Days of the Week in French With Examples and Pronunciation
The days of the week in French are basic words for everyday vocabulary; they are essential for talking about time, dates, and events.
In addition to learning the words on their own, it’s important to understand the grammatical rules associated with them, such as the correct use of articles and prepositions.
| French Day | English Equivalent | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Lundi | Monday | luhn-DEE |
| Mardi | Tuesday | mar-DEE |
| Mercredi | Wednesday | mehr-kruh-DEE |
| Jeudi | Thursday | zhuh-DEE |
| Vendredi | Friday | vahn-druh-DEE |
| Samedi | Saturday | sam-DEE |
| Dimanche | Sunday | dee-MAHN-sh |
| French | English Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Jour (m) | Day |
| Semaine (f) | Week |
| Jours de la semaine | Weekdays |
| Date (f) | Date |
See also: Months of the year in French
Other Common Time Expressions
| French | English Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Week-end (m) | Weekend |
| Aujourd’hui | Today |
| Demain | Tomorrow |
| Après demain | Day after tomorrow |
| Avant-hier | The day before yesterday |
| Le jour suivant | The next day |
| Le jour d’avant | The previous day |
| Le dernier jour | The last day |
| Matin (m) | Morning |
| Midi (m) | Noon |
| Nuit (f) | Evening |
| Minuit (m) | Midnight |
Key Grammatical Rules
Using the days of the week correctly in French is simple if you remember these essential rules.
• Lowercase Usage: Unlike in English, the days of the week in French are always written in lowercase, unless they begin a sentence.
- Correct: C’est lundi aujourd’hui. – It’s Monday today.
- Incorrect: C’est Lundi aujourd’hui.
• The Article “le”: You use the definite article “le” before a day of the week to say “on [day]” for a specific event or a habitual action.
- For recurring actions: Le lundi, je vais à la piscine. (On Mondays, I go to the swimming pool.)
- For a specific event: Mon anniversaire est le jeudi. (My birthday is on Thursday.)
• Saying “It Is”: To state what day it is, you simply use “C’est” followed by the day.
- C’est mardi. – It’s Tuesday.
- C’est dimanche. – It’s Sunday.
Examples in sentences
- Mon anniversaire est le jeudi. – My birthday is on Thursday.
- Ce soir, nous regarderos le film. – Tonight we will watch the movie.
- C’est le dernier jour du printemps. – It’s the last day of spring.
- Dis-moi la date des vacances. – Tell me the date of the holidays.
- Il est minuit, j’ai sommeil. – It’s midnight, I’m sleepy.
- L’école commence le lundi 17 septembre 202X. – School starts on Monday, September 17, 202X.
- Mon jour préféré est le samedi. – My favorite day is Saturday.
- Nous allons voyager vendredi prochain. – We are going to travel next Friday.
- Je travaille du lundi au vendredi. – I work from Monday to Friday.