A Week in French: Learn the Days of “la Semaine”
Last updated: September 19, 2025
So, you’re learning French and wondering, “What’s Monday in French?” or maybe “How do I remember all these weird-sounding day names?” Good news—you’re in the right place. This post will teach you how to read, pronounce, and remember all seven days of the week in French (plus a little bonus on the culture attached to them).
It’s easier than you think—and maybe even a little fun. (Except Monday. Monday is never fun. Even in French.)
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Introduction to the French Calendar
To understand the French days of the week, it helps to know that the French calendar has roots going all the way back to the Roman Empire. The seven-day week was originally based on the 7 wandering stars: the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturne and the Sun—many that became Roman gods. This is similar to most European languages.
For example:
- mardi (Tuesday) comes from Mars,
- jeudi (Thursday) comes from Jupiter,
- and vendredi (Friday) is linked to Venus.
However, the Christian tradition in France replaced the day of the Saturne (Saturday) and the Sun (Sunday) for the day of sabbat (“samedi”) and the day of the Lord (“dimanche,” from the Latin “dies dominica”).
You'll notice that each French word for a day of the week contains “di.” This syllable comes from the Latin “dies,” meaning “day.”
In French, the calendar is divided similarly to English into:
- l’année – the year
- le mois – the month
- la semaine – the week
- le jour – the day
And what’s the first day of the week in France? It’s lundi (Monday)—not Sunday, like in some calendars. So, when you're planning your schedule, remember that the French week starts with getting back to work. 🥲
The Seven Days of the Week in French
Here’s a table of the seven days of the week in French, with their English equivalents. Click the audio links to hear their pronunciation.
English | French | Audio |
|---|---|---|
Monday | lundi | |
Tuesday | mardi | |
Wednesday | mercredi | |
Thursday | jeudi | |
Friday | vendredi | |
Saturday | samedi | |
Sunday | dimanche |
So how do you actually remember these?
Some of the best techniques are:
- Mnemonics: Try a memory phrase like “Mercredi, je vais à la mer” (Wednesday I go to the sea) and find one that works for you for every weekday. Weird? Yes. But memorable? Also yes.
- Songs: There are so many kids’ songs in French that teach the days of the week. One popular kindergarten version goes: “Lundi matin, l’empereur, sa femme et le p’tit prince…” In this song, the king, the queen and the little prince visit each day of the week to find no one is home. They decide to come back the next day: “Mardi matin…” And so on until dimanche.
- Flashcards: Write each day on one side and a sentence using that day on the other. Great for (spaced repetition)https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/spaced-repetition-language-learning! Go one step further with digital flashcards.
- Connect to your life: If Wednesday is your movie night, tie it to “mercredi.” If you dread Monday mornings, make “lundi” your villain.
Days of the Week in Context
In French, all days of the week are:
- Masculine nouns
- Not capitalized (unless at the start of a sentence)
- Used without articles when talking about a specific upcoming day
- Used with the article “le” to mean something happens regularly on that day
Let’s look at both cases:
- Je vais au marché lundi.
I’m going to the market on Monday. - Je vais au marché le lundi.
I go to the market on Mondays (every Monday).
Want more examples? Let’s go:
- Il travaille le mardi et le jeudi.
He works on Tuesdays and Thursdays. - On se voit vendredi soir ?
Shall we meet Friday evening? - Le dimanche, je ne fais rien.
On Sundays, I do nothing. - Tu peux venir ce samedi ?
Can you come this Saturday? - Les enfants n’ont pas classe le mercredi après-midi.
Children have no school on Wednesday afternoons.
Plural days can also be used when talking about a block of time:
- Les dimanches sont faits pour se reposer.
Sundays are made for resting. - Les vendredis sont toujours chargés.
Fridays are always busy.
Culture and Traditions Behind Days of the Week in France
Each day of the week in France carries cultural weight—and sometimes a bit of drama.
Lundi (Monday)
Ah, lundi. The return to work and school. It’s so dreaded that there’s a famous French song by Claude François called “Le lundi au soleil” (Monday in the sun), about how great Mondays would be… if you didn’t have to work.
Also, it’s become a bit of a running joke to never mention “lundi” during the weekend. As in:
- Pas de gros mots ce week-end… surtout pas “lundi”. No bad words this weekend… especially not “Monday”.
Mercredi (Wednesday)
In many French schools, mercredi is a half day—or even a day off. Kids might go to sports or music lessons, or just hang out.
Beware! If someone asks you “Tu fais quoi le mercredi ?” (What are you doing on Wednesday?, it might be a reference to the film Le Dîner de Cons ("The Dinner Game"), in which a group of men invite someone they find silly every Wednesday to have fun over dinner.
Vendredi (Friday)
Friday marks the start of the weekend, so you’ll often hear:
- Bon week-end !
Have a nice weekend! …on Friday morning.
Friday evenings are also known for packed trains leaving Paris for the countryside.
Fun fact: Fish is served in most French cafeterias on Friday due to religious tradition (Catholics traditionally avoid meat on Fridays).
Samedi et Dimanche (Saturday and Sunday)
These are the weekend days. People go out, visit family, run errands, or just chill. Shops may close early (or entirely) on dimanche, and public transport can be slower.
- Le samedi, on fait les courses.
On Saturdays, we go shopping. - Le dimanche, c’est sacré.
Sunday is sacred (for resting or family time).
And yes, French people too use the expression “Sunday blues:” “le blues du dimanche.”
Other Time-Related French Words and Phrases
While you're learning the days of the week, it's also useful to know related time expressions. Here's a handy table to round out your time-telling toolkit:
English | French | Audio |
|---|---|---|
Today | aujourd’hui | |
Yesterday | hier | |
Tomorrow | demain | |
Day before yesterday | avant-hier | |
Day after tomorrow | après-demain | |
This week | cette semaine | |
Next week | la semaine prochaine | |
Last week | la semaine dernière | |
Date | la date | |
Calendar | le calendrier | |
Weekend | le week-end | |
Weekday | un jour de la semaine | |
Holiday | un jour férié | |
Every day | tous les jours | |
Each week | chaque semaine |
The Ultimate Way to Know the Days of the Week in French
Want these words to actually stick? The best way to master them is to hear them in context—while watching a French show, listening to a podcast, or reading a comic. And guess what? That’s exactly what Migaku helps you do.
With Migaku, you can immerse yourself in real-world content and actually understand it—all while building vocabulary, day by day (pun intended).
Imagine: you're watching the famous French YouTuber Norman's video about the days of the week. You hear the word “mercredi,” which you know but still struggle to pronounce (why so many “r”?) So you decide to watch the video with Migaku and click on the word in the subtitles. You click on the option to create a card with media pulled from the video.
And in an instant, you've created a flashcard that looks like this:
Migaku will nudge you frequently to remember this word. In no time, it'll be so embedded in your memory that you'll never forget how to say the days of the week!
Your Week in French Starts Now!
Now you're all equipped to spend a week in France (or more!)
Don't forget: the best way to remember words in a new language is to see them in context at regular intervals. If you consume media you enjoy in French, and you understand some of the messages and sentences within that media, you will make progress. Period.
Bonne chance with your French learning—and may your lundis be short, your mercredis free, and your dimanches restful!