Do you know how to say 'when is your birthday' in French? Here is the answer: Quand est-ce qu’est ton anniversaire ?
Is there only one way to say it? ...mmm... I don’t think so.
I invite you to read this article because you will learn MUCH MORE than just a sentence. By the end of this article, you will be:
- comfortable engaging in a dialogue (with native French speakers) related to the theme of birthdays.
- able to express dates in general and birthdays in French PERFECTLY.
It might be a bit challenging at the moment, but after reading the various paragraphs, working with the two dialogues, and completing the final exercise, EVERYTHING WILL BE UNDERSTOOD AND EASY.
I'm Thomas Ricomard, I've been teaching French for over 7 years to students from all around the world.
Expressing birthdays in French
I give you here key phrases and vocabulary for sharing and asking for birthdays in the French language, so if you don’t know and you want to know how to do this, I invite you to read the following, here we go!
Let’s see first...
10 common phrases to share your birthday
How to tell someone your birthday using basic French expressions?
1 - C’est mon anniversaire aujourd’hui.
It's my birthday, today.
2 - C’est le jour de ma naissance, aujourd’hui.
It's the day of my birth, today.
3 - C’est ma date de naissance, aujourd’hui !
It's my birthdate, today!
4 - Aujourd’hui, c’est ma date d’anniversaire !
Today, is my anniversary date!
5 - Demain, je souffle une bougie de plus.
Tomorrow, I'll be blowing out one more candle.
6 - Je célèbre mon anniversaire mercredi prochain, le 2 Novembre.
I'm celebrating my birthday next Wednesday, on November 2nd.
7 - J’ai un an de plus, aujourd’hui.
I'm a year older, today.
8 - Je fêterai un an de plus, demain.
I'll be celebrating one more year, tomorrow.
9 - Aujourd’hui, c’est le jour où je prends un an de plus !
Today, is the day I turn a year older!
10 - Je célèbre une nouvelle année.
I'm celebrating a new year.
And then...
10 ways to ask someone about their birthday
How to ask someone when their birthday is in polite French contexts, in 5 ways?
1 - Pourriez-vous me communiquer la date de votre anniversaire, s'il vous plaît ?
Could you please provide me with the date of your birthday?
2 - Avez-vous la gentillesse de me dire quand vous célébrez votre anniversaire ?
Would you be so kind as to tell me when you celebrate your birthday?
3 - Pourriez-vous m'indiquer la date de votre anniversaire pour que je puisse marquer cette occasion spéciale dans notre calendrier ?
Could you let me know the date of your birthday so that I can mark this special occasion on our calendar?
4 - Serait-il envisageable de me fournir la date exacte de votre naissance pour mettre à jour nos informations personnelles ?
Would it be possible for you to provide me with the exact date of your birth to update our personal information?
5 - Pourriez-vous me communiquer la date de votre anniversaire afin que je puisse le noter correctement dans nos registres ?
Could you inform me of the date of your birthday so that I can record it accurately in our records?
How to ask someone when their birthday is in familiar French contexts, in 5 ways?
1 - Quand est-ce que tu es né ?
When were you born?
2 - C'est quoi ta date de naissance déjà ?
What's your date of birth again?
3 - Ton anniversaire est quand ? / Ton anniversaire c'est quand ?
The literal translation would be 'Your birthday is when?'
4 - Je ne me rappelle jamais, tu es né(e) quand exactement ?
I never remember, when were you born exactly?
5 - Quand est-ce que tu souffles tes bougies ?
When do you blow out your candles?
How to make a good invitation in French?
Have a look at the summer in French article.
The older you get the better you get, unless you are a banana.
Betty White
Structure dates in French
To understand how dates are expressed in French!
The French calendar: days and months
What are the French words for the seven days of the week and the twelve months of the year?
Here are the French words for the seven days of the week
French | English |
Le lundi | Monday |
Le mardi | Tuesday |
Le mercredi | Wednesday |
Le jeudi | Thursday |
Le vendredi | Friday |
Le samedi | Saturday |
Le dimanche | Sunday |
To improve your pronunciation, have a look at how to say the seven days of the week in French?
Here rare the French words for the twelve months of the year
French | English |
Janvier | January |
Février | February |
Mars | March |
Avril | April |
Mai | May |
Juin | June |
Juillet | July |
Août | August |
Septembre | September |
Octobre | October |
Novembre | November |
Décembre | December |
Ordinal numbers and their usage
How to structure ordinal numbers when specifying dates, particularly for birthdates?
In French, when we want to specify a date, first we specify the number of the day, secondly the month, and thirdly we mention the year:
- the day
- the month
- the year
Here are 5 dates as examples with two different ways of writing them
Le 5 août 2002 - the5thof August2002 - August 5th, 2002 - August 5, 2002
05/08/2002 - 08/05/2002
Le 4 avril 1987 - the 4th of April 1987 - April 4th, 1987 - April 4, 1987
04/04/1987 - 04/04/1987
Le 30 Octobre 2024 - the 30th of October 2024 - October 30th, 2024 - October 30, 2024
30/10/2024 -10/30/2024
Le 7 décembre 2028 - the7th of December 2028 - December 7th, 2028 - December 7, 2028
07/12/2028 -12/07/2028
Le 8 Juin 1937 - the 8th of June 1937 - June 8th, 1937 - June 8, 1937
08/06/1937 - 06/08/1937
Here are 5 dates of birth as examples
Mon anniversaire est le 6 Juin 1987.
My birthday is on June 6, 1987.
Mon anniversaire est ce mois-ci, c’est le 3.
My birthday is this month, it's on the 3rd.
Elle a son anniversaire en juillet, le 20.
Her birthday is in July, on the 20th.
Le 9 décembre c’est l’anniversaire de Sophie.
December 9th is Sophie's birthday.
Il est né en 1937, le 4 septembre.
He was born in 1937, on September 4th.
To see more examples with dates, have a look at French writing date letters verbs.
The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.
Oprah Winfrey
Celebrating birthdays in French culture
Explore the customs and traditions associated with birthdays in French-speaking countries.
Typical French birthday celebrations
Discover what a typical birthday party looks like in France and how it's celebrated.
Family and/or friends meeting | In France, birthday celebrations are generally attended by friends and close family. |
A place to celebrate | There are many places to celebrate a birthday (home, restaurant, bar, night club). |
Giving gifts | Guests bring gifts wrapped in gift paper. |
Birthday cake | There's always a birthday cake with candles on it, and the number of candles corresponds to the age of the birthday boy or girl. |
Conviviality | Everyone wants to have a good time, so the emphasis is on sharing good times between people. |
Games | Games can be organized, especially for children. |
Singing one of the most famous French song | The title of the song is Joyeux Anniversaire, family and friends sing it in honor of the birthday boy or girl. |
Click on these 2 videos to learn the very famous French song Joyeux Anniversaire.
Gift-giving etiquette
The dos and don'ts of giving birthday gifts in a French cultural context.
The dos
Choose the right gift | Choose a gift that shows you know the person and know what makes them happy. |
Make a neat gift wrap | In France, beautiful packaging is always appreciated, as it shows that you've taken the time to make an attractive presentation for the birthday boy or girl. |
A small card | Add a small card with a personal message, in French culture words are important and always appreciated, because you took the time to write a kind word. |
Offer experiences | People like sharing a box of chocolate, for example. |
Gifts to share | Everyone wants to have a good time, so the emphasis is on sharing good times between people. |
The don’ts
Overpriced gifts | It may make the person feel uncomfortable, or it may be misinterpreted. |
Wrong choice 1 | Choose a gift that shows you've thought about what would please the person. |
Wrong choice 2 | It's best not to give gifts that may be politically or religiously controversial. |
Respect traditions | Follow in the footsteps of birthday gift traditions, if need be. |
Which French pastries would you bring to celebrate?
Do you know how to ordering in a French restaurant?
Practicing birthday-related conversations
Practical language exercises and scenarios to reinforce your ability to discuss birthdays in French.
Role-playing scenarios
Engage in typical dialogues that focus on sharing and inquiring about birthdays. I invite you to practice these dialogues with someone else, make it interactive, it’s more fun!
Dialogue 1
Julie : C’est bientôt l’anniversaire de Claire, ce serait sympa d’organiser un évènement-surprise.
Claire's birthday is coming up soon; it would be nice to organize a surprise event.
Sophie : Oui. Je suis d’accord pour t’aider à l’organsier, tu as des idées ?
Yes, I agree to help you organize it. Do you have any ideas?
Julie : Elle est curieuse, elle aime vivre de nouvelles expériences, je pense qu’un dîner dans un restaurant dans lequel on peut assister à un spectacle original est une bonne idée.
She's curious and enjoys new experiences. I think a dinner at a restaurant where we can watch an original show is a good idea.
Sophie : Génial, je vais regarder son compte Facebook pour voir si je trouve indices.
Great, I'll check her Facebook account to see if I can find any clues.
Julie : Super, merci. On va bien s’amuser.
Awesome, thanks. We're going to have a great time.
Dialogue 2
Camille : Bertrand m’a dit que c’est l’anniversaire de Jules bientôt. Quelle est la date ?
Bertrand told me that Jules's birthday is coming up. What's the date?
Julien : C’est le 2 juillet, il est né en 1988.
It's on July 2nd, he was born in 1988.
Camille : Tu as une idée de cadeau à lui offrir ?
Do you have any gift ideas for him?
Julien : Il me semble qu’il aime beaucoup marcher, peut-être que des chaussures de montagne lui ferait plaisir. Je vais demander à sa mère pour être sûr.
I think he really enjoys hiking, so maybe a pair of mountain boots would make him happy. I'll check with his mom to be sure.
Written exercises
Work on writing exercises that help solidify your understanding of dates and birthday vocabulary.
(write your answers in the comments and i’ll give you a feed-back)
To enrich your vocabulary, read this list of French adjectives.
FAQ
What is the French word for ‘birthday’?
The French word for ‘birthday’ is anniversaire.
In French, how do you say ‘My birthday is on...’?
Mon anniversaire est le 27 mars, je suis né en 1982.
My birthday is on March 27th, I was born in 1982.
Is there a special birthday song in French?
Yes, it’s one of the most famous song in France. The title of the song is Joyeux Anniversaire.
Thank you for reading this article!
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write them below and I’ll get back to you.
Thomas, your French teacher 🙂
Resources
https://www.elle.fr/Elle-a-Table/Fiches-cuisine/Tous-les-themes/Recettes-gateau-d-anniversaire
https://www.marieclaire.fr/idees/diy-anniversaire,2615509.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthday_cake
Thomas Ricomard specializes in teaching French as a foreign language. He has been providing private lessons since 2015, both in-person and online (via Skype). He taught at the Popular University of the Canton of Geneva (Switzerland) from 2015 to 2018, instructing several groups of 20 students from around the world (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mexico, etc.), ranging from beginner to intermediate levels (A1 to B2). With a Master’s degree in clinical and cognitive psychology from the University of Geneva, his knowledge of psychology allows him to tailor his teaching methods for optimal learning, taking into account factors such as visual memory versus auditory memory. He expresses his passion for the French language through writing texts, including poetry and songs, which he presents publicly at numerous music and slam events.