Learning French: what does à tes souhaits mean and when should it be used?
This polite phrase can change depending on the number of times a person consecutively sneezes
You are sure to say this phrase during cold season unless you want to be considered rude
Miljan Zivkovic / Shutterstock
Ah… ah… achoo!
Winter is almost here and with it comes the coughs and sniffles of cold and flu season. You might be wondering what the polite French response is to someone who sneezes.
We look at how à tes souhaits changes depending on the number of sneezes and why the origins of this phrase date back to the 14th Century.
Read also: France's 2024-2025 flu and Covid-19 vaccination campaign: aiming to reverse falling rates
What does à tes souhaits mean?
It literally translates as: to your wishes.
This social nicety is said after someone sneezes, comparable to ‘bless you,’ in English.
However, unlike the English equivalent, à tes souhaits has no religious connotations today.
You would say à tes souhaits or à vos souhaits depending on how well you know the person or how formal the situation is.
Read also: Why do English people say ‘excuse my French’?
What are the origins of à tes souhaits?
This polite custom started in France in the 14th Century, during the plague epidemic.
The Pope at the time asked for anyone who sneezed to be immediately blessed, as sneezing was one of the first plague symptoms.
Uttering à vos souhaits implied that people were praying for their own good health and the health of those around them.
Read also: Temperature drop in France: government advice on how to stay healthy
When do you say à tes souhaits?
It is most often used as a stand-alone response whenever you hear: achoo!
Fun fact: the written French representation of a sneezing sound is ‘atchoum’ and this is also the translated name of Sneezy in the French version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
The polite response to a sneeze can also evolve depending on how many times it happens in a row.
First sneeze:
Second sneeze:
The person who is sneezing might then reply:
To whom do you say à tes souhaits?
It is a polite term to be used with friends and family.
You can also say this to strangers or colleagues but remember to consider whether you should tutoie (use tes) or vouvoie (use vos), depending on the context.
Read more: ‘Vous? Tu? French people are more worried about mistakes than I am’
