Days and months vocabulary in French, including cardinality, usage in sentences, and grammar notes.
This guide covers the essential French vocabulary for days of the week and months of the year, along with example sentences and grammar tips to help you use them correctly.
French has seven days of the week, all masculine nouns:
- lundi (Monday)
- mardi (Tuesday)
- mercredi (Wednesday)
- jeudi (Thursday)
- vendredi (Friday)
- samedi (Saturday)
- dimanche (Sunday)
Use le before the day to say “on [day]”: e.g., le lundi (on Monday).
| French Singular (Masculine) | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| lundi | Je travaille le lundi. | I work on Monday. |
| mardi | Nous sortons mardi soir. | We go out Tuesday evening. |
| mercredi | Le mercredi, j’ai du sport. | On Wednesday, I have sports. |
| jeudi | Jeudi est un bon jour. | Thursday is a good day. |
| vendredi | Vendredi, c’est la fête ! | Friday is party time! |
| samedi | Je reste à la maison samedi. | I’m staying home Saturday. |
| dimanche | Dimanche, on se repose. | On Sunday, we rest. |
French has 12 months, all masculine nouns:
- janvier (January)
- février (February)
- mars (March)
- avril (April)
- mai (May)
- juin (June)
- juillet (July)
- août (August)
- septembre (September)
- octobre (October)
- novembre (November)
- décembre (December)
Use en before the month to say “in [month]”: e.g., en janvier (in January).
| French Singular (Masculine) | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| janvier | Je suis né en janvier. | I was born in January. |
| février | En février, il fait froid. | In February, it’s cold. |
| mars | Mars arrive bientôt. | March is coming soon. |
| avril | En avril, il pleut souvent. | In April, it often rains. |
| mai | Nous voyageons en mai. | We travel in May. |
| juin | Juin est un mois d’été. | June is a summer month. |
| juillet | Juillet est chaud. | July is hot. |
| août | Août est un mois de vacances. | August is a vacation month. |
| septembre | La rentrée a lieu en septembre. | Back-to-school is in September. |
| octobre | En octobre, les feuilles tombent. | In October, leaves fall. |
| novembre | Novembre est gris. | November is gray. |
| décembre | Noël est en décembre. | Christmas is in December. |
What preposition is used before a month to say 'in [month]' in French?
en
The preposition 'en' is used before months to indicate 'in [month]', e.g., 'en janvier' means 'in January'.
When giving dates (e.g., “the 1st,” “the 2nd”), only the first day uses an ordinal number in French:
- le 1er = the first
- From the 2nd onward, use cardinal numbers: le 2, le 3, etc.
Example: le 1er mai (May 1st), le 2 mai (May 2nd).
| French Date | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| le 1er | Le 1er mai est un jour férié. | May 1st is a public holiday. |
| le | Le 2 mai est un mardi. | May 2nd is a Tuesday. |
| le | Nous partons le 3 mai. | We leave on May 3rd. |
- Days: Use the definite article le to talk about habitual actions: le lundi (on Mondays).
- Months: Use the preposition en for months: en juin (in June).
| Usage Type | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| Habitual (Days) | Je me lève tôt le lundi. | I get up early on Mondays. |
| Specific Day | Mardi, j’ai rendez-vous. | Tuesday, I have an appointment. |
| Month | Nous partons en juillet. | We’re leaving in July. |
| Specific Date | Le 14 juillet est la fête nationale. | July 14th is Bastille Day. |
To say a full date, use: le [number] [month] [day]
Example: le 12 janvier, lundi (Monday, January 12).
| French Date | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| le 1er avril, lundi | Le 1er avril, lundi, il pleut. | Monday, April 1st, it’s raining. |
| le 15 mars, mardi | Le 15 mars, mardi, j’ai un examen. | Tuesday, March 15th, I have an exam. |
| le 30 juin, vendredi | Le 30 juin, vendredi, c’est la fête. | Friday, June 30th, it’s a party. |
Here are some common French expressions using days and months:
| Expression | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| aujourd’hui | Aujourd’hui, c’est dimanche. | Today is Sunday. |
| hier | Hier, c’était vendredi. | Yesterday was Friday. |
| demain | Demain, ce sera lundi. | Tomorrow will be Monday. |
| ce matin | Ce matin, j’ai vu le médecin. | This morning, I saw the doctor. |
| ce soir | Ce soir, on sort. | Tonight, we’re going out. |
___, c’est dimanche.
Which French word means 'today'?
aujourd’hui
'aujourd’hui' means 'today'. 'hier' is 'yesterday', 'demain' is 'tomorrow', and 'maintenant' is 'now'.
- Days of the week: lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi, dimanche (all masculine).
- Months of the year: janvier, février, mars, avril, mai, juin, juillet, août, septembre, octobre, novembre, décembre (all masculine).
- Use le before days for habitual actions; use en before months.
- Use le 1er for the first day of the month; use cardinal numbers for other dates.
- Combine with numbers and articles to give full dates: le 15 mars, mardi (Tuesday, March 15).
Flashcards (1 of 34)
- English Example: I work on Monday.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
