Days and Months in French
Learning the days and months in French is one of the first steps toward speaking French confidently. Whether you want to talk about your birthday, make an appointment, describe your weekly routine, or understand a French calendar, knowing French days and months is essential.
The good news is that French days and months are relatively easy to learn. In this guide, you will learn the days of the week in French, the months of the year in French, their English meanings, pronunciation tips, and useful sentences.
Let’s get started!
Days of the Week in French
Here are the seven days of the week in French:
| English | French | Approximate Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | lundi | lun-dee |
| Tuesday | mardi | mar-dee |
| Wednesday | mercredi | mehr-kruh-dee |
| Thursday | jeudi | zhuh-dee |
| Friday | vendredi | vahn-druh-dee |
| Saturday | samedi | sam-dee |
| Sunday | dimanche | dee-mahnsh |
1. Monday — lundi
Lundi means Monday in French.
Example:
Je travaille lundi.
I work on Monday.
2. Tuesday — mardi
Mardi means Tuesday.
Example:
Nous avons un cours mardi.
We have a class on Tuesday.
3. Wednesday — mercredi
Mercredi means Wednesday.
Example:
Je vais au cinéma mercredi.
I am going to the cinema on Wednesday.
4. Thursday — jeudi
Jeudi means Thursday.
Example:
Elle arrive jeudi.
She arrives on Thursday.
5. Friday — vendredi
Vendredi means Friday.
Example:
Nous sortons vendredi soir.
We are going out on Friday evening.
6. Saturday — samedi
Samedi means Saturday.
Example:
Je fais du sport samedi.
I play sports on Saturday.
7. Sunday — dimanche
Dimanche means Sunday.
Example:
Je me repose dimanche.
I rest on Sunday.
Months of the Year in French
There are twelve months in a year. Here are their French names:
| English | French | Approximate Pronunciation |
| January | janvier | zhahn-vee-ay |
| February | février | fay-vree-ay |
| March | mars | mars |
| April | avril | ah-vreel |
| May | mai | meh |
| June | juin | zhwan |
| July | juillet | zhwee-eh |
| August | août | oo |
| September | septembre | sep-tahmbr |
| October | octobre | ok-tohbr |
| November | novembre | noh-vahmbr |
| December | décembre | day-sahmbr |
1. January — janvier
Janvier means January.
Example:
Mon anniversaire est en janvier.
My birthday is in January.
2. February — février
Février means February.
Example:
Nous sommes en février.
We are in February.
3. March — mars
Mars means March.
Example:
Le printemps commence en mars.
Spring begins in March.
4. April — avril
Avril means April.
Example:
Je vais voyager en avril.
I am going to travel in April.
5. May — mai
Mai means May.
Example:
Il fait beau en mai.
The weather is nice in May.
6. June — juin
Juin means June.
Example:
Les vacances commencent en juin.
The holidays begin in June.
7. July — juillet
Juillet means July.
Example:
Nous partons en juillet.
We are leaving in July.
8. August — août
Août means August.
Example:
Je prends mes vacances en août.
I take my vacation in August.
9. September — septembre
Septembre means September.
Example:
Les cours commencent en septembre.
Classes begin in September.
10. October — octobre
Octobre means October.
Example:
Halloween est en octobre.
Halloween is in October.
11. November — novembre
Novembre means November.
Example:
Il fait plus froid en novembre.
It is colder in November.
12. December — décembre
Décembre means December.
Example:
Noël est en décembre.
Christmas is in December.
French Days and Months: Important Capitalization Rule
One important difference between French and English is capitalization.
In French, the days of the week and months of the year are generally written with a lowercase letter.
For example:
- lundi — Monday
- mardi — Tuesday
- janvier — January
- février — February
- décembre — December
In English, we normally write:
- Monday
- Tuesday
- January
- February
- December
Therefore, remember:
French: lundi, janvier
English: Monday, January
How to Say “On Monday” in French
When talking about a specific day, French commonly uses le + day.
Examples:
le lundi — on Monday
le mardi — on Tuesday
le mercredi — on Wednesday
le jeudi — on Thursday
le vendredi — on Friday
le samedi — on Saturday
le dimanche — on Sunday
Example sentences
Je travaille le lundi.
I work on Mondays.
Nous avons un cours le mardi.
We have a class on Tuesdays.
Elle fait du sport le samedi.
She plays sports on Saturdays.
Specific Day vs. Every Week
There is an important distinction between using a day by itself and using le + day.
A specific day
Je vais à Paris lundi.
I am going to Paris on Monday.
Here, lundi refers to a particular Monday.
A recurring activity
Je vais à Paris le lundi.
I go to Paris on Mondays.
Here, le lundi can indicate a repeated or habitual activity.
This distinction is useful when learning how to talk about schedules and routines in French.
How to Say “In January” in French
To say “in + month”, French generally uses:
en + month
Examples:
- en janvier — in January
- en février — in February
- en mars — in March
- en avril — in April
- en mai — in May
- en juin — in June
- en juillet — in July
- en août — in August
- en septembre — in September
- en octobre — in October
- en novembre — in November
- en décembre — in December
Example sentences
Je voyage en janvier.
I travel in January.
Mon examen est en juin.
My exam is in June.
Nous partons en août.
We are leaving in August.
How to Ask “What Day Is It?” in French
There are several useful questions for talking about dates and days.
What day is it?
Quel jour sommes-nous ?
This literally means “What day are we?”
You can also hear:
Quel jour est-on ?
What day is today?
Quel jour sommes-nous aujourd’hui ?
What is the date today?
Quelle est la date aujourd’hui ?
Example conversation
A: Quel jour sommes-nous aujourd’hui ?
B: Nous sommes lundi.
A: Quelle est la date aujourd’hui ?
B: Nous sommes le 7 août.
How to Say the Date in French
A common French date structure is:
le + number + month + year
For example:
le 7 août 2026
This means:
August 7, 2026.
Notice that French places the day before the month, unlike the common American English format.
More examples
le 15 janvier 2026
January 15, 2026
le 22 mars 2026
March 22, 2026
le 3 septembre 2026
September 3, 2026
The First Day of the Month: le premier
There is one important exception when saying the date.
For the first day of the month, French uses premier rather than un.
For example:
le premier janvier
January 1
Not:
le un janvier
For other dates, use the regular number:
le deux janvier
January 2
le trois janvier
January 3
le dix janvier
January 10
Days and Months in French: Useful Vocabulary
Here are some additional French words related to days, weeks, and months:
| French | English |
| un jour | a day |
| la semaine | the week |
| un mois | a month |
| une année | a year |
| aujourd’hui | today |
| demain | tomorrow |
| hier | yesterday |
| cette semaine | this week |
| la semaine prochaine | next week |
| la semaine dernière | last week |
| ce mois-ci | this month |
| le mois prochain | next month |
| le mois dernier | last month |
| cette année | this year |
| l’année prochaine | next year |
| l’année dernière | last year |
Seasons in French
Learning the seasons along with French months can make it easier to talk about the calendar.
| English | French |
| Spring | le printemps |
| Summer | l’été |
| Autumn/Fall | l’automne |
| Winter | l’hiver |
Examples
J’aime le printemps.
I like spring.
Nous voyageons en été.
We travel in summer.
Il fait froid en hiver.
It is cold in winter.
How to Memorize French Days and Months
Memorizing vocabulary becomes easier when you learn the words in groups.
Learn the days first
Start with:
lundi → mardi → mercredi → jeudi → vendredi → samedi → dimanche
Repeat the sequence aloud several times.
Then learn the months
Learn them in order:
janvier → février → mars → avril → mai → juin → juillet → août → septembre → octobre → novembre → décembre
Practice with real dates
Instead of memorizing words individually, make sentences about your own calendar.
For example:
Nous sommes vendredi.
We are Friday.
Mon anniversaire est en octobre.
My birthday is in October.
Je travaille le lundi.
I work on Mondays.
This helps you remember the vocabulary in context.
Common Mistakes When Learning French Days and Months
Mistake 1: Capitalizing days and months
Incorrect:
Lundi
Correct:
lundi
Incorrect:
Janvier
Correct:
janvier
French normally uses lowercase letters for days and months.
Mistake 2: Using “dans” for months
English speakers may be tempted to translate “in January” directly using dans.
For general calendar months, use:
en janvier
Not:
dans janvier
Mistake 3: Saying “le un janvier”
For January 1, use:
le premier janvier
Mistake 4: Confusing “jour” and “journée”
Both can be translated as “day,” but they are not always interchangeable.
- jour is commonly used when referring to a calendar day or a day in general.
- journée often emphasizes the duration or experience of a day.
For example:
Quel jour sommes-nous ?
What day is it?
French Days and Months Cheat Sheet
Days of the week
lundi — Monday
mardi — Tuesday
mercredi — Wednesday
jeudi — Thursday
vendredi — Friday
samedi — Saturday
dimanche — Sunday
Months of the year
janvier — January
février — February
mars — March
avril — April
mai — May
juin — June
juillet — July
août — August
septembre — September
octobre — October
novembre — November
décembre — December
Frequently Asked Questions About Days and Months in French
What are the days of the week in French?
The days of the week in French are lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi, and dimanche.
What are the months of the year in French?
The twelve months are janvier, février, mars, avril, mai, juin, juillet, août, septembre, octobre, novembre, and décembre.
Are French days and months capitalized?
No. In standard French, days of the week and months are generally written with lowercase letters.
How do you say “on Monday” in French?
You can say lundi when referring to a particular Monday, or le lundi when talking about Mondays as a recurring day.
How do you say “in January” in French?
“In January” is en janvier.
How do you say January 1 in French?
January 1 is le premier janvier.
What is “today” in French?
“Today” is aujourd’hui.
What is “tomorrow” in French?
“Tomorrow” is demain.
What is “yesterday” in French?
“Yesterday” is hier.
Practice Exercise: Days and Months in French
Try translating these sentences into French.
- Monday is my favorite day.
- My birthday is in March.
- We are traveling in July.
- I work on Friday.
- Christmas is in December.
- What day is it today?
- My exam is in June.
- I go to the gym on Saturday.
Answers
- Lundi est mon jour préféré.
- Mon anniversaire est en mars.
- Nous voyageons en juillet.
- Je travaille vendredi.
- Noël est en décembre.
- Quel jour sommes-nous aujourd’hui ?
- Mon examen est en juin.
- Je vais à la salle de sport le samedi.
Final Thoughts
Learning the days and months in French is an essential part of building your basic French vocabulary. Once you know lundi to dimanche and janvier to décembre, you can start talking about birthdays, appointments, schedules, holidays, travel plans, and everyday activities.
Remember these three important rules:
- French days and months usually begin with lowercase letters.
- Use en + month to say “in January,” “in March,” etc.
- Use le + day when talking about a recurring activity, such as le lundi.
The best way to remember French days and months is to practice them regularly in complete sentences rather than memorizing isolated vocabulary.
Keep practicing, and soon you will be able to talk about dates and schedules in French with confidence!