A French word: voeux

To start this French cuisine and French conversation blog, I am going to transfer a month and a half's worth of posts from another blog which I started on 1 January 2012.  So it may read a little strangely at first, more especially this post which teaches you how to say "Happy New Year" in French.

After transferring all these posts, I shall post regularly in a normal fashion. So spread the word among family and friends: this isn't just going to be a grammar/vocabulary blog, it'll be a collection of wonderful food, and if you learn all the words and all the recipes, you'll impress everybody, you'll have a compendium of French food, and the vocabulary to take you through the menu of any French restaurant.

The word of the day is "Voeux", which is actually the plural of "Voeu".

Both are pronounced identically, just a V sound, like the V at the beginning of "Very", but you don't say the "ery". Say it: V(ery). Easy.

"Voeu" means a wish and is a masculin noun (un voeu = a wish) and when you add an x at the end, becomes the plural "Voeux" = wishes.

On New Year's Day, you say to everyone you meet "Tous mes voeux" (= all my wishes, pronounced tou may v), "Tous mes meilleurs voeux" (= all my best wishes, pronounced tou may mayeur v), or just "Meilleurs voeux" (= best wishes, pronounced mayeur v).

You are officially allowed in France to go on greeting people whom you have not yet wished a Happy New Year in this way until 31st January, after which it is a bit late. And of course, usually, the greeting is accompanied by at least two, sometimes three or four, kisses on cheeks. The French don't hug much yet, thank goodness, they shake hands or kiss on both cheeks.

Actually, it is meant to be written with the o and the e sort of stuck together, but my computer doesn't seem to want to do that for me. Doesn't matter, when people hand write it, they don't often stick the two together.

Voeu can also mean a vow: faire voeu de chasteté (make a vow of chastity).

Now you can go out and use today's word when you give New Year's greetings to friends and family!