Jour is probably the first word you learned for "day" in French, and it's definitely the most common. But did you know there are many other ways to express "day" and related concepts in French? From talking about a specific date to describing a full 24-hour period, or even the daytime itself, French offers a rich vocabulary. Let's explore 9 different ways to say "day" (and variations of it) in French, so you can always pick the perfect word!

The standard 'day' (general term) – jour

The word jour is the most common and basic term for 'day' in French.

Unlike some nouns, jour is always masculine. Its plural form is jours. There are no gender-specific variations to remember, making it straightforward to use.

Jour is highly versatile and can be used in almost any context, from formal discussions to casual conversations. It's your go-to word for 'day' in general.

While jour means 'day', French also has another word for 'day': journée. Understanding the subtle difference is key to sounding more natural.

As a general rule, jour often refers to a specific day, a point in time, or a unit of time (e.g., 'three days'). It focuses on the calendar day itself. Journée, on the other hand, emphasizes the duration or the content of the day – how the day unfolds from morning to evening.

Think of jour when you're talking about specific days of the week, counting days, or referring to 'day' as opposed to 'night'. For example, 'Quel jour sommes-nous?' (What day is it?) or 'J'ai trois jours de vacances.' (I have three days of vacation.)

In contrast, journée is used for the experience of the day. For instance, 'Bonne journée!' (Have a good day!) refers to the entire duration of the day. 'J'ai passé une bonne journée.' (I had a good day.) describes the quality of the day's events.

To decide between jour and journée, ask yourself if you're referring to the day as a specific unit or point in time, or if you're emphasizing the period of time from morning to night and its activities or quality. Jour is the more abstract, general term, while journée adds a sense of duration and lived experience.

Many common French expressions use jour. For example: 'un beau jour' (one beautiful day/someday), 'tous les jours' (every day), 'le jour et la nuit' (day and night), or 'à jour' (up to date).

💡 * Quel jour sommes-nous ? (What day is it?)

Je travaille cinq jours par semaine. (I work five days a week.)

Le jour se lève. (The day is breaking / Dawn is rising.)

Un jour, je visiterai Paris. (One day, I will visit Paris.)

C'est un grand jour pour moi. (It's a big day for me.)

The 'day' (duration of the day, or good day) – journée

While jour means 'day' in a general sense or refers to a specific calendar day, journée specifically refers to the duration of the day, from morning until evening. It emphasizes the continuous period.

This distinction is crucial in French. Think of jour as the unit of time (e.g., 'three days', trois jours) or a specific day (e.g., 'Monday is a day', Lundi est un jour). Journée, on the other hand, describes the experience or content of that duration, focusing on what happens during the day.

You'll use journée when talking about what happened during the day, or the entire period of daylight and activity. For example, 'I worked all day' would use journée to emphasize the continuous activity throughout that period.

Perhaps one of the most common uses of journée is when describing the quality of the day. Phrases like une bonne journée (a good day) or une mauvaise journée (a bad day) directly refer to the overall experience of that day's duration.

This emphasis on duration and experience explains why you hear 'Bonne journée!' (Have a good day!) as a common farewell. You are wishing someone a pleasant duration of the day ahead, encompassing all the hours and activities within it.

In essence, jour is the 'day' as a measurable unit or specific instance, while journée is the 'day' as a period of living, experiencing, and doing. It's about the 'day-long' aspect and its qualitative feel.

💡 * J'ai passé une excellente journée. (I had an excellent day.)

Comment s'est passée ta journée ? (How was your day?)

Bonne journée ! (Have a good day!)

Il a plu toute la journée. (It rained all day long.)

La journée de travail est terminée. (The workday is over.)

The 'midday' or 'noon' – midi

In French, the word midi translates directly to 'midday' or 'noon'. It signifies the exact middle of the day, 12:00 PM.

Midi is a masculine noun. Interestingly, it is also invariable, meaning its form does not change, even when used in a plural sense (though this is rare for the time of day itself).

Most commonly, midi is used to refer to the specific time of 12:00 PM. You'll often hear it in phrases like à midi (at noon) or il est midi (it is noon).

Beyond just the time, midi can also informally refer to the midday meal, or lunch. For example, manger à midi means 'to eat lunch'.

Some common expressions include le repas de midi (the midday meal/lunch), pause de midi (lunch break), and avant midi (before noon) or après midi (after noon – though après-midi as a compound word means 'afternoon').

The direct opposite of midi is minuit (midnight). Both are precise points in time, marking the middle of the day and the middle of the night, respectively.

In France, midi often marks a significant point in the day, especially for the pause déjeuner (lunch break), which is a cherished and often longer period than in many other cultures.

💡 * Il est midi. (It is noon.)

On mange à midi. (We eat lunch at noon.)

Rendez-vous à midi pile ! (Meet me exactly at noon!)

La pause de midi dure une heure. (The lunch break lasts an hour.)

Je te verrai après midi. (I'll see you after noon.)

The 'break of day' or 'dawn' – aube

Aube means 'dawn' or 'break of day' in French, referring to the very first light of morning before the sun officially rises.

Aube is a feminine noun in French. It is almost always used with the definite article l' (l'aube), due to starting with a vowel, or with une (une aube) for indefinite usage.

Beyond its literal meaning, l'aube can also be used metaphorically to signify the beginning of something new, such as 'the dawn of an era' or 'the start of a new period'.

💡 *À l'aube, les oiseaux commencent à chanter. (At dawn, the birds start singing.)
*Nous nous sommes levés avant l'aube pour voir le lever du soleil. (We got up before dawn to see the sunrise.)
*C'était l'aube d'une nouvelle ère pour la science. (It was the dawn of a new era for science.)
*La fraîcheur de l'aube est souvent la plus agréable. (The coolness of dawn is often the most pleasant.)

The 'day off' or 'holiday' – jour de congé

The “day off” or “holiday” – jour de congé

Jour de congé literally translates to “day of leave” or “day off.” It refers to a day when one is not required to work or attend school.

This phrase is commonly used to describe a personal day off, a public holiday, or any day specifically granted for rest or personal activities outside of regular obligations.

While jour de congé can be part of a longer break, it typically refers to a single day or a few isolated days, as opposed to vacances, which implies a more extended holiday period or vacation.

You'll often hear it in contexts like asking for time off, announcing a holiday, or simply stating that you have a free day. It's a very practical phrase for everyday French conversation.

💡 * J'ai un jour de congé demain. (I have a day off tomorrow.)

C'est un jour de congé férié. (It's a public holiday.)

Mon patron m'a accordé un jour de congé. (My boss granted me a day off.)

Je vais profiter de mon jour de congé pour me reposer. (I'm going to use my day off to rest.)

The 'every day' or 'daily' – quotidien

In French, the word quotidien directly translates to 'every day' or 'daily'. It's a versatile term used to describe things that occur or are experienced on a daily basis, embodying the routine aspects of life.

When used as an adjective, quotidien (or its feminine form quotidienne) describes something that is 'daily'. For instance, la vie quotidienne means 'daily life', and un journal quotidien is a 'daily newspaper'.

It can also function as a masculine noun, le quotidien, meaning 'the daily routine' or 'the everyday'. This form often refers to the mundane, regular aspects of existence. For example, faire face au quotidien means 'to face the daily grind'.

Quotidien often carries a connotation of routine, habit, and sometimes even monotony. It highlights the regular, perhaps unremarkable, events that fill our days, distinguishing them from extraordinary or special occasions.

Common phrases include les tâches quotidiennes (daily tasks) and le train-train quotidien (the daily grind). Understanding quotidien helps describe the fabric of everyday existence in French, whether as an adjective for 'daily' or a noun for 'the daily routine'.

💡 *J'aime ma routine quotidienne. (I love my daily routine.)
*Elle lit un journal quotidien. (She reads a daily newspaper.)
*Comment gérez-vous le stress du quotidien ? (How do you manage the stress of everyday life?)
*Ce sont des problèmes quotidiens. (These are daily problems.)
*Le quotidien peut parfois être ennuyeux. (Everyday life can sometimes be boring.)

The 'day after tomorrow' – après-demain

To refer to the day after tomorrow in French, you use the adverbial phrase après-demain.

This phrase directly translates to 'after tomorrow' and is commonly used in everyday conversation to indicate a time two days from now.

Après-demain is an invariable adverbial phrase, meaning it doesn't change form based on gender or number. It functions similarly to 'tomorrow' (demain) or 'yesterday' (hier).

💡 * Je te verrai après-demain. (I will see you the day after tomorrow.)

La réunion est prévue pour après-demain matin. (The meeting is scheduled for the day after tomorrow morning.)

Ils arriveront après-demain si tout va bien. (They will arrive the day after tomorrow if all goes well.)

Tu peux me rappeler après-demain ? (Can you call me back the day after tomorrow?)

The 'day before yesterday' – avant-hier

The 'day before yesterday' – avant-hier. This adverbial phrase is straightforward and essential for discussing past events in French.

In French, avant-hier directly translates to 'before yesterday,' meaning 'the day before yesterday.' It functions as an adverb of time, indicating an event that occurred two days prior to the present day.

It's part of a simple sequence: hier (yesterday), aujourd'hui (today), demain (tomorrow), and après-demain (the day after tomorrow). Avant-hier perfectly slots in as the day preceding hier.

Avant-hier is a very common and fixed expression in French. Unlike some other time indicators, it doesn't change form based on gender or number, always remaining avant-hier.

💡 * J'ai vu ce film avant-hier. (I saw this movie the day before yesterday.)

Avant-hier, il faisait très beau. (The day before yesterday, the weather was very nice.)

Nous sommes arrivés à Paris avant-hier matin. (We arrived in Paris the day before yesterday morning.)

As-tu parlé à Marie avant-hier? (Did you talk to Marie the day before yesterday?)

The 'working day' or 'weekday' – jour ouvrable

To refer to a 'working day' or 'weekday' in French, the most common term you'll encounter is jour ouvrable.

A jour ouvrable literally translates to 'openable day' or 'workable day'. It refers to any day of the week when work is legally allowed. This typically includes Monday through Saturday, excluding Sundays and public holidays (jours fériés).

It's important not to confuse jour ouvrable with jour ouvré. While often used interchangeably in casual conversation, jour ouvré specifically designates a day when a business or administration is actually open and operating. This usually means Monday through Friday, excluding public holidays. So, Saturday is a jour ouvrable, but generally not a jour ouvré for many offices.

Jour ouvrable is frequently used in legal, administrative, and commercial contexts, such as calculating delivery times, deadlines, or payment periods. For example, a delivery might be quoted as 'within 3 jours ouvrables'.

Remember, if you're talking about any day work can legally happen, use jour ouvrable. If you're referring to a day a specific office or business is open, jour ouvré is often more precise, usually excluding Saturdays.

💡 * La livraison est prévue sous 5 jours ouvrables. (Delivery is expected within 5 working days.)

Le délai de rétractation est de 14 jours ouvrables. (The cooling-off period is 14 working days.)

Les banques sont fermées les dimanches et jours fériés, mais ouvertes les jours ouvrables. (Banks are closed on Sundays and public holidays, but open on working days.)

Samedi est un jour ouvrable, mais pas toujours un jour ouvré pour tous les commerces. (Saturday is a working day, but not always an open day for all businesses.)

Nous traitons les commandes uniquement pendant les jours ouvrables. (We process orders only during working days.)

Are there other ways to say 'day' in French?

Our article has covered the most common ways to refer to 'day' in French, like jour and journée. However, the French language is rich with expressions and nuances, and you'll find other terms depending on the context, from formal to poetic, or even regional slang.

To explore further, you might do an online search for 'comment dire jour en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country or region, or even 'expressions avec jour'.

As with any language learning, when you encounter new words or expressions related to 'day', always make sure to check their definitions and observe how native speakers use them in different contexts before incorporating them into your own vocabulary.

Pay close attention as you immerse yourself in French media — books, films, podcasts, or conversations. You'll naturally pick up on various ways to talk about time, including different shades of 'day'.

For a deeper dive into the nuances of jour and journée, and other time-related vocabulary, the WordReference entries for these terms are excellent starting points, offering synonyms, expressions, and usage examples.

I hope this article has shed some light on the different ways to express 'day' in French. To conclude, here’s a thought from the French poet Alphonse de Lamartine: "Chaque jour est un petit jour de l'éternité." (Every day is a small day of eternity.)

9 ways to say "day" in French