You probably already know that the standard way to say “Wednesday” in French is mercredi. But did you know there are other expressions you can use to refer to the middle of the week?

Just like in English, where we might say “hump day,” French has its own unique phrases that can make your speech sound more natural and nuanced.

Let's explore nine different ways to say 'Wednesday' in French, so you can talk about your weekly plans like a true native speaker!

The standard 'Wednesday' – mercredi

The standard, universal French word for 'Wednesday' is mercredi. Its origin, like many other days of the week, traces back to Roman mythology. It comes from the Latin Mercurii dies, meaning 'day of Mercury', the Roman god of commerce and communication.

Pronouncing mercredi correctly is key. It's broken down into three syllables: mer-cre-di. The approximate English phonetic spelling would be 'mehr-kruh-DEE'. Pay attention to the French 'r' sound, which is produced in the back of the throat.

Unlike in English, days of the week in French are not capitalized unless they appear at the very beginning of a sentence. You will always write mercredi with a lowercase 'm' in the middle of a sentence.

How you use mercredi changes its meaning slightly.

Using mercredi by itself refers to a specific, singular Wednesday (usually the upcoming one). For example, J'ai un rendez-vous mercredi. ('I have an appointment on Wednesday.')
Using le mercredi refers to a recurring, habitual action that happens every Wednesday. For example, Le mercredi, je fais du sport. ('On Wednesdays, I play sports.')

Historically, mercredi was often a day off from school for children in France, known as le jour des enfants ('the children's day'). While modern school reforms have changed this in many areas, the cultural idea of Wednesday being a day for children's extracurricular activities or family time still persists.

💡 * On se voit mercredi soir au restaurant ? (Are we meeting Wednesday evening at the restaurant?)

Le mercredi, ma fille va à son cours de natation. (On Wednesdays, my daughter goes to her swimming lesson.)

Mercredi dernier, le temps était magnifique. (Last Wednesday, the weather was magnificent.)

Tous les mercredis, le marché s'installe sur la place du village. (Every Wednesday, the market sets up in the village square.)

The habitual 'On Wednesdays' – le mercredi

When you want to talk about an action that happens regularly on a specific day of the week, French has a very neat trick. To say you do something 'on Wednesdays' or 'every Wednesday,' you use the phrase le mercredi.

The magic lies in the definite article le. Placing le before a day of the week transforms its meaning from a single occurrence to a recurring habit. This is the most common way to express a weekly routine.

It's crucial to distinguish this from the singular form. Saying mercredi (without le) refers to a specific Wednesday, usually the upcoming one. For example, Je vais au parc mercredi means 'I am going to the park this Wednesday,' whereas Je vais au parc le mercredi means 'I go to the park every Wednesday.'

Another way to express the same idea is by using the plural form: les mercredis. Both le mercredi and les mercredis mean 'on Wednesdays.' While both are correct, using the singular definite article (le) is generally more frequent in everyday conversation.

This simple rule applies to every day of the week. You can describe any part of your weekly schedule using this structure: le lundi (on Mondays), le mardi (on Tuesdays), le samedi (on Saturdays), and so on.

💡 * Le mercredi, les enfants n'ont pas école l'après-midi.

Je fais mes courses le samedi matin.

Le club de lecture se réunit le premier jeudi du mois.

Elle suit un cours de poterie le mardi soir.

Le restaurant est fermé le lundi.

The specific 'This Wednesday' – ce mercredi

When you want to specify 'this Wednesday'—referring to the upcoming Wednesday within the current week—the correct French phrase is ce mercredi.

The word ce is a demonstrative adjective, meaning 'this' or 'that'. Placing it before a day of the week anchors that day to a specific, immediate context, distinguishing it from any other Wednesday.

While just saying mercredi can often imply the next Wednesday, it can sometimes be ambiguous. Using ce mercredi eliminates any confusion and clearly points to the Wednesday of the current week.

This is especially useful for making plans. For example, if it's Monday and you say, 'Let's meet ce mercredi,' it's understood you mean the Wednesday that is two days away, not the one next week.

💡 * Qu'est-ce que tu fais ce mercredi soir ? (What are you doing this Wednesday evening?)

La réunion a été déplacée à ce mercredi. (The meeting has been moved to this Wednesday.)

Je dois terminer ce rapport avant ce mercredi. (I have to finish this report before this Wednesday.)

On se voit ce mercredi pour déjeuner ? (Are we seeing each other this Wednesday for lunch?)

The upcoming 'Next Wednesday' – mercredi prochain

To say 'next Wednesday' in French, referring to the Wednesday of the following week, you use the phrase mercredi prochain.

The word prochain is an adjective meaning 'next' or 'upcoming.' When used with days of the week, it is placed after the noun. This pattern is consistent for all days, for example, lundi prochain (next Monday) or vendredi prochain (next Friday).

It's important to note that mercredi prochain specifically means the Wednesday of the next calendar week. If you are on a Monday and want to refer to the Wednesday of the current week, you would say ce mercredi ('this Wednesday').

This structure extends beyond just days. You can also use it for weeks, months, and years, such as la semaine prochaine (next week) or le mois prochain (next month), where prochain(e) follows the noun.

💡 * Le film sortira mercredi prochain.

On a un rendez-vous chez le dentiste mercredi prochain.

Non, pas ce mercredi. Je parle de mercredi prochain, le 12.

Je te rappellerai la semaine prochaine, peut-être mercredi prochain.

The Past 'Last Wednesday' – Mercredi Dernier

To specify a day in the recent past, such as 'last Wednesday,' French uses a straightforward structure: the day of the week followed by the adjective dernier (last). This directly translates 'last Wednesday' to mercredi dernier.

A key grammatical point is that dernier comes after the noun (the day). This is a common pattern for adjectives related to time and sequence in French. The order is fixed: [Day of the week] + dernier.

The phrase mercredi dernier refers specifically to the Wednesday of the week that has just passed. If it's currently Friday, mercredi dernier was two days ago. If it's Monday, it was five days ago, referring to the Wednesday of the previous calendar week.

This simple and highly useful pattern applies to all days of the week. You can easily say lundi dernier (last Monday), samedi dernier (last Saturday), or vendredi dernier (last Friday) to talk about events in the previous week.

💡 * Je l'ai vu au marché samedi dernier. (I saw him at the market last Saturday.)

Nous avons terminé le projet mercredi dernier. (We finished the project last Wednesday.)

As-tu reçu mon e-mail de lundi dernier ? (Did you receive my email from last Monday?)

Il a plu toute la journée jeudi dernier. (It rained all day last Thursday.)

The cultural 'Children's Day' – le jour des enfants

Unlike many countries, France does not have an official public holiday known as 'Children's Day'. While the term le jour des enfants exists, its cultural meaning is different from a national day of celebration and is rooted more in daily life and history than a specific calendar date.

Historically, the true jour des enfants in France was Wednesday (mercredi). For decades, elementary school children had Wednesdays off. This made it the designated day for extracurricular activities, sports, and play. Although recent school reforms have changed this schedule in many areas, the cultural association of Wednesday with children's activities remains strong.

France does recognize the Journée internationale des droits de l'enfant (International Day of the Rights of the Child) on November 20th. However, this is an observance focused on raising awareness about children's rights and welfare, not a festive day of gifts and parties for kids themselves.

In practice, celebrations for children in France are centered around personal events like birthdays (anniversaires) and major holidays. Christmas (Noël) and Easter (Pâques) are heavily focused on children, with family gatherings and gifts. In some regions, la Saint-Nicolas (Saint Nicholas' Day) on December 6th is another important celebration specifically for kids.

💡 * Autrefois, le mercredi était considéré comme le jour des enfants car il n'y avait pas école.

En France, on ne célèbre pas un 'jour des enfants' national avec des cadeaux.

Ma fille va à son cours de judo le mercredi après-midi.

Les enfants attendent Noël avec impatience pour ouvrir leurs cadeaux.

The etymological 'Day of Mercury' – le jour de Mercure

In French, the word for Wednesday is mercredi. This name is not random; it directly translates to 'the day of Mercury' (le jour de Mercure), linking the weekday to Roman mythology.

The term mercredi comes from the Latin phrase Mercurii dies, which means 'day of Mercury'. This highlights the Roman influence on the French language and its calendar.

The day is named after the Roman god Mercury (Mercure in French), who was the god of trade, communication, and travel. This naming convention is common in many Romance languages, such as Spanish (miércoles) and Italian (mercoledì).

💡 * On se voit mercredi soir ? (Shall we see each other on Wednesday evening?)

Tous les mercredis, les enfants n'ont pas école l'après-midi. (Every Wednesday, the children don't have school in the afternoon.)

J'ai un rendez-vous important mercredi prochain. (I have an important appointment next Wednesday.)

The positional 'The middle of the week' – le milieu de la semaine

The positional 'The middle of the week' – le milieu de la semaine

The word milieu literally translates to 'middle' or 'center.' When combined with de la semaine ('of the week'), the phrase le milieu de la semaine is used to refer to the midpoint of the work or calendar week.

This phrase typically points to Wednesday (mercredi) or sometimes Thursday (jeudi). It's a common way to describe when an event is happening, especially in a professional or planning context.

You will frequently encounter the prepositional phrase en milieu de semaine, which means 'mid-week' or 'in the middle of the week'. This is used to describe when something occurs without specifying the exact day.

💡 * On se voit en milieu de semaine pour discuter du projet. (We'll see each other mid-week to discuss the project.)

Le pic de travail arrive souvent au milieu de la semaine. (The peak workload often arrives in the middle of the week.)

Je préfère faire les courses en milieu de semaine pour éviter la foule. (I prefer to do the grocery shopping mid-week to avoid the crowds.)

The formal 'The day of Wednesday' – le jour de mercredi

In French, a more formal or emphatic way to refer to a day of the week is by using the structure le jour de + [day of the week]. For example, le jour de mercredi literally translates to 'the day of Wednesday'. This construction adds a layer of formality and is not typically used in everyday, casual conversation.

This phrasing is primarily reserved for formal contexts. You will most often see le jour de in official documents, legal texts, historical accounts, or formal invitations to add emphasis or a sense of occasion. It's similar to the difference between saying 'on Wednesday' and 'on the day of Wednesday' in English.

For regular interactions, you would simply use the day itself. For instance, 'See you Wednesday' is À mercredi. Using À le jour de mercredi would sound unnatural and overly stiff. The le jour de structure is also very common when referring to holidays, such as le jour de Noël (Christmas Day) or le jour de l'An (New Year's Day).

💡 * La cérémonie officielle se tiendra le jour de mercredi.

Le contrat a été signé le jour de vendredi dernier.

Ils se sont mariés le jour de la Saint-Valentin.

C'était le jour de son départ pour l'étranger.

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

This guide has established that mercredi is the primary and universal word for 'Wednesday' in French. Unlike more flexible vocabulary, the days of the week are highly standardized. However, understanding its cultural context and related expressions can deepen your fluency.

To learn more, you can do an online search for expressions like 'le mercredi en France'. This will lead you to interesting cultural facts, such as its traditional role as 'le jour des enfants', when many children have the afternoon off from school.

Remember that context is everything. Pay attention to the use of articles. For instance, 'le mercredi' means 'on Wednesdays' (a recurring event), while simply 'mercredi' refers to a specific 'this Wednesday' or 'next Wednesday'.

Listen for mercredi as you engage with French content. You'll hear it constantly when people make plans, discuss work schedules, or listen to the news. This real-world exposure is the best way to make the word stick.

If you want to explore more phrases involving days of the week, such as 'Wednesday morning' (mercredi matin) or 'see you Wednesday' (à mercredi), reliable online dictionaries like Larousse or WordReference are excellent resources.

We hope this has been a helpful look at the word mercredi. Mastering the days of the week is a crucial building block for any French learner. To end, consider this French proverb about perseverance: 'Petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid.' (Little by little, the bird builds its nest.) Keep up your daily practice!

'9 ways to say "Wednesday" in French'