À tes souhaits and à vos souhaits are fixed French phrases said after someone sneezes. They are the usual polite response, like bless you in English. The choice between tes and vos depends on whether you address one person informally or one or more people formally.

The noun souhait means wish. The phrase literally means to your wishes. It implies a wish for good health or well being after a sneeze.

Form and grammar

The structure is simple:

• à to
• tes your informal singular
• vos your formal singular or plural
• souhaits wishes

You use:

• à tes souhaits with tu
• à vos souhaits with vous

Examples:

• Tu éternues, à tes souhaits. You sneezed, bless you.
• Vous éternuez, à vos souhaits. You sneezed, bless you.
• On dit à tes souhaits après un éternuement. You say bless you after a sneeze.

Everyday use

The phrase is common in daily life. It is neutral in tone. It is neither slang nor formal speech.

Examples:

• J’ai éternué et il a dit à tes souhaits. I sneezed and he said bless you.
• Il a éternué, nous avons répondu à tes souhaits. He sneezed and we answered bless you.
• Vous avez éternué, on a dit à vos souhaits. You sneezed and we said bless you.

Children learn the phrase early. It is part of basic manners.

Repeated sneezes

In French, people often vary the response after several sneezes.

A common pattern is:

• First sneeze: à tes souhaits
• Second sneeze: à tes amours
• Third sneeze: qu’elles durent toujours

The second and third parts are playful and not always used.

Examples:

• Tu as éternué deux fois, à tes souhaits puis à tes amours. You sneezed twice, bless you then to your loves.
• Il a éternué trois fois, à tes souhaits, à tes amours, qu’elles durent toujours. He sneezed three times, bless you, to your loves, may they last forever.

The same pattern exists with vos in formal speech:

• À vos souhaits
• À vos amours

Synonyms and alternatives

French has other ways to respond to a sneeze, though they are less common.

Religious or older forms:

• Dieu te bénisse. May God bless you.
• À vos souhaits et longue vie. To your wishes and long life.

Neutral or playful forms:

• Santé. Health.
• À tes amours. To your loves.

Examples:

• Il a éternué, je lui ai dit santé. He sneezed and I told him health.
• Tu éternues encore, à tes amours. You are sneezing again, to your loves.

In modern France, à tes souhaits and à vos souhaits are by far the most common.

Cultural background

The custom of replying to a sneeze goes back centuries. In Europe, sneezing was once linked to illness or danger. People believed a sneeze might expose the soul or signal disease. The response was a wish for protection or good health.

In English, bless you or God bless you has a clear religious tone. French daily speech is less religious in this case. À tes souhaits focuses on wishes rather than blessing.

Register and tone

The phrases are polite and neutral. They work:

• At home
• At school
• At work
• In public places

Examples:

• Je suis au bureau, il éternue, je dis à vos souhaits. I am at the office, he sneezes, I say bless you.
• Nous sommes à table, tu éternues, on dit à tes souhaits. We are at the table, you sneeze, we say bless you.

You would not shorten the phrase in standard speech. It remains fixed.

Summary

• À tes souhaits and à vos souhaits are said after a sneeze.
• They mean to your wishes and express good will.
• Tes is informal singular. Vos is formal or plural.
• A playful series may add à tes amours and qu’elles durent toujours.