Time words in French let you talk about when things happen, plan your schedule, and understand dates. These include words for parts of the day, days of the week, months, seasons, and other time-related terms.
Parts of the Day
Parts of the day help you specify when something happens, from morning to evening.
- le matin — the morning
- l’après-midi — the afternoon
- le soir — the evening
- la nuit — the night
- tôt — early
- tard — late
- à midi — at noon
- à minuit — at midnight
- le lever du soleil — sunrise
- le coucher du soleil — sunset
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le matin | the morning |
| l’après-midi | the afternoon |
| le soir | the evening |
| la nuit | the night |
| tôt | early |
| tard | late |
| à midi | at noon |
| à minuit | at midnight |
| le lever du soleil | sunrise |
| le coucher du soleil | sunset |
Days and Weeks
French days of the week start with Monday (lundi) and are used the same way as in English.
- lundi — Monday
- mardi — Tuesday
- mercredi — Wednesday
- jeudi — Thursday
- vendredi — Friday
- samedi — Saturday
- dimanche — Sunday
- le week-end — the weekend
- hier — yesterday
- aujourd’hui — today
- demain — tomorrow
| French | English |
|---|---|
| lundi | Monday |
| mardi | Tuesday |
| mercredi | Wednesday |
| jeudi | Thursday |
| vendredi | Friday |
| samedi | Saturday |
| dimanche | Sunday |
| le week-end | the weekend |
| hier | yesterday |
| aujourd’hui | today |
| demain | tomorrow |
Months
French months are always lowercase and have the same names as in English, but in French.
- janvier — January
- février — February
- mars — March
- avril — April
- mai — May
- juin — June
- juillet — July
- août — August
- septembre — September
- octobre — October
- novembre — November
- décembre — December
| French | English |
|---|---|
| janvier | January |
| février | February |
| mars | March |
| avril | April |
| mai | May |
| juin | June |
| juillet | July |
| août | August |
| septembre | September |
| octobre | October |
| novembre | November |
| décembre | December |
Noël est en _____ — Christmas is in December.
décembre
'Décembre' is the French word for December, when Christmas occurs.
Seasons
Seasons in French are also lowercase and are used to describe time periods in the year.
- le printemps — spring
- l’été — summer
- l’automne — autumn/fall
- l’hiver — winter
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le printemps | spring |
| l’été | summer |
| l’automne | autumn/fall |
| l’hiver | winter |
Other Time Words
These additional time words help you talk about frequency, duration, and order.
- maintenant — now
- bientôt — soon
- déjà — already
- toujours — always
- parfois — sometimes
- jamais — never
- avant — before
- après — after
- pendant — during
- depuis — since/for
| French | English |
|---|---|
| maintenant | now |
| bientôt | soon |
| déjà | already |
| toujours | always |
| parfois | sometimes |
| jamais | never |
| avant | before |
| après | after |
| pendant | during |
| depuis | since/for |
Je vais partir _____ — I am going to leave soon.
bientôt
'Bientôt' means 'soon,' indicating a time shortly before the present.
Summary
French time words cover parts of the day, days of the week, months, seasons, and more. They help you describe when things happen and organize your time.
Flashcards (1 of 47)
- English: the morning
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
