Bonjour! is probably the most famous French greeting, and it's your go-to for saying hello throughout the day. But what if you specifically want to wish someone a good morning, or just talk about the morning time?

While French doesn't always have a direct one-word translation for 'morning' in the same way English does, there are plenty of useful phrases and expressions for different situations.

Learning these options will help you sound more like a native speaker and understand the nuances of French greetings. Let's dive into 9 ways to say 'morning' in French!

The standard 'morning' – le matin

The most common and direct way to say 'morning' in French is le matin. It's the word you'll use in most everyday situations.

A crucial point to remember is that matin is a masculine noun. This means it will always be paired with masculine articles like le (the) or un (a/one). For example, you say le matin or un beau matin (a beautiful morning).

To express that something happens 'in the morning', you simply use le matin. Unlike English, you don't need a preposition like 'in'. For example, Je bois du café le matin translates directly to 'I drink coffee in the morning'.

When referring to the current morning, the phrase is ce matin. Ce is the masculine demonstrative adjective for 'this' or 'that'. For example: J'ai eu une réunion ce matin ('I had a meeting this morning').

For habitual actions, 'every morning' is translated as tous les matins. Note that both words are plural: tous (all/every) and les matins (the mornings). Example: Elle lit le journal tous les matins ('She reads the newspaper every morning').

A common point of confusion is the difference between le matin and la matinée.

Le matin refers to the morning as a specific point in time (e.g., 'at 8 in the morning' - à 8 heures du matin).
La matinée (feminine) refers to the entire duration or span of the morning. You would use it to say 'I worked all morning long' - J'ai travaillé toute la matinée.

A useful idiomatic expression is de bon matin, which means 'early in the morning'. It adds a more natural touch to your French. For instance, Nous sommes partis de bon matin pour éviter le trafic ('We left early in the morning to avoid the traffic').

💡 * Je prends mon petit-déjeuner le matin.

Ce matin, le ciel est bleu.

Il fait du sport tous les matins.

J'ai passé la matinée à la bibliothèque.

Le réveil sonne à six heures du matin.

1. The 'good morning' greeting – bonjour

The most fundamental and universally recognized French greeting is bonjour. It's the go-to word for 'hello,' 'good morning,' and 'good day,' making it one of the first and most important words you'll learn.

Literally, bonjour translates to 'good day'—bon means 'good' and jour means 'day'. This etymology is key to understanding its usage throughout the daytime.

You should use bonjour from the moment you wake up until the late afternoon or early evening, generally around 6 p.m. or when dusk begins. It's the standard polite greeting for entering a shop, meeting a friend, or starting any conversation during the day.

Bonjour is incredibly versatile because it works in both formal and informal situations. You would say it to a stranger, a shopkeeper, your boss, or your best friend. It is always considered polite and appropriate.

In France, it's considered a basic rule of etiquette to say bonjour upon entering a small space like a bakery, a doctor's waiting room, or even an elevator. Failing to acknowledge others with this simple greeting can be seen as impolite.

Once evening arrives, French speakers switch from bonjour to bonsoir ('good evening'). Using bonjour late at night would sound strange, just as saying 'good morning' at 8 p.m. would in English.

💡 * Bonjour Madame, je voudrais une baguette, s'il vous plaît.

Bonjour ! Comment ça va ?

Il dit toujours bonjour à ses voisins le matin.

Bonjour à tous et bienvenue à la conférence.

The duration of the morning – la matinée

While le matin refers to the morning as a specific point in time, la matinée is the French word used to talk about the morning as a span or duration of time. Think of it as 'the morningtide' or the period of the morning.

The core difference is focus. Use le matin to state when an action happens (e.g., Je me lève à 7h du matin - I wake up at 7 in the morning). Use la matinée to describe an activity that fills that time (e.g., J'ai passé la matinée à lire - I spent the morning reading).

You'll often find la matinée paired with verbs that imply duration, such as passer (to spend), durer (to last), or with prepositions like pendant (during). It emphasizes the experience or activity that fills the morning hours.

Common phrases include passer la matinée (to spend the morning), toute la matinée (the whole morning), and dans la matinée (sometime during the morning). Wishing someone Bonne matinée! means you hope they enjoy the entire period.

A great way to remember is: le matin often answers the question "When?" (Quand?), while la matinée answers the question "For how long?" (Pendant combien de temps?).

💡 * J'ai passé toute la matinée à la bibliothèque.

La réunion va durer une bonne partie de la matinée.

Il a plu pendant toute la matinée.

Que fais-tu de beau pendant la matinée ?

The specific 'this morning' – ce matin

When you need to refer specifically to the morning of the current day in French, the go-to phrase is ce matin.

Ce matin directly translates to “this morning.” It is used to pinpoint a specific timeframe that has either just passed or is currently happening on the day of speaking.

It's crucial not to confuse ce matin with le matin. While ce matin refers to today's morning, le matin means “in the morning” or “mornings” in a general or habitual sense. For instance, Je cours le matin means 'I run in the mornings' (a habit), whereas J'ai couru ce matin means 'I ran this morning'.

The word matin is a masculine noun. This is why it is paired with the masculine demonstrative adjective ce. You would not say cette matin.

💡 * Qu'as-tu mangé pour le petit-déjeuner ce matin ? (What did you eat for breakfast this morning?)

Il fait très froid ce matin. (It is very cold this morning.)

J'ai rendez-vous chez le médecin ce matin. (I have a doctor's appointment this morning.)

Elle est arrivée au bureau à 8h ce matin. (She arrived at the office at 8 AM this morning.)

The early morning or 'at the crack of dawn' – de bon matin

The French expression de bon matin is a common and slightly poetic way to say 'early in the morning' or 'bright and early'.

Literally translating to 'of good morning,' this phrase idiomatically describes doing something early, often with a positive or purposeful connotation. It’s the difference between just being up early and being up bright and early.

This expression is versatile and can be used in both everyday speech and written language. It adds a touch more color than the more neutral tôt le matin (early in the morning).

As an adverbial phrase, de bon matin can typically be placed at the beginning or end of a clause. For example: Il est parti de bon matin or De bon matin, il est parti (He left early in the morning).

💡 * Je me suis levé de bon matin pour aller à la pêche. (I got up bright and early to go fishing.)

De bon matin, les rues de Paris sont très calmes. (Early in the morning, the streets of Paris are very calm.)

Nous partirons de bon matin pour éviter les bouchons. (We will leave at the crack of dawn to avoid the traffic jams.)

The very early morning (daybreak) – le petit matin

While le matin simply means “the morning,” the charming French expression le petit matin refers to a more specific and evocative time: the very early morning, right around daybreak or the crack of dawn.

Le petit matin describes the period when night is fading but the day has not yet truly begun, typically between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. It conveys a sense of stillness and quiet that tôt le matin (early in the morning) doesn't fully capture. It's the atmosphere of the time, not just the time itself.

This phrase is frequently used in literature, poetry, and songs to create a mood of solitude, melancholy, or fresh beginnings. Using le petit matin adds a descriptive, almost romantic, layer to your language, painting a clearer picture than a more literal term would.

In conversation, you can use le petit matin to emphasize the earliness of an action. It's perfect for talking about catching an early flight, starting a long journey before sunrise, or simply enjoying the unique tranquility of the world before it wakes up.

💡 * Il est parti au petit matin pour prendre son train.

J'adore le silence de la ville au petit matin.

Nous avons travaillé jusqu'au petit matin pour terminer le projet.

Les rues sont désertes au petit matin.

The poetic 'dawn' – l'aube

The French word for 'dawn' or 'daybreak' is l'aube. It is a feminine noun (une aube), but you will almost always see it with the elided article l' because it starts with a vowel. It refers to the period when light first appears in the sky, just before sunrise.

More than just a time of day, l'aube carries a strong poetic and literary connotation, similar to 'dawn' in English. It's often used to evoke feelings of new beginnings, hope, or quiet beauty. While le lever du soleil means 'the sunrise' (the specific event), l'aube describes the entire atmospheric moment.

You will often find l'aube in common expressions. For example, dès l'aube means 'at the crack of dawn' or 'from dawn'. It can also be used metaphorically, as in à l'aube d'une nouvelle ère, which means 'at the dawn of a new era'.

💡 * Nous partirons dès l'aube pour arriver avant midi. (We will leave at dawn to arrive before noon.)

J'aime regarder les couleurs du ciel à l'aube. (I love watching the colors of the sky at dawn.)

Le chant des oiseaux annonce l'aube. (The birdsong announces the dawn.)

L'entreprise est à l'aube d'une transformation majeure. (The company is at the dawn of a major transformation.)

The recurring 'every morning' – chaque matin

The recurring 'every morning' – chaque matin

To express a recurring action that happens 'every morning,' the most direct French phrase is chaque matin. The word chaque means 'each' or 'every' and is always followed by a singular noun without an article. This construction is simple and widely used to describe daily routines.

Using chaque matin emphasizes the regularity and consistency of an action that occurs on each individual morning. It's perfect for talking about habits, like your daily coffee or morning jog. Think of it as highlighting one morning at a time, repeated over and over.

You will also hear tous les matins, which also means 'every morning.' The difference is subtle: chaque matin focuses on each single instance, while tous les matins ('all the mornings') tends to view the mornings as a collective block of time. In most conversational contexts, they are used interchangeably.

💡 * Chaque matin, je promène mon chien dans le parc.

Elle lit ses e-mails chaque matin avant de commencer à travailler.

Le boulanger prépare du pain frais chaque matin.

Chaque matin, le soleil se lève à l'est.

1. The 'morning after' – le lendemain matin

The most direct and common way to say “the morning after” or “the next morning” in French is le lendemain matin. It literally translates to “the following day's morning.”

This expression is a combination of two distinct parts: le lendemain, which means “the next day” or “the day after,” and matin, which means “morning.” By putting them together, you specifically refer to the morning period of the following day.

Le lendemain matin is used to continue a story or describe events that take place on the morning following a specific event, such as a party, a long trip, or a decision made the night before. It firmly establishes a chronological sequence in a narrative.

It's important not to confuse le lendemain matin with demain matin. Demain matin means “tomorrow morning” and is used when speaking about the future from the present moment. In contrast, le lendemain matin refers to the morning after a point in the past.

💡 * Après la fête, le lendemain matin, il avait un terrible mal de tête.

Nous avons parlé jusqu'à minuit, et le lendemain matin, nous étions très fatigués.

Elle a fini son projet tard dans la nuit. Le lendemain matin, elle l'a présenté à son patron.

La tempête a fait rage toute la nuit ; le lendemain matin, le calme était revenu.

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

Our guide has covered the most essential ways to say 'morning' in French, focusing on the key differences between matin and matinée. But the French language is filled with more nuanced and poetic ways to describe the early hours, from literary terms to regional expressions.

You can expand your vocabulary by searching online for related terms like 'l'aube' (dawn) or 'le point du jour' (daybreak). Exploring French poetry and literature will reveal even more descriptive language for this time of day.

The most important takeaway is to observe context. Pay attention to how native speakers use these words. Is it a specific point in time (ce matin) or a duration (toute la matinée)? Context will always be your best guide to sounding natural.

As you watch French films, listen to French music, or read French books, keep an ear out for how mornings are described. You'll notice a rich variety of expressions that go far beyond simple dictionary definitions and add color to your French.

If you want to explore idiomatic expressions related to the morning, such as 'l'avenir appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt' (the future belongs to those who get up early), a great resource is the online dictionary WordReference, under the entry for matin.

I hope this article has helped shed some light on the topic. To finish with a thought perfect for a new day, here is a famous line from Paul Valéry’s poem Le Cimetière marin: 'Le vent se lève!… Il faut tenter de vivre!' (The wind is rising!… We must try to live!)

'9 ways to say "morning" in French'