French: Days, months and dates

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You can say and write the date in French every day in class. This is a great way to practise and develop your French skills!

The 1-2-3 challenge

Join Scottish pupils as they give French a go!

Listen and guess what they are saying before trying yourself.

Tip: This video can be used as an interactive introduction to this topic or as a recap on key vocabulary and phrases already learnt.

Remember!

It doesn't matter if your pronunciation isn't perfect. Try your best and have fun!

Days

FrenchEnglish
listen lundiMonday
listen mardiTuesday
listen mercrediWednesday
listen jeudiThursday
listen vendrediFriday
listen samediSaturday
listen dimancheSunday

( Tip: The days of the week in French all start with a small letter instead of a capital like in English )

Asking others what the date is

To ask: 'What day is it today?' you can say: listen C’est quel jour?

Saying what day it is

To answer, you use the phrase Aujourd’hui + c'est + le + day

listen Aujourd’hui c’est le... - Today is the...

Example:

  • listen Aujourd’hui c’est le lundi - Today is Monday

You can also just say C’est + le + day: listen C’est le vendredi - It's Friday

Months

FrenchEnglish
listen janvierJanuary
listen févrierFebruary
listen marsMarch
listen avrilApril
listen maiMay
listen juinJune
listen juilletJuly
listen aoûtAugust
listen septembreSeptember
listen octobreOctober
listen novembreNovember
listen décembreDecember

( Tip: The months in French have the same rule as the days and start with a small letter instead of a capital )

What month is it?

  • listen C’est quel mois? - What month is it?

Saying what month it is

To answer, you use the phrase C'est + month

  • listen C’est... - It's...

Example:

listen C’est mai - It's May

Dates

What is the date today?

  • listen Quelle est la date aujourd'hui? - What is the date today?

Saying what the date is

To answer, you use the phrase Aujourd'hui + c'est + le + day + number + month

  • listen Aujourd’hui c’est le... - Today is...

Example:

listen Aujourd’hui c’est le lundi deux mars - Today is Monday the 2nd March

You can also just say C'est + le + day + number + month: listen C’est le samedi vingt-trois août - It's Saturday the 23rd August

Did you know?

To say 'the 1st', use listen le premier.

Example:

listen C’est le mardi premier juin - It's Tuesday 1st June

For all other dates use cardinal numbers (eg. two, three, four and five).

Example:

listen C’est le mercredi deux juin - It's Wednesday 2nd June

Birthdays

When's your birthday?

If you want to ask someone when their birthday is, you say:

  • listen Quelle est la date de ton anniversaire ?

Let's break the question down into smaller parts:

  • listen Quelle est - What is
  • listen la date - the date
  • listen de ton anniversaire ? - of your birthday?

Saying your birthday

To answer, you use the phrase C'est + le + day + month

Examples:

listen C'est le deux mai – It's the second of May

listen C'est le trois mai – It's the third of May

listen C'est le quatre mai – It's the fourth of May

Quiz