Ah, Friday! That magical day that signals the start of the weekend. You probably already know the most common way to say it in French: vendredi. But what if you want to express that 'Thank God It's Friday' feeling or talk about the end of the work week like a native speaker?

As you get more comfortable with French, you'll find there are several other fun and useful expressions to talk about this glorious day.

Let's look at 9 ways to say 'Friday' in French, so you're fully prepared to celebrate the arrival of the week-end!

The standard 'Friday' – vendredi

The standard word for 'Friday' in French is vendredi.

Vendredi is the French word for 'Friday'. It is the direct and most common translation used in virtually all contexts, from casual conversation to formal writing.

A crucial difference from English is that days of the week in French are considered common nouns and are not capitalized, unless they are at the beginning of a sentence. So, you write je te vois vendredi (I'll see you Friday), not je te vois Vendredi.

The meaning of vendredi changes slightly depending on the article used:

• vendredi (with no article) refers to a specific, upcoming Friday. For example, J'arrive vendredi. means 'I am arriving this Friday.'
• le vendredi refers to a recurring, habitual action that happens every Friday. For example, Le vendredi, nous mangeons du poisson. means 'On Fridays, we eat fish.'

The name vendredi has a romantic origin, deriving from the Latin phrase Veneris dies, which means 'Day of Venus'. Venus was the Roman goddess of love, beauty, and prosperity, linking the end of the work week to pleasant themes.

💡 * On se retrouve vendredi soir pour dîner.

• Le musée est fermé le vendredi.
• Mon jour préféré de la semaine, c'est le vendredi.
• J'ai un rendez-vous important vendredi prochain.

The forward-looking 'next Friday' – vendredi prochain

To talk about the immediate future, specifically the 'next' instance of a day, French speakers use the adjective prochain. For 'next Friday,' the standard phrase is vendredi prochain.

The word prochain means 'next' or 'upcoming.' Crucially, when used with a day of the week, it is placed after the noun. This structure pinpoints the very next occurrence of that day on the calendar.

While simply saying On se voit vendredi ('See you Friday') often implies the upcoming Friday, adding prochain removes all ambiguity. It's especially helpful when confirming plans to avoid confusion with 'this Friday' versus 'the Friday of next week'.

It's important not to confuse vendredi prochain with vendredi en huit, which means 'a week from Friday' (literally 'Friday in eight days'). Vendredi prochain refers to the closest upcoming Friday.

The usefulness of prochain extends beyond just days. It follows the same pattern for larger time frames, as in la semaine prochaine (next week), le mois prochain (next month), and l'année prochaine (next year).

💡 * Le film sort en salles vendredi prochain.

• Je te verrai la semaine prochaine pour le dîner.
• L'examen final aura lieu le mois prochain.
• Es-tu libre mardi prochain dans l'après-midi ?

The reflective 'last Friday' – vendredi dernier

When you want to talk about the most recent Friday that has just passed, the go-to phrase in French is vendredi dernier. It's a straightforward and essential expression for discussing past events that occurred on a specific day.

This phrase follows a simple and predictable pattern: [Day of the week] + dernier/dernière. You simply place the adjective dernier (last) directly after the noun (the day). This structure works for all days of the week, like mardi dernier (last Tuesday) or samedi dernier (last Saturday).

Since dernier is an adjective, it must agree with the noun it describes. Luckily, all days of the week are masculine in French (e.g., le vendredi). Therefore, you will always use the masculine form dernier. This contrasts with a phrase like la semaine dernière (last week), where semaine is feminine, requiring the feminine form dernière.

Be careful not to confuse vendredi dernier with le vendredi. Vendredi dernier points to a single, specific past event. In contrast, le vendredi describes a recurring, habitual action. For instance, J'ai vu un film vendredi dernier (I saw a film last Friday) is a one-time event, while Je vois un film le vendredi (I see a film on Fridays) is a habit.

💡 * Qu'as-tu fait vendredi dernier ? (What did you do last Friday?)

• Je suis allé au restaurant avec mes amis vendredi dernier. (I went to the restaurant with my friends last Friday.)
• La réunion importante a eu lieu vendredi dernier. (The important meeting took place last Friday.)
• Il a plu toute la journée vendredi dernier. (It rained all day last Friday.)

The habitual 'on Fridays' – le vendredi

In French, to express an action that happens regularly on a specific day of the week, you use the definite article le before the day. So, le vendredi translates to "on Fridays" or "every Friday," indicating a recurring habit.

The key rule to remember is: le + [day of the week] = habitual action. This structure signals that the event is a routine, not a one-time occurrence. This applies to all days of the week, for example, le lundi (on Mondays) or le samedi (on Saturdays).

It's crucial not to confuse this with referring to a single, specific day. To talk about this coming Friday, you would simply say vendredi. For instance, Je travaille vendredi means "I am working this Friday," while Je travaille le vendredi means "I work on Fridays."

You might also see the plural form, les vendredis, which carries the exact same meaning of "on Fridays." While both le vendredi and les vendredis are correct for expressing a habit, the singular form le vendredi is generally more common in everyday speech.

💡 * Le vendredi, je dîne toujours au restaurant. (On Fridays, I always have dinner at a restaurant.)

• Nous avons notre cours de français le vendredi. (We have our French class on Fridays.)
• Le marché ouvre à 8h le vendredi. (The market opens at 8 AM on Fridays.)
• Elle ne travaille pas le vendredi. (She doesn't work on Fridays.)

1. The Appointment: 'See you Friday' – À vendredi

The phrase à vendredi is the most common and direct way to say 'see you Friday' in French. It's used when you have a definite or planned arrangement to see someone on that specific day.

This expression follows a simple and adaptable formula: the preposition à (meaning 'to' or 'until') followed by a specific day. You can easily substitute vendredi with any other day of the week, like à lundi (see you Monday) or à mardi (see you Tuesday).

Using à vendredi implies a confirmed plan. It's not just a casual goodbye; it confirms that you and the other person have a mutual understanding that you will meet on Friday. It sets a clear expectation.

This phrase is extremely versatile and suitable for almost any situation, from formal to informal. You can say it to your boss at the end of a work week, a friend you're meeting for lunch, or a teacher after class.

A typical way to respond is by repeating the phrase back, such as Oui, à vendredi ! (Yes, see you Friday!). If it's the end of the week, you might also add Bon week-end ! (Have a good weekend!).

💡 *Je quitte le bureau. À vendredi !
*Merci pour le café, on se voit la semaine prochaine. À vendredi !
*N'oublie pas notre rendez-vous. À vendredi, dix heures.
*D'accord, c'est noté. À vendredi alors !

The celebratory 'Thank God It's Friday' – Enfin, c'est vendredi !

A universal feeling at the end of a long work week is relief, and the French express it with a simple, celebratory phrase: Enfin, c'est vendredi !, the direct equivalent of 'Thank God It's Friday!'

Let's look at the components. Enfin translates to 'finally' or 'at last,' and c'est vendredi simply means 'it's Friday.' Together, the phrase captures that collective sigh of relief and anticipation for the weekend (le week-end).

This is a very common and informal expression you'll hear in offices, among friends, or see on social media as Friday afternoon rolls around. It’s a way to build camaraderie and share in the excitement for the upcoming break.

You might also hear people say Vivement le week-end ! which means 'Can't wait for the weekend!' As the workday ends, it's almost always followed by colleagues wishing each other Bon week-end ! ('Have a good weekend!').

💡 * Enfin, c'est vendredi ! On sort ce soir ?

• Je suis épuisé par cette semaine, mais enfin, c'est vendredi !
• Plus qu'une heure avant la liberté. Enfin, c'est vendredi !

The descriptive 'the day before the weekend' – la veille du week-end

The phrase la veille du week-end literally translates to “the eve of the weekend.” It is a common and evocative way to refer to Friday, highlighting its position as the gateway to the weekend.

The key component is la veille, which means “the day before” or “the eve.” This structure is versatile and can be applied to other events. For instance, la veille de Noël is Christmas Eve, and la veille d'un examen is the day before an exam.

While you can simply say vendredi (Friday), using la veille du week-end adds a descriptive touch that often conveys a sense of anticipation or relief. It's frequently used when discussing plans or feelings related to the upcoming weekend.

💡 J'organise un petit apéro la veille du week-end, tu veux venir ? (I'm organizing a little happy hour on the eve of the weekend, do you want to come?)
L'ambiance au bureau est toujours plus détendue la veille du week-end. (The atmosphere at the office is always more relaxed on the day before the weekend.)
On finit le projet la veille du week-end pour être tranquilles. (We're finishing the project on Friday to have a peaceful weekend.)

The religious 'Good Friday' – le Vendredi saint

The French term for the Christian holiday 'Good Friday' is le Vendredi saint.

Literally translated, le Vendredi saint means 'the Holy Friday'. In French, saint means 'holy' or 'saint', and it is placed after the noun Vendredi (Friday) as is common for many adjectives.

Le Vendredi saint is a solemn day for Christians, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus. In France, it is a public holiday only in the Alsace and Moselle regions, where many businesses close for the day. It is part of the Easter weekend, preceding Easter Sunday (le dimanche de Pâques).

💡 * Les églises organisent un chemin de croix le Vendredi saint. (Churches organize a Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.)

• Le Vendredi saint est un jour férié en Alsace. (Good Friday is a public holiday in Alsace.)
• Que faites-vous pour le week-end du Vendredi saint ? (What are you doing for the Good Friday weekend?)

1. Understanding 'Le Vendredi Décontracté'

Le vendredi décontracté literally translates to 'relaxed Friday' or 'casual Friday'. It is the French equivalent of the common office tradition where employees are permitted to dress more casually than on other workdays, marking the end of the work week.

It's important to note that the French interpretation of 'casual' in a professional context can be more conservative than in other cultures. It often means 'smart casual' rather than truly informal attire. Think chinos and a clean polo shirt or a blouse without a formal blazer, not necessarily jeans and a graphic t-shirt. The specific dress code varies significantly from one company to another.

In the workplace, you might hear colleagues discussing the dress code. For instance: C'est vendredi décontracté, pas besoin de porter la cravate. (It's casual Friday, no need to wear a tie.) or Quelle est la politique pour le vendredi décontracté ici ? (What is the policy for casual Friday here?).

💡 * Demain, c'est le vendredi décontracté, donc je vais mettre un pull au lieu d'une veste.

• Dans notre bureau, le vendredi décontracté signifie que les jeans sont autorisés.
• J'adore le vendredi décontracté, l'ambiance est toujours plus détendue.
• N'oublie pas que même si c'est le vendredi décontracté, tu as une réunion avec un client important.

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

So, are there other ways to say 'Friday' in French?

As this article has shown, vendredi is the universal and standard word for 'Friday' in the French-speaking world. Unlike words for 'friend' or 'cool', there aren't many direct slang synonyms for it. However, the idea of Friday is expressed in many colorful ways.

Instead of a different noun, you're more likely to hear expressions celebrating the end of the work week. Phrases like 'Enfin, c'est vendredi !' (Finally, it's Friday!) or 'Vivement le week-end !' (Can't wait for the weekend!) are extremely common.

To expand your vocabulary, try searching for 'expressions pour le fin de la semaine' (expressions for the end of the week). This will give you more insight into how native speakers talk about the relief and excitement associated with Friday.

Pay attention when you watch French movies or series. Notice how characters' moods and dialogue change as Friday arrives. This contextual learning is key to understanding the cultural significance of vendredi beyond its simple definition.

If you're curious about the origin of the word, which comes from the Latin Veneris dies (day of Venus), a quick search on a French encyclopedia site or a dictionary like Larousse can provide fascinating historical context.

I hope this look at the word vendredi was helpful. While you may only need one word, understanding the culture around it is what truly brings the language to life. Bon week-end à tous ! (Have a great weekend, everyone!)