Just like in English, where "first" can be expressed in various ways depending on the context (first place, first time, first of all), French also offers a rich vocabulary for this seemingly simple concept. While "premier" (or "première") is the most common translation, there are many other nuanced ways to say "first" that can add precision and fluency to your French.

Whether you're talking about the first day of the month, the first person to arrive, or simply stating "firstly," understanding these different expressions will significantly enhance your communication skills.

Let's dive into 9 different ways to say "first" in French and discover when to use each one!

The standard 'first' (masculine singular) – premier

Premier is the most common and basic word for 'first' in French, typically used as an adjective.

Like many French adjectives, premier changes its form to agree with the noun it modifies in both gender and number. Here are its forms: premier (masculine singular), première (feminine singular), premiers (masculine plural), premières (feminine plural).

Premier is primarily used as an ordinal number, indicating the position in a sequence, a ranking, or the beginning of something.

While premier is the masculine singular form, it's essential to remember its feminine counterpart, première, as well as its plural forms, to use it correctly in various contexts.

The general rule is that premier (or its variations) nearly always precedes the noun it describes. For instance, you say le premier livre (the first book), not le livre premier.

Consider these examples: Il a fini premier de la course (He finished first in the race) uses premier as an adjective. C'est la première chose à faire (It's the first thing to do) uses première because chose is feminine.

It's also frequently used in conjunction with dates, especially for the first day of the month. For example, le premier mai (May 1st) or le premier janvier (January 1st).

Many common French expressions use premier or première, such as le Premier ministre (the Prime Minister), la première guerre mondiale (the First World War), or au premier abord (at first glance).

Understanding the agreement of premier (and its forms) is fundamental. Always check the gender and number of the noun it modifies to ensure grammatical accuracy and natural-sounding French.

💡 * C'est mon premier voyage en France. (It's my first trip to France.)

Elle a gagné la première place. (She won first place.)

Nous fêtons le premier anniversaire de notre fils. (We are celebrating our son's first birthday.)

Les premiers flocons de neige sont tombés. (The first snowflakes fell.)

J'ai lu le premier chapitre du livre. (I read the first chapter of the book.)

The standard 'first' (feminine singular) – première

The French word for 'first' has two primary forms: premier (masculine singular) and première (feminine singular). This section will focus on première, the feminine singular form, which is used when referring to a feminine noun or concept.

Première functions as an ordinal number, indicating the initial position in a sequence or series, specifically for feminine nouns. For example, 'the first car' (if the car is feminine) would be la première voiture.

A very common expression using première is pour la première fois, which translates to 'for the first time'. This phrase is indispensable for describing novel experiences or initial occurrences.

Première also appears in several fixed expressions and specific contexts. For instance, in the French education system, la classe de première refers to the penultimate year of high school. It can also be found in terms like la Première Dame (the First Lady).

While primarily an adjective, première can be part of adverbial phrases. For example, when describing a sequence of actions, one might say Elle est arrivée la première ('She arrived first'), where la première acts almost adverbially, referring back to the feminine subject.

💡 * C'est ma première visite à Paris. (It's my first visit to Paris.)

Elle a gagné la première place. (She won first place.)

Pour la première fois, j'ai compris. (For the first time, I understood.)

La première étoile est apparue. (The first star appeared.)

Nous sommes en classe de première. (We are in the eleventh grade.)

The 'first' (meaning 'for the first time') – pour la première fois

When you want to express the idea of something happening 'for the first time' in French, the most common and direct phrase you'll use is pour la première fois.

Literally, pour la première fois translates directly to 'for the first time.' It's a straightforward and universally understood expression in French.

The phrase is composed of: pour (for), la (the, feminine singular definite article), première (first, feminine adjective), and fois (time, feminine noun, referring to an instance or occurrence).

You can use pour la première fois in various contexts to indicate an inaugural event, an initial experience, or the very first instance of something occurring in a sequence.

Typically, pour la première fois is placed at the end of a sentence, serving as an adverbial phrase modifying the verb. However, for emphasis, it can sometimes appear earlier in the sentence.

It's crucial to understand that fois refers to an event or an instance of 'time' (e.g., 'one time,' 'many times'), distinct from temps, which refers to 'time' as a duration, period, or concept.

💡 * J'ai visité Paris pour la première fois l'année dernière. (I visited Paris for the first time last year.)

Elle a conduit une voiture pour la première fois. (She drove a car for the first time.)

Nous avons mangé des sushis pour la première fois hier soir. (We ate sushi for the first time last night.)

Il a pris l'avion pour la première fois la semaine dernière. (He took the plane for the first time last week.)

C'était une expérience incroyable pour la première fois. (It was an incredible experience for the first time.)

The 'first' (meaning 'initially' or 'first off') – d'abord

The adverb d'abord translates to 'first,' 'first off,' or 'initially' in English. It's used to introduce the first point in a sequence or to emphasize the primary action.

Primarily, d'abord serves to indicate the first item or action in a series. It sets the stage for subsequent events or arguments, clearly marking the beginning of an order.

Beyond simple sequencing, d'abord can also highlight something as the most important or urgent consideration, similar to saying 'above all' or 'before anything else' in a specific context.

D'abord is an adverb and is typically placed at the beginning of a clause or sentence, or directly after the conjugated verb in compound tenses. Its position can subtly alter the emphasis.

💡 * D'abord, je voudrais vous remercier. (First, I would like to thank you.)

Nous allons d'abord manger, puis nous irons au cinéma. (We're going to eat first, then we'll go to the cinema.)

Il faut d'abord lire les instructions. (You must first read the instructions.)

D'abord, dis-moi ce qui s'est passé. (First off, tell me what happened.)

Je dois d'abord finir mon travail. (I must finish my work first.)

The more emphatic 'first of all' – tout d'abord

Tout d'abord literally translates to 'first of all' or 'first and foremost'.

It's used to introduce the initial point in a sequence, argument, or explanation, often implying a degree of importance or priority.

The addition of tout ('all' or 'completely') intensifies d'abord ('first'), giving it a stronger, more comprehensive feel than just d'abord or premièrement.

You'll often encounter tout d'abord in speeches, formal writing, academic papers, or when listing a series of distinct points.

Use it when you want to emphasize that a particular point is the very first, and often the most crucial, in your discourse.

💡 Tout d'abord, je voudrais vous remercier d'être venus. (First of all, I would like to thank you for coming.)
Tout d'abord, il est essentiel de comprendre les règles de base. (First and foremost, it is essential to understand the basic rules.)
Pour réussir, tout d'abord, il faut de la motivation. (To succeed, first of all, you need motivation.)
Tout d'abord, nous allons examiner les causes du problème. (First, we will examine the causes of the problem.)

The 'very first' (masculine singular) – le tout premier

To express “the very first” in French, you’ll often encounter the phrase le tout premier.

Le tout premier literally translates to “the all first” or “the very first.” While premier simply means “first,” adding tout (meaning “all” or “entirely”) intensifies the meaning, emphasizing that something is absolutely the initial one in a series or sequence.

Like many French adjectives, tout premier agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For feminine singular, it becomes la toute première. For masculine plural, it’s les tout premiers, and for feminine plural, les toutes premières.

The addition of tout serves to add strong emphasis. It's used when you want to distinguish something as not just “first,” but uniquely and emphatically “the very first,” often implying a significant milestone or an important beginning. Think of it as adding an exclamation mark to “first”.

You'll often hear le tout premier (or its variations) when referring to historical events, personal milestones, or the start of a new initiative, where the “firstness” is crucial and noteworthy.

💡 * Le tout premier jour de l'année est le 1er janvier. (The very first day of the year is January 1st.)

C'est la toute première fois que je visite Paris. (This is the very first time I'm visiting Paris.)

Ils ont lancé les tout premiers prototypes de leur nouvelle voiture. (They launched the very first prototypes of their new car.)

J'ai lu la toute première édition de ce livre. (I read the very first edition of this book.)

La toute première chose à faire est de s'inscrire. (The very first thing to do is to register.)

The 'very first' (feminine singular) – la toute première

To express "the very first" when referring to a feminine singular noun, the French phrase you'll use is la toute première. This construction emphasizes the idea of being absolutely the first.

In this context, toute acts as an adverb meaning "very" or "completely," intensifying the adjective première. Unusually for an adverb, toute agrees in gender and number with the feminine singular adjective it modifies, making it toute instead of the invariable tout.

Remember that la toute première is strictly for feminine singular nouns. For masculine singular, you would say le tout premier. For plurals, it would be les toutes premières (feminine) or les tout premiers (masculine).

💡 * C'était la toute première fois que je visitais Paris. (It was the very first time I visited Paris.)

Elle a gagné la toute première compétition de sa carrière. (She won the very first competition of her career.)

La toute première page du livre est déchirée. (The very first page of the book is torn.)

J'ai vu la toute première version du film. (I saw the very first version of the movie.)

The 'first place' or 'first position' – la première place

La première place directly translates to 'the first place' or 'the first position.' It is widely used to denote the top rank in a competition, a leading position in a hierarchy, or literally the foremost physical spot.

This phrase is particularly common in contexts of achievement, such as sports, academic rankings, or any scenario where a hierarchy of positions exists. It emphasizes being at the very top.

While premier (first) can be an adjective or a pronoun, la première place specifically refers to the position itself, making it a clear and unambiguous way to express being number one.

💡 * Elle a gagné la première place au concours de chant. (She won first place in the singing competition.)

Notre équipe a terminé à la première place du championnat. (Our team finished in first place in the championship.)

Pour obtenir la première place, il faut travailler dur. (To get first place, you have to work hard.)

Le coureur est arrivé à la première place. (The runner arrived in first place.)

The 'first one' (as a pronoun, masculine) – le premier

To say "the first one" in French, when referring to a masculine singular noun, you use le premier.

As a pronoun, le premier replaces a previously mentioned masculine singular noun, taking on its gender and number. It translates directly to "the first one." Remember that French requires agreement in gender and number, so for a feminine singular noun, you would use la première, for masculine plural les premiers, and for feminine plural les premières.

You'll often encounter le premier when distinguishing an item or person from a sequence or a group. It's used to highlight the initial position or instance of something. For example, in a race, a list, or a series of events, someone or something that comes first would be referred to with this pronoun.

💡 * Qui est arrivé en premier? C'est le premier.

Parmi tous les gâteaux, j'ai mangé le premier.

Le film que j'ai préféré est le premier de la série.

De ces trois étudiants, le premier est le plus intelligent.

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

Our list covers the most common ways to express 'first' in French. However, the French language, with its nuances and regional variations, offers even more expressions, some traditional, some modern slang, and others specific to certain contexts or regions.

To explore further, you can also perform an online search for 'comment dire premier en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local expressions.

You might uncover interesting alternative phrases for 'first' on your journey. Always remember to verify a word or phrase's definition and observe its usage in context before incorporating it into your vocabulary.

As you immerse yourself in French by reading, watching, and listening, pay close attention. You'll likely discover various nuanced ways native speakers express 'first' in different situations.

For a deeper dive into the many ways to express 'first' or related concepts in French, the WordReference entry for premier is an excellent starting point.

I hope this article has provided a clear understanding of how to say 'first' in French. To conclude, here's a timeless thought, often attributed to Lao Tzu, that reminds us of the importance of beginnings: Un voyage de mille lieues commence toujours par un premier pas. (A journey of a thousand miles always begins with a single step.)

9 ways to say "first" in French