When you're feeling good, the go-to French word you probably think of is 'heureux' (or 'heureuse' for feminine). But just like in English, there are so many shades of happiness!

From feeling content to absolutely overjoyed, the French language offers a rich palette of expressions to perfectly capture your mood.

Want to sound more natural and express exactly how you're feeling? Let's dive into 9 fantastic ways to say 'happy' in French, adding a beautiful nuance to your vocabulary!

The standard 'happy' – heureux/heureuse

Heureux/heureuse is the most common and direct word for 'happy' in French.

Like many French adjectives, heureux changes its form to agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Here’s how it breaks down:heureux - masculine singular (e.g., un homme heureux - a happy man)heureuse - feminine singular (e.g., une femme heureuse - a happy woman)heureux - masculine plural (e.g., des hommes heureux - happy men)heureuses - feminine plural (e.g., des femmes heureuses - happy women)

This versatile adjective can be used in almost any situation, from formal declarations to casual conversations, making it your go-to word for expressing happiness in French.

While heureux/heureuse primarily means 'happy,' it can also convey a sense of 'lucky' or 'fortunate' in certain contexts, though 'lucky' often has its own specific word (chanceux/chanceuse).

To use heureux/heureuse, you typically pair it with the verb être (to be). For example, Je suis heureux (I am happy - masculine speaker) or Elle est heureuse (She is happy). You can also use it with verbs like rendre (to make) to say 'to make someone happy,' as in Ça me rend heureux (That makes me happy).

So, if you want to say 'I am happy,' you'd say Je suis heureux (if you're male) or Je suis heureuse (if you're female). To describe a happy event, you might say C'est un événement heureux (It's a happy event).

While heureux/heureuse is standard, be aware that context can sometimes slightly shift its nuance. For instance, heureux hasard means 'happy coincidence' or 'lucky chance,' showing its connection to fortune.

Fortunately, knowing which form to use is straightforward once you identify the gender and number of the person or thing being described. The context will almost always clarify the 'happy' versus 'lucky' meaning.

In French culture, expressing happiness is often done directly with heureux/heureuse. While French people are sometimes stereotyped as reserved, they readily use this word to convey genuine joy, whether for personal feelings, events, or outcomes.

💡 * Je suis très heureux de te voir. (I am very happy to see you - masculine speaker.)

Elle est heureuse avec son nouveau travail. (She is happy with her new job.)

Nous sommes heureux ensemble. (We are happy together.)

C'est un jour heureux pour nous tous. (It's a happy day for all of us.)

Vos enfants ont l'air très heureux. (Your children look very happy.)

The common 'pleased' or 'content' – content/contente

When you want to express that you are 'pleased' or 'content' in French, the adjective you'll most commonly use is content (masculine singular) or contente (feminine singular).

Like many French adjectives, content must agree in gender and number with the noun or pronoun it modifies. So, for a masculine plural, it becomes contents, and for a feminine plural, it's contentes.

You'll often find content/contente followed by the preposition de when expressing being pleased about something or to do something (e.g., content de te voir - pleased to see you). It can also be followed by que + subjunctive to express being pleased that something happened.

Content/contente conveys a sense of satisfaction, happiness, or being pleased. It's a versatile adjective that describes a general feeling of well-being, but not necessarily intense joy or ecstasy, which might be better expressed with words like heureux/heureuse.

This adjective is fundamental for everyday French conversation, allowing you to express satisfaction in a wide range of situations, from being happy with a result to simply feeling good about something.

💡 * Je suis content de te voir. (I'm pleased to see you.)

Elle est très contente de son nouveau travail. (She is very happy with her new job.)

Nous sommes contents que tu sois là. (We are pleased that you are here.)

Les enfants étaient contents de jouer dehors. (The children were happy to play outside.)

Êtes-vous content de la décision ? (Are you content with the decision?)

The 'joyful' or 'merry' – joyeux/joyeuse

The French adjective joyeux (masculine singular) or joyeuse (feminine singular) translates to 'joyful', 'merry', or 'cheerful'.

The base form is joyeux, used for masculine singular nouns. When modifying a feminine singular noun, it becomes joyeuse.

For plural nouns, the masculine form remains joyeux (e.g., des moments joyeux - joyful moments), while the feminine plural is joyeuses (e.g., des fêtes joyeuses - joyful celebrations).

One of the most common ways you'll encounter joyeux/joyeuse is in widely used holiday greetings, such as Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas) or Joyeux Anniversaire (Happy Birthday).

Beyond greetings, you can use joyeux/joyeuse to describe someone who is cheerful, an event that is festive, or a mood that is upbeat and full of joy and merriment.

While often used interchangeably with heureux/heureuse (happy), joyeux/joyeuse carries a stronger connotation of active, outward joy and a sense of celebration rather than just contentment.

💡 * Joyeux Anniversaire ! (Happy Birthday!)

Elle a une personnalité très joyeuse. (She has a very joyful personality.)

Nous avons passé un week-end joyeux à la campagne. (We spent a joyful weekend in the countryside.)

Ce sont des enfants joyeux et pleins d'énergie. (They are joyful and energetic children.)

Il nous a souhaité de joyeuses fêtes. (He wished us happy holidays.)

The 'delighted' or 'thrilled' – ravi/ravie

The French adjective ravi (masculine singular) or ravie (feminine singular) translates to “delighted,” “thrilled,” or “very pleased” in English. It expresses a strong feeling of joy or satisfaction.

It is most commonly used with the verb être (to be), forming expressions such as être ravi(e) de... (to be delighted to...). This construction is frequently used to express pleasure at an event, meeting someone, or receiving good news.

Unlike simply content(e) (happy/pleased), ravi(e) conveys a heightened sense of pleasure, often implying a sense of being 'charmed' or 'enchanted' by something. It suggests a more intense and often unexpected joy.

As an adjective, ravi/ravie must agree in gender and number with the noun or pronoun it modifies. So you'll see ravi (masculine singular), ravie (feminine singular), ravis (masculine plural), and ravies (feminine plural).

💡 * Je suis ravi de vous rencontrer. (I am delighted to meet you. - said by a male)

Elle est ravie de sa nouvelle voiture. (She is thrilled with her new car.)

Nous sommes ravis d'apprendre la bonne nouvelle. (We are delighted to hear the good news.)

Les filles étaient ravies de leur cadeau. (The girls were thrilled with their gift.)

Tu as l'air ravie, qu'est-ce qui se passe ? (You look delighted, what's happening? - said to a female)

The 'charmed' or 'delighted' (often for meeting someone) – enchanté/enchantée

Enchanté (masculine) and enchantée (feminine) literally mean 'enchanted' or 'charmed.' In French, it's most commonly used as a polite and enthusiastic way to say 'Nice to meet you' or 'Delighted to meet you.'

While enchanté is polite, it's versatile and can be used in both formal and informal settings. It conveys genuine pleasure in an introduction, making it a warmer alternative to a simple Bonjour.

Remember to use the correct gender agreement: enchanté if you are male, and enchantée if you are female. This is crucial for proper French grammar, even when used as a standalone greeting.

Beyond introductions, enchanté/enchantée can also describe something that is literally 'enchanted' or 'magical,' like a forest or a story. However, its primary use as a greeting is far more common in everyday conversation.

When meeting someone new in French, enchanté/enchantée is an excellent, polite, and friendly phrase to express your pleasure at the introduction. It's a staple for making a good first impression.

💡 * Enchanté, Monsieur Dubois. (Nice to meet you, Mr. Dubois - said by a male)

Enchantée, Madame Martin. (Nice to meet you, Mrs. Martin - said by a female)

Je suis enchanté de faire votre connaissance. (I am delighted to make your acquaintance - said by a male)

Elle était enchantée de nous voir. (She was delighted to see us.)

The 'fulfilled' or 'completely happy' – comblé/comblée

The French adjective comblé/comblée (masculine/feminine) translates to “fulfilled,” “overjoyed,” or “completely happy.” It comes from the verb combler, meaning “to fill” or “to heap,” which gives a sense of being filled to the brim with happiness or satisfaction.

You'll often hear comblé/comblée used when someone's wishes, dreams, or expectations have been abundantly met. It implies a deep satisfaction, as if all their hopes have been 'filled' or 'granted'. This can apply to personal life, career, or any significant life event.

Another common usage is to describe someone who has been showered with gifts, attention, or affection to the point of feeling truly comblé. It suggests an abundance that leaves them feeling deeply grateful and content.

While heureux/heureuse simply means “happy,” comblé/comblée denotes a much stronger, more profound state of happiness and contentment. It signifies that one's cup is truly overflowing with joy.

💡 *Je suis comblée par ma nouvelle vie en France. (I am completely fulfilled by my new life in France.)
*Il est comblé depuis la naissance de son enfant. (He is overjoyed since the birth of his child.)
*Grâce à tous vos cadeaux, je me sens vraiment comblée ! (Thanks to all your gifts, I feel truly overwhelmed with happiness!)
*Elle est comblée par son travail. (She is completely happy/fulfilled by her job.)
*Nous sommes comblés de vous avoir parmi nous. (We are overjoyed to have you among us.)

The 'smiling' or 'cheerful' (implying happiness) – souriant/souriante

The adjective souriant (masculine) or souriante (feminine) directly translates to “smiling.” It describes someone who is actively smiling or has a tendency to smile.

Beyond the literal act of smiling, souriant/souriante often conveys a sense of cheerfulness, happiness, or a pleasant disposition. It's used to describe someone who is generally joyful or has an optimistic outlook.

As an adjective, souriant must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. Use souriant for masculine nouns (e.g., un homme souriant) and souriante for feminine nouns (e.g., une femme souriante).

💡 * Elle est toujours souriante, même le matin. (She is always smiling/cheerful, even in the morning.)

J'aime son visage souriant. (I like his smiling face.)

Les enfants étaient souriants après avoir reçu leurs cadeaux. (The children were smiling/happy after receiving their gifts.)

C'est une personne très souriante et agréable. (She is a very cheerful and pleasant person.)

The 'in a good mood' – de bonne humeur

The common French phrase for being 'in a good mood' is de bonne humeur. It literally translates to 'of good humor' and is an essential expression for describing one's disposition.

This phrase is most frequently used with the verb être (to be). So, to say 'I am in a good mood,' you would say Je suis de bonne humeur. Remember to conjugate être correctly for the subject.

Naturally, if someone is not feeling so cheerful, you can describe them as being 'in a bad mood' with the phrase de mauvaise humeur. This provides a clear antonym for a complete understanding.

De bonne humeur is a very common and natural way to express one's disposition in French conversation. It's used frequently in daily interactions to describe feelings and states of mind.

💡 * Elle est toujours de bonne humeur le matin. (She is always in a good mood in the morning.)

Je ne suis pas de bonne humeur aujourd'hui. (I am not in a good mood today.)

Malgré la pluie, il est resté de bonne humeur. (Despite the rain, he remained in a good mood.)

Pourquoi es-tu de mauvaise humeur? (Why are you in a bad mood?)

The 'overjoyed' or 'in seventh heaven' – aux anges

The French expression "aux anges" literally translates to "to the angels" or "among the angels." However, its idiomatic meaning is "overjoyed," "ecstatic," or "in seventh heaven." It's used to describe a state of extreme happiness and delight.

You use "aux anges" when someone is incredibly happy, often after receiving good news, achieving something significant, or experiencing a wonderful event. It conveys a feeling of blissful contentment, as if one is floating on air.

This expression is almost always used with the verb être (to be) in French. So, you'll commonly hear or say "être aux anges" to mean "to be overjoyed" or "to be in seventh heaven." It's a fixed phrase.

"Être aux anges" suggests a profound and almost ethereal happiness. It's stronger than simply being "heureux" (happy) and implies a feeling of immense joy that lifts one's spirits to a very high level.

💡 *Elle était aux anges quand elle a appris la bonne nouvelle. (She was overjoyed when she heard the good news.)
*Après avoir réussi son examen, il était aux anges. (After passing his exam, he was in seventh heaven.)
*Les enfants étaient aux anges en ouvrant leurs cadeaux de Noël. (The children were ecstatic opening their Christmas presents.)
*Nous sommes aux anges d'avoir enfin pu vous rencontrer. (We are overjoyed to have finally met you.)
*Je suis aux anges de te revoir! (I'm overjoyed to see you again!)

Are there other ways to say 'happy' in French?

Are there other ways to say "happy" in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say "happy" in French. But the French language is rich with nuance, offering a spectrum of words and expressions for different shades of joy and contentment, from old-fashioned terms to regionalisms and modern slang.

You can also do an online search for "comment dire heureux en ___" followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local expressions.

You might find some interesting synonyms for heureux or related expressions for happiness. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about happiness that perfectly fit a specific situation or feeling.

And if you’re looking for more nuanced ways to express different kinds of happiness or words associated with joy in French, the WordReference entry for heureux and its related terms is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s a wonderful quote to finish it with, courtesy of Albert Camus: "Le bonheur est la plus grande des conquêtes, celle qu'on fait sur le destin." (Happiness is the greatest of conquests, the one we make over destiny.)

9 ways to say "happy" in French