How to say happy birthday in French?

One of your French friend is going to celebrate his birthday soon and you would like to congratulate him.
Here is how to wish a happy birthday in french.

Contents
1 How do French people celebrate birthdays?
2 Two ways to say “happy birthday” in French
2.1 Bon anniversaire
2.2 Joyeux anniversaire
2.3 Bonne fête
2.4 How to wish a happy belated birthday?

How do French people celebrate birthdays?

French people celebrate their birthday the same way as people in most other countries. A birthday celebration traditionally includes lots of gifts
and a delicious cake. But this vary depending on the person.
The birthday gift can be virtually anything, but if you don’t know the person very well, chocolate, flowers (if it’s a woman) or a nice bottle of
wine are safe choices.

Two ways to say “happy birthday” in French

Bon anniversaire
Literally “good birthday”. This is a common way to wish a happy birthday to someone in French.
Note that “anniversaire” doesn’t have the same meaning as “anniversary” in English.
“Anniversaire” alone refers to someone’s birthday.
If you want to talk about a wedding anniversary, you need to be more precise and say “anniversaire de mariage“.

Joyeux anniversaire
This one literally means “joyful birthday“.
This is another common way to say “happy birthday” in French, and the choice between “bon anniversaire” and “joyeux anniversaire” is simply a
matter of personal preference.

Bonne fête
If you are in Québec, you can use “bonne fête” (literally : good party/celebration) instead.
This also works in France, but isn’t precise enough. In France “bonne fête” mostly refers to christmas and New Year. Usually it’s used in the
plural form “bonnes fêtes”.
Note : I pronounced “bonne fête” with a French accent, the Canadian pronunciation may be different.

How to wish a happy belated birthday?

If you missed someone’s birthday and would like to wish a happy belated birthday, you can add “avec un peu de retard” (a little late) at the end
of the previous sentences.
This literally means “with a little bit of lateness”.
Je te souhaite un bon anniversaire, avec un peu de retard.
I wish you a happy belated birthday.