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Trouver son bonheur

French expressions analyzed and explained

By Laura K. Lawless, About.com Guide

Expression: Trouver son bonheur (dans)

Pronunciation: [troo vay so(n) buh neur]

Meaning: to find what one is looking for, to derive one's happiness (from)

Literal translation: to find one's happiness

Register: normal

Notes: The French expression trouver son bonheur is used both literally and figuratively. It can mean to search for and find something real, like a photo lost in a jumble of old souvenirs or the perfect shirt at a garage sale. Or it can also refer to something a bit deeper, something abstract that makes you happy.

Attention: Trouver son bonheur tends to refer to something fairly short-term or temporary, as opposed to trouver le bonheur which means "to find true happiness."

Examples:

   Tu as trouvé ton bonheur dans ces cartons ?
   Did you find what you were looking for in these boxes?

In my ceramics workshop, we were all working on our own projects, and the teacher came by and asked:
   Alors, vous avez trouvé votre bonheur ?
   So, have you found happiness? Are you working on something that you enjoy?

Post your comments about the French expression trouver son bonheur on my French blog - just hit "comments" at the bottom of the post.

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