How to Say Good Luck in French (Bonne Chance + Merde)

Good luck in French is bonne chance — clean, warm, and useful before an exam, an interview, or a first date. But French has a second, subtler phrase for when the challenge is more about grit than luck (bon courage), and a delightfully weird theater tradition where wishing someone bonne chance is actually bad luck — so performers say merde instead. Here’s the full picture.

The main way to say it

Bonne chance — pronounced bun SHAHNSS.

Pronunciation notes:

• Bonne is “bun” — the -onne is not nasal here (the double n opens it up), unlike the nasal bon in bon courage.
• Chance has a soft ch (“sh”) and a nasal -an-: SHAHNSS. Don’t say “chance” the English way.
• To specify what for, add pour: bonne chance pour ton examen (“good luck on your exam”) or avec: bonne chance avec ton entretien.

Bonne chance vs. bon courage

This distinction is very French and worth internalizing:

• Bonne chance (bun SHAHNSS) — wishes luck, for things partly out of the person’s control: a lottery, an exam result, a job they’ve applied for.
• Bon courage (bohn koo-RAHZH) — wishes strength/endurance, for something hard the person has to push through: a long shift, a tough day, a difficult task, moving apartments. It’s “hang in there / you’ve got this,” and the French use it constantly.

If a friend faces a grueling day, bon courage is warmer and more apt than bonne chance — you’re not wishing them luck, you’re wishing them stamina.

Other ways to encourage

• Je croise les doigts (zhuh krwahz lay DWAH) — “I’m crossing my fingers.”
• Je pense à toi — “I’m thinking of you,” for support before a big moment.
• Tu vas y arriver — “you’re going to make it / you’ve got this.”
• Bon courage à toi — a warm, personal send-off.

The theater tradition: say “merde”

In French theater, dance, and even before exams, wishing someone bonne chance is thought to jinx them. Instead, you say merde — yes, literally the word for a certain expletive. The tradition dates to the era of horse-drawn carriages: a full, successful show meant many horses parked outside, and thus a lot of… merde on the street. More horse dung = bigger audience = good omen. Performers still whisper “merde !” to each other before curtain, and the superstitious reply is not “merci” (that breaks the charm) — you just accept it or say merde back. Students say it before exams too. It’s crude on paper, affectionate in practice.

Hear it in context

Before an exam (standard):

— Bon, j’y vais, j’ai mon oral dans une heure. — Bonne chance ! Tu vas gérer, tu as bien révisé. — Merci, je croise les doigts.

Right, I’m off, I’ve got my oral exam in an hour. — Good luck! You’ll handle it, you studied well. — Thanks, fingers crossed.

Before a performance (theater tradition):

— C’est bientôt à nous. Stressée ? — Un peu… Allez, merde pour ce soir ! — Merde à toi aussi !

We’re on soon. Nervous? — A little… Come on, “merde” for tonight! — “Merde” to you too!

Common mistakes

• Using bonne chance when you mean bon courage. For something hard and grinding (a long day, a tough task), bon courage is the natural, warmer choice — the French use it far more than learners expect.
• Nasalizing bonne. In bonne chance it’s “bun,” open, not the nasal “bohn” of bon courage. The double n is the clue.
• Replying “merci” to a theatrical merde. Per the superstition, thanking breaks the luck. Just accept it or say merde back.
• Saying “chance” the English way. It’s SHAHNSS, with a soft “sh” and a nasal vowel.
• Forgetting the connector. “Good luck with X” is bonne chance pour X or avec X, not bonne chance sur X.

A Parisian note

Bon courage is one of the most quietly Parisian things you can say — you’ll hear it exchanged between strangers all day: a shopkeeper to a delivery driver in the rain, a colleague to someone facing a mountain of work, a neighbor to a parent wrangling three kids up the stairs. It signals solidarity in the daily grind, and offering it to a stressed stranger is a small, real kindness the French appreciate. Bonne chance, by contrast, is saved for genuine luck-of-the-draw moments. And yes — a Parisian actor friend will absolutely hiss “merde !” at you before your big moment, and mean it with total affection.

Related phrases

• How to say congratulations in French — for after the good luck pays off.
• How to say I don’t understand in French — handy for the nervous, high-stakes moments good luck is for.
• Expand your everyday phrasebook with our guide to common French phrases.

FAQ

What’s the difference between “bonne chance” and “bon courage”? Bonne chance wishes luck for things partly out of one’s control (an exam result, a job application). Bon courage wishes strength and stamina for something hard to push through (a long day, a tough task). The French use bon courage constantly.

Why do French people say “merde” for good luck? It’s a theater superstition: wishing bonne chance is thought to jinx a performance. The word traces back to horse-drawn carriage days, when more dung outside meant a bigger audience — so merde became a good omen. Performers and students still say it before big moments.

How do I respond when someone says “merde” to me? Don’t say “merci” — the superstition holds that thanking breaks the luck. Just accept it, nod, or say merde back.

How do you say “good luck with your exam”? Bonne chance pour ton examen (informal) or bonne chance pour votre examen (formal). Bon courage pour ton examen also works if you’re emphasizing endurance over luck.

Is “bonne chance” formal or casual? It’s neutral — appropriate in both casual and formal settings. To make it warmer, add à toi (bonne chance à toi) or specify the occasion with pour.