your French “Good Luck” Muscle

Bonne Chance vs Bon Courage Drill
Say each phrase out loud five times:
Bonne chance / Bon courage.
Then say one sentence where you’d use each (exam vs long project).
Exam + Interview Templates
Write two messages you could actually send:
- One for an exam (use bonne chance + je croise les doigts).
- One for a job interview (use bon courage + tu vas assurer).
  Read them aloud.
Fingers Crossed Practice
Practice saying: Je croise les doigts pour toi and Je touche du bois.
Record yourself once and listen, focusing on croise /kʁwaz/ and bois /bwa/.
Performance Mode
Stand up and pretend your friend is going on stage. Say:
Merde pour ce soir, tu vas être génial.
/mɛʁd puʁ sə swaʁ ty va ɛtʁ ʒe.njal/
Do it twice, once quietly, once like a supportive maniac.
Real-Life Test
Next time someone tells you in any language, “I’ve got an exam / interview / big day,” respond in French with one of your new combos:
Bon courage, je croise les doigts pour toi.

The Secret Superpower Of Bon Courage

Learning bonne chance is easy; the real magic is noticing how often French people say bon courage instead. Once you get that reflex, you stop sounding like a phrasebook and start sounding like someone who’s actually been through Monday mornings, bureaucratic phone calls, and long exams in France. And honestly, if you’ve survived French customer service as a learner, bon courage is something you’ve already earned.