French from the beginning: Days of the week

Learning a new language can be a challenging yet exciting journey. If you’re starting with French, there’s no need to worry, as we’ll be discussing one of the basics today: the days of the week.

In French, the days of the week are Les Jours de la Semaine, which literally translates to “the days of the week”. Just like in English, the week has seven days, each with their own name.

Here are the days of the week in French:

1. Monday – Lundi
2. Tuesday – Mardi
3. Wednesday – Mercredi
4. Thursday – Jeudi
5. Friday – Vendredi
6. Saturday – Samedi
7. Sunday – Dimanche

Notice that the days of the week in French do not have capital letters like in English. This is because the French language generally does not use capital letters as often as English does.

To help you remember the days of the week in French, here is a little tip: In French, the days of the week are named after celestial bodies or mythological figures, with the exception of Saturday, which comes from the Latin word “sabbatum” or “day of rest”.

Lundi, which means “moon day”, is named after the moon.

Similarly, Mardi, or “Mars’ day”, is named after the Roman god of war, Mars.

Mercredi, or “Mercury’s day”, is named after the Roman god of commerce and messenger, Mercury.

Jeudi, or “Jove’s day”, is named after the Roman god of thunder, Jupiter.

Vendredi, or “Venus’ day”, is named after the Roman goddess of love, Venus.

Samedi finds its etymological roots in the Latin term “Sabbatum,” which means “Sabbath.” This designation harkens back to the biblical tradition of observing the Sabbath as a day of rest and spiritual reflection.

Lastly, Dimanche, or “day of the Lord”, is named after the day of rest in the Christian religion.

Knowing the days of the week is important when scheduling appointments, making plans, and writing dates in French.

It is also helpful to know that in French, the week starts on Monday, not Sunday.

Now that you know the days of the week in French, why not practice them by trying to use them in conversation?

You can also learn the months of the year, seasons, and other French basics to further improve your language skills.

Learning French from the beginning may seem overwhelming at first, but with a little bit of practice and dedication, you’ll be speaking like a native in no time. Bonne chance!