{"id":6363,"date":"2023-11-14T11:47:09","date_gmt":"2023-11-14T11:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/?p=6363"},"modified":"2023-11-14T11:47:11","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T11:47:11","slug":"days-of-the-week-in-french","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/days-of-the-week-in-french\/","title":{"rendered":"Days of the Week in French: A Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Knowing the days of the week in French is essential for making reservations and appointments in both your professional and personal life. You\u2019ll struggle to get by in a French-speaking country without knowing les jours de la semaine<\/em>, so here is a detailed guide with everything you need to know.<\/p>\n

<\/a>What are the days of the week in French?<\/h2>\n

<\/a>Lundi<\/em> \u2013 Monday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The French word for Monday is lundi<\/em>. This originates from the Latin \u201cdi\u0113s L\u016bnae\u201d which means \u201cthe day of the moon\u201d. <\/em>It is pronounced lun-dee.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Mardi\u00a0<\/em>\u2013 Tuesday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Mardi<\/em>, pronounced mar-dee, means Tuesday. It comes from the Latin \u201cdi\u0113s M\u0101rtis\u201d, meaning \u201cthe day of Mars\u201d.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Mercredi <\/em>\u2013 Wednesday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Our next Latin name is \u201cdi\u0113s Mercuri\u012b\u201d, or \u201cthe day of mercury\u201d. In French, this became mercredi<\/em>, pronounced mehr-cruh-dee.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Jeudi<\/em> \u2013 Thursday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You\u2019re probably starting to see a pattern here. After the Moon, Mars and Mercury, we come to Jupiter, in Latin \u201cIovis\u201d or \u201cJovis\u201d, and thus the origin of the French jeudi<\/em>, pronounced zhuh-dee.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Vendredi<\/em> \u2013 Friday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vendredi<\/em>, pronounced van-druh-dee, comes from the goddess Venus, in Latin \u201cVeneris\u201d.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Samedi\u00a0<\/em>\u2013 Saturday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Saturday was originally called \u201cthe day of Saturn\u201d in French, but it later changed to mean \u201cthe day of the Sabbath\u201d. To be more precise, Samedi<\/em>, pronounced sa-muh-dee, comes from \u201csambati dies\u201d, the Greek variant of the Latin \u201csabbati dies\u201d.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Dimanche\u00a0<\/em>\u2013 Sunday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Finally, we have Sunday, which in many languages refers to the biggest thing in the solar system: the Sun. France is a Catholic country, which is why, in French, this day is called dimanche<\/em>, meaning \u201cthe Lord\u2019s Day\u201d, from the Latin \u201cDominicus dies\u201d. It is pronounced dee-mansh.<\/p>\n

<\/a>How to remember the days of the week in French<\/h2>\n

<\/a>Think about their origins<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Now, you may be thinking that all of these words are so very different from English, how on earth will you remember them? By learning the origins of each word, you will be able to remember the days of the week in French far more easily.<\/p>\n

Many people think that the days of the week come from the names of Roman gods. This is partially true, although it dates back even further to the Babylonian era: The Babylonians had a seven-day week, and they associated each day with one of the classical celestial bodies, which were also associated with different deities. The Romans adopted this idea, which contributed to the establishment of the seven-day week, hence the days relate to Roman Gods. It was believed that each Roman deity was more powerful during their days<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

So, If you\u2019re not familiar with Roman mythology but you do know about the solar system, you can try to remember the word origins by the planets instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

French Day<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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French planet<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

English planet<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

lundi<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

lune<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Moon<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

mardi<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

mars<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Mars<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

mercredi<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

mercure<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Mercury<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

jeudi<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

jupiter<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Jupiter<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

vendredi<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

venus<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Venus<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The weekend is made up of two days, which are the exceptions to the rule, and instead have religious origins.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Learn all days of the week in French with flashcards<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One of the easiest ways to learn the days of the week is with simple flashcards. Write one day of the week on a piece of card, or even paper, and then write the translation on the other side. Repeat for all 7 days. Read them a few times to try and learn them, then place them around your house in obvious places, this isn\u2019t a game of hide and seek, after all! Every time you see a card, read the word, for example, Tuesday, and try to think of the French equivalent before you turn the card over to check your answer.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Days of the week in French song<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you want to learn the perfect pronunciation and prefer to learn through audio, then try listening to one of the many French songs about the days of the week.<\/p>\n

This song by Alain le Lait can really help you understand and replicate the pronunciation:<\/p>\n