A comprehensive guide to French time vocabulary, including expressions for parts of the day, days of the week, months, and common time-related phrases.
Understanding how to talk about time is essential in any language. This guide covers common French vocabulary for parts of the day, days of the week, months, and more, helping you describe when things happen with confidence.
Parts of the Day
French has specific words for different times of the day, which are used in everyday conversation and scheduling.
| French Singular | French Plural | Gender | English | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| le matin | les matins | masculine | morning | Je bois du café le matin. | I drink coffee in the morning. |
| l’après-midi | les après-midis | masculine | afternoon | Je travaille l’après-midi. | I work in the afternoon. |
| le soir | les soirs | masculine | evening | Elle sort le soir. | She goes out in the evening. |
| la nuit | les nuits | feminine | night | Je dors la nuit. | I sleep at night. |
Days of the Week
French days of the week always start with a lowercase letter and are used just like in English.
| French Singular | French Plural | Gender | English | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lundi | lundis | masculine | Monday | J’ai une réunion lundi. | I have a meeting on Monday. |
| mardi | mardis | masculine | Tuesday | Nous dînons mardi soir. | We’re dining Tuesday evening. |
| mercredi | mercredis | masculine | Wednesday | Le mercredi, je fais du sport. | On Wednesdays, I exercise. |
| jeudi | jeudis | masculine | Thursday | Je termine tôt jeudi. | I finish early on Thursday. |
| vendredi | vendredis | masculine | Friday | Vendredi est un jour chargé. | Friday is a busy day. |
| samedi | samedis | masculine | Saturday | Samedi, je vais au marché. | On Saturday, I go to the market. |
| dimanche | dimanches | masculine | Sunday | Dimanche est un jour de repos. | Sunday is a day of rest. |
El ___ es un día ocupado. (El ___ es un día ocupado.)
Choose the correct French word for 'Friday.'
vendredi
'Vendredi' means 'Friday' in French. The other options are 'Thursday,' 'Saturday,' and 'Sunday.'
Months
French months are also lowercase and are used to specify dates and talk about seasons.
| French Singular | French Plural | Gender | English | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| janvier | — | masculine | January | Mon anniversaire est en janvier. | My birthday is in January. |
| février | — | masculine | February | En février, il fait froid. | It’s cold in February. |
| mars | — | masculine | March | Mars est le début du printemps. | March is the start of spring. |
| avril | — | masculine | April | Avril est un mois pluvieux. | April is a rainy month. |
| mai | — | masculine | May | Mai est souvent un mois férié. | May often has public holidays. |
| juin | — | masculine | June | Je pars en vacances en juin. | I go on vacation in June. |
| juillet | — | masculine | July | Juillet est un mois d'été. | July is a summer month. |
| août | — | masculine | August | Août est souvent chaud. | August is often hot. |
| septembre | — | masculine | September | La rentrée est en septembre. | Back to school is in September. |
| octobre | — | masculine | October | Octobre est un mois d'automne. | October is an autumn month. |
| novembre | — | masculine | November | Novembre est souvent gris. | November is often gray. |
| décembre | — | masculine | December | Noël est en décembre. | Christmas is in December. |
Common Time Expressions
These phrases help you talk about frequency, duration, and specific points in time—key for everyday conversations.
| French Singular | French Plural | Gender | English | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aujourd’hui | — | — | today | Aujourd’hui, il fait beau. | Today, the weather is nice. |
| hier | — | — | yesterday | Hier, j’ai vu un film. | Yesterday, I saw a movie. |
| demain | — | — | tomorrow | Demain, je travaille tard. | Tomorrow, I work late. |
| maintenant | — | — | now | Je mange maintenant. | I’m eating now. |
| tout à l’heure | — | — | earlier/later | Je te téléphone tout à l’heure. | I’ll call you later. |
| déjà | — | — | already | J’ai déjà fini mes devoirs. | I’ve already finished my homework. |
| bientôt | — | — | soon | Le train arrive bientôt. | The train arrives soon. |
| jamais | — | — | never | Je ne bois jamais de café. | I never drink coffee. |
| toujours | — | — | always | Elle est toujours en retard. | She is always late. |
| parfois | — | — | sometimes | Parfois, je vais au cinéma. | Sometimes, I go to the movies. |
Understanding these foundational time words will help you navigate daily schedules, make plans, and talk about your routine with ease in French.
Je ne bois ___ de café. (Nunca bebo café.)
Choose the correct French word for 'never.'
jamais
'Jamais' means 'never' in French. The other options mean 'always,' 'sometimes,' and 'already.'
Flashcards (1 of 33)
- Gender: masculine
- English: morning
- English Example: I drink coffee in the morning.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
