Learning how to say the days of the week in French is a great way to begin understanding the language. Among these, “Sunday” holds a special place as it is often associated with rest, relaxation, or spending time with family. By knowing the word for Sunday in French, you can better plan schedules or conversations with French-speaking people.
In this article, you’ll discover how to say “Sunday” in French, explore other ways to mention or refer to it, learn typical responses when discussing Sunday, and get exercises to practice. Let’s dive in and make French vocabulary a part of your everyday life.
Ways to Say “Sunday” in French
In French, Sunday is a day often associated with leisure and family activities, just like in many English-speaking countries. Learning how to say “Sunday” in French is useful for scheduling, discussing plans, or even sharing cultural traditions. Below are different ways to express “Sunday” in French, along with their meanings, pronunciations, and example sentences.
1. Dimanche
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh
Meaning: Sunday (Standard term for Sunday).
In a Sentence:
- Nous allons à l’église dimanche matin. (We are going to church Sunday morning.)
- Dimanche est un jour parfait pour se reposer. (Sunday is a perfect day to rest.)
2. Le jour du Seigneur
Pronunciation: luh zhoor dew seh-nyuhr
Meaning: The Lord’s Day (Religious reference to Sunday).
In a Sentence:
- Beaucoup de gens vont à la messe le jour du Seigneur. (Many people go to mass on the Lord’s Day.)
- Le jour du Seigneur est souvent dédié à la prière. (The Lord’s Day is often dedicated to prayer.)
3. Dimanche prochain
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh proh-shahn
Meaning: Next Sunday.
In a Sentence:
- Nous visiterons grand-mère dimanche prochain. (We will visit Grandma next Sunday.)
- Dimanche prochain, il y aura une réunion importante. (Next Sunday, there will be an important meeting.)
4. Dimanche dernier
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh der-nyay
Meaning: Last Sunday.
In a Sentence:
- Dimanche dernier, nous avons regardé un film. (Last Sunday, we watched a movie.)
- Il a plu dimanche dernier toute la journée. (It rained all day last Sunday.)
5. Premier dimanche
Pronunciation: pruh-mee-yay dee-mahnsh
Meaning: First Sunday (often used in monthly or yearly contexts).
In a Sentence:
- Le premier dimanche de mai est réservé pour la fête des mères. (The first Sunday of May is reserved for Mother’s Day.)
- Nous avons un pique-nique chaque premier dimanche du mois. (We have a picnic every first Sunday of the month.)
6. Le dimanche après-midi
Pronunciation: luh dee-mahnsh ah-pray-mee-dee
Meaning: Sunday afternoon.
In a Sentence:
- Le dimanche après-midi, nous jouons souvent au football. (On Sunday afternoons, we often play soccer.)
- J’aime lire un livre tranquille le dimanche après-midi. (I enjoy reading a quiet book on Sunday afternoon.)
7. Dimanche matin
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh mah-tahn
Meaning: Sunday morning.
In a Sentence:
- Dimanche matin, je fais une promenade au parc. (Sunday morning, I take a walk in the park.)
- Le café est toujours agréable dimanche matin. (Coffee is always enjoyable on Sunday morning.)
8. Dimanche soir
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh swahr
Meaning: Sunday evening.
In a Sentence:
- Dimanche soir, nous regardons un film en famille. (Sunday evening, we watch a movie as a family.)
- J’aime planifier ma semaine dimanche soir. (I like to plan my week on Sunday evening.)
9. Un jour de repos
Pronunciation: uh zhoor duh ruh-poh
Meaning: A day of rest (used to describe Sunday in general).
In a Sentence:
- Dimanche est souvent considéré comme un jour de repos. (Sunday is often considered a day of rest.)
- Les magasins sont fermés, car c’est un jour de repos. (The shops are closed because it’s a day of rest.)
10. La fin de semaine
Pronunciation: lah fan duh suh-mehn
Meaning: The weekend (includes Sunday).
In a Sentence:
- Nous avons visité le musée pendant la fin de semaine. (We visited the museum during the weekend.)
- La fin de semaine est parfaite pour se détendre. (The weekend is perfect for relaxing.)
11. Dimanche familial
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh fah-mee-lee-al
Meaning: Family Sunday.
In a Sentence:
- Dimanche familial est toujours un moment spécial. (Family Sunday is always a special time.)
- Nous préparons un grand dîner pour notre dimanche familial. (We prepare a big dinner for our family Sunday.)
12. Dimanche de détente
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh duh day-tahnt
Meaning: Relaxing Sunday.
In a Sentence:
- J’adore avoir un dimanche de détente avec un bon livre. (I love having a relaxing Sunday with a good book.)
- Dimanche de détente est parfait après une longue semaine. (A relaxing Sunday is perfect after a long week.)
13. Dimanche ensoleillé
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh ahn-soh-lay-yay
Meaning: Sunny Sunday.
In a Sentence:
- Un dimanche ensoleillé est idéal pour une promenade. (A sunny Sunday is ideal for a walk.)
- Nous avons eu un merveilleux dimanche ensoleillé au parc. (We had a wonderful sunny Sunday at the park.)
14. Dimanche froid
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh fwah
Meaning: Cold Sunday.
In a Sentence:
- Un dimanche froid est parfait pour rester à la maison. (A cold Sunday is perfect for staying home.)
- Dimanche froid, nous avons fait un feu de cheminée. (On a cold Sunday, we made a fire in the fireplace.)
15. Dimanche pluvieux
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh ploo-vyuh
Meaning: Rainy Sunday.
In a Sentence:
- Dimanche pluvieux, nous avons regardé un film à la maison. (On a rainy Sunday, we watched a movie at home.)
- J’aime les dimanches pluvieux pour boire du thé et lire. (I like rainy Sundays for drinking tea and reading.)
16. Le dernier dimanche du mois
Pronunciation: luh der-nyay dee-mahnsh duh mwah
Meaning: The last Sunday of the month.
In a Sentence:
- Nous allons au marché le dernier dimanche du mois. (We go to the market on the last Sunday of the month.)
- Le dernier dimanche du mois est réservé pour des activités en famille. (The last Sunday of the month is reserved for family activities.)
17. Dimanche matin tranquille
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh mah-tahn trahn-kee-yuh
Meaning: Quiet Sunday morning.
In a Sentence:
- J’aime un dimanche matin tranquille avec un bon café. (I love a quiet Sunday morning with good coffee.)
- Dimanche matin tranquille, nous avons lu les journaux. (Quiet Sunday morning, we read the newspapers.)
18. Dimanche festif
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh fes-teef
Meaning: Festive Sunday.
In a Sentence:
- Nous avons organisé un dimanche festif pour célébrer l’anniversaire de ma mère. (We organized a festive Sunday to celebrate my mom’s birthday.)
- Dimanche festif est une belle façon de passer le week-end. (Festive Sunday is a great way to spend the weekend.)
19. Dimanche à la campagne
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh ah lah kahn-pahn-yuh
Meaning: Sunday in the countryside.
In a Sentence:
- Dimanche à la campagne, nous avons fait un pique-nique. (Sunday in the countryside, we had a picnic.)
- J’adore passer un dimanche à la campagne loin de la ville. (I love spending a Sunday in the countryside away from the city.)
20. Dimanche gourmand
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh goor-mahn
Meaning: Gourmet Sunday.
In a Sentence:
- Nous préparons des crêpes pour notre dimanche gourmand. (We make crepes for our gourmet Sunday.)
- Un dimanche gourmand est parfait pour essayer de nouvelles recettes. (A gourmet Sunday is perfect for trying new recipes.)
21. Dimanche au marché
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh oh mar-shay
Meaning: Sunday at the market.
In a Sentence:
- Dimanche au marché, nous avons acheté des légumes frais. (Sunday at the market, we bought fresh vegetables.)
- J’adore aller au marché chaque dimanche. (I love going to the market every Sunday.)
22. Dimanche sportif
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh spor-teef
Meaning: Sporty Sunday.
In a Sentence:
- Nous jouons au tennis pendant notre dimanche sportif. (We play tennis during our sporty Sunday.)
- Dimanche sportif est parfait pour une course à pied. (Sporty Sunday is perfect for a jog.)
23. Dimanche musical
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh mew-zee-kal
Meaning: Musical Sunday.
In a Sentence:
- Nous écoutons des concerts en ligne pendant notre dimanche musical. (We listen to online concerts during our musical Sunday.)
- Dimanche musical est une belle façon de découvrir de nouveaux artistes. (Musical Sunday is a lovely way to discover new artists.)
24. Dimanche de réflexion
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh duh ray-flayk-see-yohn
Meaning: Reflective Sunday.
In a Sentence:
- J’ai passé un dimanche de réflexion à écrire dans mon journal. (I spent a reflective Sunday writing in my journal.)
- Dimanche de réflexion est utile pour planifier ma semaine. (Reflective Sunday is helpful for planning my week.)
25. Dimanche au soleil
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh oh soh-leil
Meaning: Sunday in the sun.
In a Sentence:
- Nous avons profité d’un dimanche au soleil à la plage. (We enjoyed a Sunday in the sun at the beach.)
- Dimanche au soleil, les enfants ont joué dehors toute la journée. (Sunday in the sun, the kids played outside all day.)
Other Ways to Say “Sunday” in French
Below is a table listing additional ways to express “Sunday” in French, including their pronunciation, meaning, and example sentences. These provide versatile expressions for discussing Sunday in different contexts.
| Other Ways to Say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
| Dimanche paisible | dee-mahnsh pay-zee-bluh | Peaceful Sunday | J’ai passé un dimanche paisible à lire. (I spent a peaceful Sunday reading.) |
| Dimanche chargé | dee-mahnsh shar-zhay | Busy Sunday | Nous avons eu un dimanche chargé avec des courses. (We had a busy Sunday with errands.) |
| Dimanche culturel | dee-mahnsh kul-tew-rel | Cultural Sunday | Dimanche culturel, nous avons visité un musée. (Cultural Sunday, we visited a museum.) |
| Dimanche spirituel | dee-mahnsh spee-ree-twel | Spiritual Sunday | Dimanche spirituel, nous sommes allés à l’église. (Spiritual Sunday, we went to church.) |
| Dimanche à la maison | dee-mahnsh ah lah mah-zon | Sunday at home | J’aime passer le dimanche à la maison. (I like spending Sunday at home.) |
| Dimanche entre amis | dee-mahnsh ahn-truh ah-mee | Sunday with friends | Nous avons dîné ensemble dimanche entre amis. (We had dinner together on Sunday with friends.) |
| Dimanche sans travail | dee-mahnsh sahn trah-vahy | Work-free Sunday | Dimanche sans travail est un vrai luxe. (A work-free Sunday is a real luxury.) |
| Dimanche spécial | dee-mahnsh spay-syal | Special Sunday | C’était un dimanche spécial pour notre famille. (It was a special Sunday for our family.) |
| Dimanche actif | dee-mahnsh ak-teef | Active Sunday | Nous avons fait de la randonnée dimanche actif. (We went hiking on an active Sunday.) |
| Dimanche en famille | dee-mahnsh ahn fah-mee | Sunday with family | Dimanche en famille est mon moment préféré. (Sunday with family is my favorite time.) |
| Dimanche classique | dee-mahnsh klah-see-k | Classic Sunday | Un dimanche classique, je prépare un grand repas. (On a classic Sunday, I cook a big meal.) |
| Dimanche relaxant | dee-mahnsh ruh-lak-sahn | Relaxing Sunday | Dimanche relaxant, j’ai dormi tard. (Relaxing Sunday, I slept late.) |
| Dimanche joyeux | dee-mahnsh zhwah-yuh | Joyful Sunday | C’était un dimanche joyeux avec des amis. (It was a joyful Sunday with friends.) |
| Dimanche festif | dee-mahnsh fes-teef | Festive Sunday | Nous avons célébré un anniversaire dimanche festif. (We celebrated a birthday on a festive Sunday.) |
| Dimanche à l’extérieur | dee-mahnsh ah lex-tehr-yuhr | Outdoor Sunday | Dimanche à l’extérieur, nous avons fait un barbecue. (Outdoor Sunday, we had a barbecue.) |
Responses to “Sunday” in French
Here are examples of how to respond when talking about Sunday in French. These responses fit various situations, such as casual chats, making plans, or reflecting on Sunday activities.
1. C’est mon jour préféré.
Pronunciation: say moh zhoor pray-fay-ray
Meaning: It’s my favorite day.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: J’adore les dimanches. (I love Sundays.)
Person 2: Oui, c’est mon jour préféré. (Yes, it’s my favorite day.)
2. Oui, j’aime bien le dimanche.
Pronunciation: wee, zhem byen luh dee-mahnsh
Meaning: Yes, I like Sundays.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Tu aimes le dimanche? (Do you like Sunday?)
Person 2: Oui, j’aime bien le dimanche. (Yes, I like Sundays.)
3. Dimanche est parfait pour se détendre.
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh ay par-fay poor suh day-tahnd
Meaning: Sunday is perfect for relaxing.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Que fais-tu le dimanche? (What do you do on Sundays?)
Person 2: Dimanche est parfait pour se détendre. (Sunday is perfect for relaxing.)
4. J’aime passer du temps en famille le dimanche.
Pronunciation: zhem pah-say dew tahn ahn fah-mee luh dee-mahnsh
Meaning: I like spending time with family on Sunday.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Comment passes-tu ton dimanche? (How do you spend your Sunday?)
Person 2: J’aime passer du temps en famille le dimanche. (I like spending time with family on Sunday.)
5. C’est toujours un jour agréable.
Pronunciation: say too-zhoor uh zhoor ah-gray-ah-bluh
Meaning: It’s always a pleasant day.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Comment trouves-tu le dimanche? (How do you find Sunday?)
Person 2: C’est toujours un jour agréable. (It’s always a pleasant day.)
6. Le dimanche, c’est pour se reposer.
Pronunciation: luh dee-mahnsh, say poor suh ruh-poh-zay
Meaning: Sunday is for resting.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Que fais-tu généralement le dimanche? (What do you usually do on Sunday?)
Person 2: Le dimanche, c’est pour se reposer. (Sunday is for resting.)
7. J’adore commencer ma semaine le dimanche soir.
Pronunciation: zha-door koh-mahn-say mah suh-mehn luh dee-mahnsh swahr
Meaning: I love starting my week on Sunday evening.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Prépares-tu ta semaine le dimanche? (Do you prepare for your week on Sunday?)
Person 2: Oui, j’adore commencer ma semaine le dimanche soir. (Yes, I love starting my week on Sunday evening.)
8. Dimanche, c’est parfait pour une balade.
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh, say par-fay poor une bah-lahd
Meaning: Sunday is perfect for a stroll.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Qu’est-ce que tu fais ce dimanche? (What are you doing this Sunday?)
Person 2: Dimanche, c’est parfait pour une balade. (Sunday is perfect for a stroll.)
9. Dimanche est synonyme de détente.
Pronunciation: dee-mahnsh ay see-noh-neem duh day-tahnt
Meaning: Sunday is synonymous with relaxation.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Pourquoi aimes-tu le dimanche? (Why do you like Sunday?)
Person 2: Dimanche est synonyme de détente. (Sunday is synonymous with relaxation.)
10. C’est un jour de préparation pour la semaine.
Pronunciation: say uh zhoor duh pray-pah-rah-syohn poor lah suh-mehn
Meaning: It’s a day to prepare for the week.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Que fais-tu le dimanche soir? (What do you do on Sunday evening?)
Person 2: C’est un jour de préparation pour la semaine. (It’s a day to prepare for the week.)
Exercise to Practice Saying “Sunday” in French
Below is an exercise to help you practice using “Sunday” and related phrases in French. Fill in the blanks with the correct term or phrase for “Sunday.” Each sentence is written in French with its English meaning provided after the exercise.
Fill-in-the-Blanks Exercise
- Nous allons au marché le ________.
- J’aime me reposer le ________ matin.
- Dimanche dernier, il a plu toute la ________.
- Chaque ________, nous dînons en famille.
- Je fais une promenade à la campagne le ________ après-midi.
- ________ prochain, il y aura une grande fête.
- Nous aimons préparer des crêpes chaque ________.
- ________, je prépare mon agenda pour la semaine.
- Un ________ pluvieux est parfait pour lire un livre.
- Nous avons organisé un pique-nique pour le ________ ensoleillé.
- À Noël, le ________ est toujours spécial.
- Les magasins sont fermés le ________, car c’est un jour de repos.
Answers and Meanings
- dimanche
- Nous allons au marché le dimanche. (We go to the market on Sunday.)
- dimanche
- J’aime me reposer le dimanche matin. (I like to rest on Sunday morning.)
- journée
- Dimanche dernier, il a plu toute la journée. (Last Sunday, it rained all day.)
- dimanche
- Chaque dimanche, nous dînons en famille. (Every Sunday, we have dinner as a family.)
- dimanche
- Je fais une promenade à la campagne le dimanche après-midi. (I take a walk in the countryside on Sunday afternoon.)
- dimanche
- Dimanche prochain, il y aura une grande fête. (Next Sunday, there will be a big party.)
- dimanche
- Nous aimons préparer des crêpes chaque dimanche. (We love making crepes every Sunday.)
- dimanche soir
- Dimanche soir, je prépare mon agenda pour la semaine. (Sunday evening, I prepare my schedule for the week.)
- dimanche
- Un dimanche pluvieux est parfait pour lire un livre. (A rainy Sunday is perfect for reading a book.)
- dimanche
- Nous avons organisé un pique-nique pour le dimanche ensoleillé. (We planned a picnic for the sunny Sunday.)
- dimanche
- À Noël, le dimanche est toujours spécial. (At Christmas, Sunday is always special.)
- dimanche
- Les magasins sont fermés le dimanche, car c’est un jour de repos. (The stores are closed on Sunday because it is a day of rest.)
Conclusion
Learning how to say “Sunday” in French and understanding its related expressions is a great step toward expanding your vocabulary and improving your conversation skills. Whether you use “dimanche” in casual chats or explore phrases like “dimanche pluvieux” or “dimanche familial,” these terms allow you to describe your day with variety and detail.
Practicing these phrases in real-life situations will make you more confident and fluent when speaking French. Keep practicing and experimenting with the different ways to talk about Sunday in conversations.
Soon, discussing your plans or sharing memories about Sunday in French will feel just as natural as in English. Bon dimanche! (Have a good Sunday!)