Learning how to say the days of the week in French can be fun and helpful. Days are part of our everyday lives, so knowing them in another language is a great way to start conversations or make travel easier. French is spoken in many parts of the world, and learning basic words like these can make a big difference.
In this article, you will discover how to say the days of the week in French. You’ll also learn other ways to talk about them, how to respond when discussing days, and practice through simple exercises. By the end, you’ll feel confident using the French names for the days of the week in your daily life.
Ways to Say the Days of the Week in French
In French, the days of the week are important to know, especially for making plans, understanding schedules, or just talking about daily routines. Below, you’ll find the names of the days in French, their pronunciations, meanings, and example sentences.
Lundi(Pronunciation: lun-dee)
- Meaning: Monday
- In a Sentence:
- L’école commence le lundi. (School starts on Monday.)
- Nous avons une réunion lundi matin. (We have a meeting Monday morning.)
Mardi(Pronunciation: mar-dee)
- Meaning: Tuesday
- In a Sentence:
- Je vais au marché mardi. (I’m going to the market on Tuesday.)
- Le club de sport est ouvert tous les mardis. (The gym is open every Tuesday.)
Mercredi(Pronunciation: mehr-kruh-dee)
- Meaning: Wednesday
- In a Sentence:
- Les enfants n’ont pas d’école mercredi après-midi. (The kids don’t have school on Wednesday afternoon.)
- Mercredi, nous dînons chez grand-mère. (On Wednesday, we have dinner at grandma’s house.)
Jeudi(Pronunciation: zhuh-dee)
- Meaning: Thursday
- In a Sentence:
- Jeudi, il y a un match de football. (There’s a soccer game on Thursday.)
- Nous avons cours de danse tous les jeudis. (We have dance class every Thursday.)
Vendredi(Pronunciation: vahn-druh-dee)
- Meaning: Friday
- In a Sentence:
- Vendredi, c’est le début du week-end! (Friday is the start of the weekend!)
- On mange toujours une pizza le vendredi soir. (We always eat pizza on Friday night.)
Samedi(Pronunciation: sahm-dee)
- Meaning: Saturday
- In a Sentence:
- Samedi, je vais faire du shopping. (I’m going shopping on Saturday.)
- Les films passent au cinéma le samedi soir. (Movies play at the cinema on Saturday night.)
Dimanche(Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh)
- Meaning: Sunday
- In a Sentence:
- Dimanche, nous allons à l’église. (On Sunday, we go to church.)
- Dimanche est un jour de repos. (Sunday is a day of rest.)
Chaque lundi(Pronunciation: shak lun-dee)
- Meaning: Every Monday
- In a Sentence:
- Chaque lundi, je fais du yoga. (Every Monday, I do yoga.)
- Nous avons une réunion chaque lundi. (We have a meeting every Monday.)
Tous les mardis(Pronunciation: too lay mar-dee)
- Meaning: Every Tuesday
- In a Sentence:
- Tous les mardis, je vais au marché. (Every Tuesday, I go to the market.)
- Elle travaille tard tous les mardis. (She works late every Tuesday.)
Mercredi prochain(Pronunciation: mehr-kruh-dee pro-shahn)
- Meaning: Next Wednesday
- In a Sentence:
- Nous partirons en voyage mercredi prochain. (We will leave for a trip next Wednesday.)
- Le film sort mercredi prochain. (The movie comes out next Wednesday.)
Le jeudi matin(Pronunciation: luh zhuh-dee mah-tahn)
- Meaning: On Thursday morning
- In a Sentence:
- Le jeudi matin, je prends mon café au parc. (On Thursday morning, I drink my coffee in the park.)
- Il y a un cours de peinture le jeudi matin. (There’s a painting class on Thursday morning.)
Vendredi soir(Pronunciation: vahn-druh-dee swahr)
- Meaning: Friday night
- In a Sentence:
- Vendredi soir, nous regardons un film. (On Friday night, we watch a movie.)
- La fête commence vendredi soir. (The party starts Friday night.)
Le week-end prochain(Pronunciation: luh wee-kend pro-shahn)
- Meaning: Next weekend
- In a Sentence:
- Je visiterai mes amis le week-end prochain. (I will visit my friends next weekend.)
- Nous irons à la plage le week-end prochain. (We will go to the beach next weekend.)
Dimanche dernier(Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh der-nyeh)
- Meaning: Last Sunday
- In a Sentence:
- Dimanche dernier, nous sommes allés au musée. (Last Sunday, we went to the museum.)
- Il faisait beau dimanche dernier. (It was nice last Sunday.)
Tous les samedis après-midi(Pronunciation: too lay sahm-dee ah-preh-mee-dee)
- Meaning: Every Saturday afternoon
- In a Sentence:
- Tous les samedis après-midi, je joue au football. (Every Saturday afternoon, I play soccer.)
- Nous faisons une promenade tous les samedis après-midi. (We go for a walk every Saturday afternoon.)
Un lundi férié(Pronunciation: uh lun-dee feh-ree-ay)
- Meaning: A holiday Monday
- In a Sentence:
- Ce sera un lundi férié la semaine prochaine. (It will be a holiday Monday next week.)
- Nous restons à la maison pendant un lundi férié. (We stay home on a holiday Monday.)
Samedi soir prochain(Pronunciation: sahm-dee swahr pro-shahn)
- Meaning: Next Saturday night
- In a Sentence:
- Samedi soir prochain, nous avons un dîner spécial. (Next Saturday night, we have a special dinner.)
- Le concert aura lieu samedi soir prochain. (The concert will take place next Saturday night.)
Dimanche matin(Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh mah-tahn)
- Meaning: Sunday morning
- In a Sentence:
- Dimanche matin, je fais une longue marche. (On Sunday morning, I take a long walk.)
- Nous buvons du café ensemble dimanche matin. (We drink coffee together on Sunday morning.)
Après-midi du lundi(Pronunciation: ah-preh-mee-dee du lun-dee)
- Meaning: Monday afternoon
- In a Sentence:
- Après-midi du lundi, je travaille sur mon jardin. (On Monday afternoon, I work on my garden.)
- Il a une réunion après-midi du lundi. (He has a meeting on Monday afternoon.)
Jeudi prochain soir(Pronunciation: zhuh-dee pro-shahn swahr)
- Meaning: Next Thursday night
- In a Sentence:
- Nous dînerons ensemble jeudi prochain soir. (We’ll have dinner together next Thursday night.)
- Le spectacle est programmé pour jeudi prochain soir. (The show is scheduled for next Thursday night.)
Vendredi dernier(Pronunciation: vahn-druh-dee der-nyeh)
- Meaning: Last Friday
- In a Sentence:
- Vendredi dernier, nous sommes allés au cinéma. (Last Friday, we went to the movies.)
- Il a fait froid vendredi dernier. (It was cold last Friday.)
Samedi tout entier(Pronunciation: sahm-dee too ahn-tyay)
- Meaning: The whole Saturday
- In a Sentence:
- Nous avons passé samedi tout entier à la plage. (We spent the whole Saturday at the beach.)
- Il a étudié samedi tout entier. (He studied the whole Saturday.)
Mercredi de cette semaine(Pronunciation: mehr-kruh-dee duh set suh-mehn)
- Meaning: This week’s Wednesday
- In a Sentence:
- Mercredi de cette semaine, il y a une réunion importante. (This week’s Wednesday, there is an important meeting.)
- Nous préparons le dîner mercredi de cette semaine. (We are preparing dinner this Wednesday.)
Dimanche soir dernier(Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh swahr der-nyeh)
- Meaning: Last Sunday night
- In a Sentence:
- Dimanche soir dernier, nous avons regardé un film. (Last Sunday night, we watched a movie.)
- Il a plu dimanche soir dernier. (It rained last Sunday night.)
Tous les vendredis soirs(Pronunciation: too lay vahn-druh-dee swahr)
- Meaning: Every Friday night
- In a Sentence:
- Tous les vendredis soirs, nous mangeons au restaurant. (Every Friday night, we eat at a restaurant.)
- Il joue de la guitare tous les vendredis soirs. (He plays guitar every Friday night.)
Other Ways to Say the Days of the Week in French
Below is a table of other phrases and expressions related to the days of the week in French. These alternatives provide more flexibility when discussing time and schedules.
Other Ways to Say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
Jour de la semaine | zhoor duh lah suh-mehn | Day of the week | Quels sont vos jours de la semaine préférés ? (What are your favorite days of the week?) |
Week-end | wee-kend | Weekend | Le week-end est fait pour se détendre. (The weekend is for relaxing.) |
Début de la semaine | day-boo duh lah suh-mehn | Start of the week | Le début de la semaine est toujours chargé. (The start of the week is always busy.) |
Fin de semaine | fehn duh suh-mehn | End of the week | Nous sortons toujours en famille à la fin de semaine. (We always go out as a family at the end of the week.) |
Jour ouvrable | zhoor oo-vrah-bluh | Workday | Les jours ouvrables sont du lundi au vendredi. (Workdays are from Monday to Friday.) |
Jour férié | zhoor feh-ree-ay | Holiday | Le 14 juillet est un jour férié en France. (July 14 is a holiday in France.) |
Matinée de lundi | mah-tee-nay duh lun-dee | Monday morning | La matinée de lundi commence tôt. (Monday morning starts early.) |
Après-midi de samedi | ah-preh-mee-dee duh sahm-dee | Saturday afternoon | L’après-midi de samedi est parfait pour une promenade. (Saturday afternoon is perfect for a walk.) |
Soirée de vendredi | swahr-ay duh vahn-druh-dee | Friday evening | La soirée de vendredi est idéale pour regarder un film. (Friday evening is ideal for watching a movie.) |
Tous les jours | too lay zhoor | Every day | Je vais au parc tous les jours. (I go to the park every day.) |
Chaque fin de semaine | shak fehn duh suh-mehn | Every weekend | Nous faisons du vélo chaque fin de semaine. (We go biking every weekend.) |
Premier jour de la semaine | pruh-myay zhoor duh lah suh-mehn | First day of the week | En France, le lundi est le premier jour de la semaine. (In France, Monday is the first day of the week.) |
Dernier jour de la semaine | der-nyeh zhoor duh lah suh-mehn | Last day of the week | Dimanche est souvent le dernier jour de la semaine. (Sunday is often the last day of the week.) |
En milieu de semaine | ahn meel-yuh duh suh-mehn | Midweek | Nous avons une pause en milieu de semaine. (We have a break midweek.) |
Jours consécutifs | zhoor kon-seh-kew-teef | Consecutive days | Il a travaillé trois jours consécutifs. (He worked three consecutive days.) |
Journée entière | zhoor-nay ahn-tyehr | Whole day | J’ai passé la journée entière à étudier. (I spent the whole day studying.) |
Pendant la semaine | pahn-dahn lah suh-mehn | During the week | Nous ne sortons pas beaucoup pendant la semaine. (We don’t go out much during the week.) |
Au début du week-end | oh day-boo du wee-kend | At the start of the weekend | Au début du week-end, je fais toujours du ménage. (At the start of the weekend, I always clean.) |
Vers la fin de semaine | vehr lah fehn duh suh-mehn | Towards the end of the week | Les devoirs s’accumulent vers la fin de semaine. (Homework piles up towards the end of the week.) |
Responses to “Days of the Week” in French
Here are ways to respond when talking about the days of the week in French. These expressions help you react naturally and keep conversations going.
C’est un bon jour.(Pronunciation: say uh boh zhoor)
- Meaning: It’s a good day.
- Example:
- Lundi, c’est un bon jour pour commencer quelque chose de nouveau. (Monday is a good day to start something new.)
Ah oui, je suis libre ce jour-là.(Pronunciation: ah wee, juh swee leebruh suh zhoor-lah)
- Meaning: Oh yes, I’m free that day.
- Example:
- Tu es libre jeudi? — Ah oui, je suis libre ce jour-là. (Are you free Thursday? — Oh yes, I’m free that day.)
C’est bientôt le week-end!(Pronunciation: say byen-too luh wee-kend)
- Meaning: The weekend is almost here!
- Example:
- Vendredi, c’est bientôt le week-end! (Friday, the weekend is almost here!)
C’est mon jour préféré.(Pronunciation: say mohn zhoor preh-feh-ray)
- Meaning: That’s my favorite day.
- Example:
- Dimanche est mon jour préféré pour me détendre. (Sunday is my favorite day to relax.)
Ce jour-là, je suis occupé.(Pronunciation: suh zhoor-lah, juh swee oh-kew-pay)
- Meaning: I’m busy that day.
- Example:
- Tu veux qu’on se voie mercredi? — Ce jour-là, je suis occupé. (Do you want to meet Wednesday? — I’m busy that day.)
Parfait, ça marche!(Pronunciation: par-fay, sah marsh)
- Meaning: Perfect, that works!
- Example:
- On se voit samedi? — Parfait, ça marche! (Shall we meet Saturday? — Perfect, that works!)
J’adore cette journée.(Pronunciation: zhah-dor set zhoor-nay)
- Meaning: I love this day.
- Example:
- J’adore cette journée de mercredi avec toi. (I love this Wednesday with you.)
C’est une journée spéciale.(Pronunciation: say toon zhoor-nay speh-syahl)
- Meaning: It’s a special day.
- Example:
- Dimanche prochain, c’est une journée spéciale pour notre famille. (Next Sunday is a special day for our family.)
C’est un jour férié.(Pronunciation: say uh zhoor feh-ree-ay)
- Meaning: It’s a holiday.
- Example:
- Lundi prochain, c’est un jour férié en France. (Next Monday is a holiday in France.)
Je travaille ce jour-là.(Pronunciation: juh trah-vah-yuh suh zhoor-lah)
- Meaning: I work that day.
- Example:
- Samedi, je travaille ce jour-là. (Saturday, I work that day.)
Ah oui, ce jour est parfait.(Pronunciation: ah wee, suh zhoor ay par-fay)
- Meaning: Oh yes, that day is perfect.
- Example:
- On peut se voir vendredi? — Ah oui, ce jour est parfait. (Can we meet Friday? — Oh yes, that day is perfect.)
C’est déjà la fin de la semaine!(Pronunciation: say day-zhah lah fehn duh lah suh-mehn)
- Meaning: It’s already the end of the week!
- Example:
- Vendredi soir, c’est déjà la fin de la semaine! (Friday night, it’s already the end of the week!)
Ce jour arrive bientôt.(Pronunciation: suh zhoor ah-reev byen-too)
- Meaning: That day is coming soon.
- Example:
- Jeudi arrive bientôt; je suis impatient! (Thursday is coming soon; I’m excited!)
Je préfère un autre jour.(Pronunciation: juh preh-fehr uh noh-truh zhoor)
- Meaning: I prefer another day.
- Example:
- Mardi, ça ne marche pas pour moi. Je préfère un autre jour. (Tuesday doesn’t work for me. I prefer another day.)
C’est une journée chargée.(Pronunciation: say toon zhoor-nay shar-zhay)
- Meaning: It’s a busy day.
- Example:
- Lundi, c’est une journée chargée au travail. (Monday is a busy day at work.)
Exercise to Practice Success with the Days of the Week in French
Below is a list of 12 fill-in-the-blank exercises using the French days of the week. Each sentence is in French, with its meaning provided. Answers are given at the end.
Fill-in-the-Blank Sentences
- Nous avons un match de football le ______. (We have a soccer game on ____.)
- Chaque ______, je vais au supermarché. (Every ____, I go to the supermarket.)
- Mon cours de piano est programmé pour ______ après-midi. (My piano class is scheduled for ____ afternoon.)
- ______ est le jour où je me repose. (____ is the day I rest.)
- J’aime aller au parc tous les ______. (I like to go to the park every ____.)
- Mon anniversaire est ______ prochain. (My birthday is next ____.)
- Nous avons un test en classe ce ______. (We have a test in class this ____.)
- ______, nous regardons un film en famille. (On ____, we watch a movie as a family.)
- Le week-end commence le ______ soir. (The weekend starts on ____ night.)
- Je vais faire du shopping ______ matin. (I’m going shopping on ____ morning.)
- La réunion est prévue pour ______ de cette semaine. (The meeting is scheduled for ____ this week.)
- ______ dernier, nous sommes allés au musée. (Last ____, we went to the museum.)
Answers
- vendredi(Friday)
- Nous avons un match de football le vendredi. (We have a soccer game on Friday.)
- mardi(Tuesday)
- Chaque mardi, je vais au supermarché. (Every Tuesday, I go to the supermarket.)
- mercredi(Wednesday)
- Mon cours de piano est programmé pour mercredi après-midi. (My piano class is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.)
- dimanche(Sunday)
- Dimanche est le jour où je me repose. (Sunday is the day I rest.)
- samedi(Saturday)
- J’aime aller au parc tous les samedis. (I like to go to the park every Saturday.)
- lundi(Monday)
- Mon anniversaire est lundi prochain. (My birthday is next Monday.)
- jeudi(Thursday)
- Nous avons un test en classe ce jeudi. (We have a test in class this Thursday.)
- samedi(Saturday)
- Samedi, nous regardons un film en famille. (On Saturday, we watch a movie as a family.)
- vendredi(Friday)
- Le week-end commence le vendredi soir. (The weekend starts on Friday night.)
- dimanche(Sunday)
- Je vais faire du shopping dimanche matin. (I’m going shopping on Sunday morning.)
- mardi(Tuesday)
- La réunion est prévue pour mardi de cette semaine. (The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday this week.)
- dimanche(Sunday)
- Dimanche dernier, nous sommes allés au musée. (Last Sunday, we went to the museum.)
Conclusion
Learning how to say the days of the week in French is a simple yet important step in speaking the language. These words are used in everyday conversations, whether you’re planning events, talking about schedules, or just mentioning your favorite day. Understanding them will help you feel more comfortable interacting in French.
By practicing the different ways to say and use these words, you can gain confidence in talking about days and dates naturally. Keep practicing the exercises and try using these expressions in real-life situations. With time and effort, speaking about days in French will become as easy as it is in English. Bon courage! (Good luck!)