Knowing the days of the week in French is crucial for effective communication and daily routines. It helps in scheduling appointments, making plans, and understanding timetables. For instance, “lundi” means Monday, “mardi” means Tuesday, and so on. This knowledge simplifies interactions in French-speaking environments.
Learning the days of the week not only aids in practical communication but also enhances cultural understanding and integration. This article dives into mastering French days of the week, offering usage rules, sentence examples, memory tips, and related vocabulary. You’ll learn how to use weekdays in sentences, remember them effortlessly, and expand your French language skills. Whether planning schedules or simply conversing, understanding these days is key to effective communication and cultural integration.
French Days of the Week (Jours de la semaine français)
| French | English | Pronunciation |
| Lundi | Monday | [lun-dee] |
| Mardi | Tuesday | [mar-dee] |
| Mercredi | Wednesday | [mer-kruh-dee] |
| Jeudi | Thursday | [zhuh-dee] |
| Vendredi | Friday | [von-druh-dee] |
| Samedi | Saturday | [sam-dee] |
| Dimanche | Sunday | [dee-mahnsh] |
Related Vocabulary
| English | French |
| Yesterday | Hier |
| Today | Aujourd’hui |
| Tomorrow | Demain |
| Last week | La semaine dernière |
| This week | Cette semaine |
| Next week | La semaine prochaine |
| Last month | Le mois dernier |
| This month | Ce mois-ci |
| Next month | Le mois prochain |
| Morning | Le matin |
| Afternoon | L’après-midi |
| Evening | Le soir |
| Night | La nuit |
| Now | Maintenant |
| Later | Plus tard |
| The day before yesterday | Avant-hier |
| The day after tomorrow | Après-demain |
| At what time? | À quelle heure? |
| Weekday | Jour de la semaine |
| Weekend | Week-end |
| Day | Jour |
| Week | Semaine |
| Month | Mois |
| Year | Année |
| Season | Saison |
| Hour | Heure |
| Minute | Minute |
| Second | Seconde |
| Midnight | Minuit |
| Noon | Midi |
| Last year | L’année dernière |
| Next year | L’année prochaine |
| Early bird | Lève-tôt |
| Late riser | Couche-tard |
Tips for Usage
1. Capitalization: In French, days of the week are not capitalized unless they start a sentence, unlike in English, where weekdays are always capitalized. For example, “lundi” (Monday) is written with a lowercase “l”, which is the opposite of English, where weekdays like “Monday” are always capitalized.
Exemple: On se rencontre le lundi 23 mai. (We meet on Monday May 23.)
2. Definite Article: When mentioning days of the week in French, you always use the definite article “le” (the) before the day.
Exemple: Je reviens le dimanche. (I come back on Sunday.)
3. Plurals follow simple rules: In English, making weekdays plural is straightforward—just add an “s” at the end, like “Mondays” or “Thursdays.” However, in French, we mostly use “le” for habitual actions or specific dates. For example, “I go to the office on Fridays” becomes “Je vais au bureau le vendredi” in French. When talking about weekdays as a group (like “all the Mondays in August”), we use plurals in French, as in “Je suis libre tous les lundis d’août.” This difference means you won’t often need to pluralize weekdays in French unless you’re referring to them collectively with an article like “the” in English.
4. Using “du” for Days: When referring to something that happens regularly on specific days of the week, use “du” (on the) before the day. For example, “J’ai rendez-vous chez le dentiste du lundi au vendredi” means “I have a dentist appointment from Monday to Friday.”
5. “Le Weekend” for Weekend: In French, you can use “le weekend” to refer to the weekend, which encompasses Saturday and Sunday. Alternatively, you can specify “le samedi et le dimanche” (Saturday and Sunday) for clarity.
6. “Ce” for This Week: To refer to the current week, use “ce” (this) before the day of the week. For instance, “Je vais au marché ce samedi” means “I’m going to the market this Saturday.”
7. Avoid “le” with Days After “tout” (all): When using “tout” (all) with days of the week, you don’t need to use “le” before the day. For example, “Nous sommes en congé tout lundi” means “We’re off all Monday.”
How to Use French Days of the Week in a Sentence
1. “Je vais au travail tous les lundis.” (I go to work every Monday.)
2. “Nous avons une réunion importante le mercredi matin.” (We have an important meeting on Wednesday morning.)
3. “Le samedi, nous aimons faire des promenades en famille.” (On Saturdays, we enjoy family walks.)
4. “Elle prévoit de voyager le vendredi prochain.” (She plans to travel next Friday.)
5. “Ils organisent une fête surprise pour dimanche soir.” (They are organizing a surprise party for Sunday evening.)
Tips to Remember
1. Mnemonic Devices: Mnemonics are memory tricks that make learning fun. Create a catchy sentence using the first letter of each day to remember the French days of the week. There is another interesting way of remembering the days of the week in French which corresponds to the celestial bodies.
| English | French | Mnemonic |
| Monday | lundi | Moon |
| Tuesday | mardi | Mars |
| Wednesday | mercredi | Mercury |
| Thursday | jeudi | Jupiter |
| Friday | vendredi | Venus |
| Saturday | samedi | Sabbath |
| Sunday | dimanche | The Lord’s Day |
2. Use Visual Aids: Flashcards are like picture cards showing French days on one side and English on the other. Look at them often to remember the words better.
3. Practice with Songs or Rhymes: Find a song or rhyme with the days of the week in French. Singing along or repeating it helps you remember the words easily.
4. Associate Days with Activities: Connect each day with something you do. For example, “lundi” can be linked with “laundry day” or “mardi” with “movie night.” This way, you remember the days and what you do on them.
5. Create a Weekly Schedule: Plan the week using French days. Seeing them in a schedule helps you remember and use them correctly.
6. Practice Conversations: Talk about your weekly plans using French days. This helps you use the words in real situations and remember them longer.
7. Use Language Learning Apps: Apps are like games that help you learn. Look for apps with fun exercises to practice French days and improve your memory.
8. Daily Review: Review the days of the week every day. Spend a few minutes going over them to reinforce your memory and make them stick.
Conclusion
Understanding the French days of the week is essential for fluent communication and daily interactions. Pronunciation, usage rules, and related vocabulary enrich language proficiency. Regular practice enhances retention and application. Encourage French language skills through immersion, conversations, and cultural engagement. Continuous learning deepens language fluency and cultural understanding.
Mastering French during the days of the week is crucial for seamless communication. La Foret French Class offers comprehensive courses and expert tutors to support your language journey, ensuring effective learning and mastery. Keep exploring, practicing, and incorporating French days of the week into your daily language use to become more proficient and confident in French.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to pronounce weekdays in French?
To pronounce weekdays in French, remember their sounds: “lundi” (luhn-dee), “mardi” (mar-dee), “mercredi” (mehr-krud-ee), “jeudi” (juh-dee), “vendredi” (vahn-druh-dee), “samedi” (sahm-dee), and “dimanche” (dee-mahsh).
Are weekdays masculine or feminine in French?
Weekdays are masculine in French. For example, it’s “le lundi” (luh luhn-dee) for Monday, using the masculine article “le” with weekdays.