How do you say "wish" in French?

souhaiter

Verb Noun

In French, "wish" is souhaiter.

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Pronunciation

Say soo-eh-TAY, with a soft first syllable and the stress falling on the final ay.

Grammar notes

souhaiter is a verb used the same way as its English equivalent.

Example sentence

Je te souhaite un joyeux anniversaire.

I wish you a happy birthday.

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How to remember souhaiter

You might whisper a wish quietly, and souhaiter starts with a similarly soft sound.

Related words

Browse all French words in the glossary.

Questions about souhaiter

How do you pronounce souhaiter?

Say soo-eh-TAY, with a soft first syllable and the stress falling on the final ay.

Is souhaiter formal or casual?

souhaiter is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is souhaiter used in French?

souhaiter is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: Je te souhaite un joyeux anniversaire. (I wish you a happy birthday.).

Where can I practice French words for free?

You can play free French minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the French glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Wish" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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