The most common way to say “week” in French is une semaine. But what if you want to talk about a work week, a fortnight, or a period of about eight days?

As you get more comfortable speaking French, you’ll want to express these ideas to make plans, share stories, and sound more like a native speaker.

Let's dive into nine useful ways to say “week” in French!

1. The standard 'week' – la semaine

La semaine is the most direct and universally used French word for 'week'. It refers to any seven-day period, but most commonly the standard Monday-to-Sunday cycle.

Crucially, semaine is a feminine noun. This means it is always paired with feminine articles like la (the) or une (a/one). For example, you would say une semaine chargée (a busy week). The plural is les semaines.

La semaine forms the basis for fundamental time expressions that are essential for everyday conversation:

• la semaine prochaine: next week
• la semaine dernière: last week
• cette semaine: this week
• en semaine: during the week (i.e., on weekdays)
• le week-end: the weekend (Note: This is an English loanword used universally in French)

This term is used in all contexts, from casual planning with friends to formal business scheduling. It's the standard, all-purpose word. You might also hear it in common greetings like Passe une bonne semaine ! (Have a good week!).

In France, the work week is a significant cultural topic, often discussed in the context of la semaine de 35 heures (the 35-hour week), a legal framework for working hours. This highlights the term's integration into both daily life and broader societal discussions.

💡 * Je vais au cinéma la semaine prochaine.

• La semaine dernière, il a beaucoup plu.
• Qu'est-ce que tu fais cette semaine ?
• En semaine, je me lève à 7 heures.
• Le projet doit être terminé dans deux semaines.

The 'eight days' (meaning a week from a certain day) – huit jours

When talking about the duration of a week in French, you'll encounter a peculiar but common phrase: huit jours, which literally translates to 'eight days.' While it might seem like a mistake, it's a standard way to refer to a one-week period.

The expression huit jours is an idiom that means 'one week' or 'a week from a certain day.' It's a classic example of inclusive counting in French, where both the start day and the end day of the week are included in the total count.

Why eight days? If you count from one Monday to the next Monday, you get eight distinct days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and the following Monday. This method of including both ends of the period is the historical basis for the term.

You'll frequently hear this phrase when discussing future plans. For instance, 'à lundi en huit' means 'a week from Monday' (literally, 'to Monday in eight'). Similarly, 'd'aujourd'hui en huit' translates to 'a week from today.'

This same logic applies to a two-week period. Instead of saying quatorze jours (fourteen days), the French commonly use quinze jours (fifteen days), meaning 'a fortnight' or 'two weeks.' It's another key phrase to learn for scheduling and planning.

While huit jours is traditional and widely understood, it is also very common to hear the more literal 'dans une semaine' (in a week) or 'la semaine prochaine' (next week). However, knowing huit jours is essential for understanding native speech and classic French expressions.

💡 * Je reviens d'aujourd'hui en huit.

• Le projet doit être terminé sous huit jours.
• On s'est vus il y a huit jours à la même heure.
• Nous partons en vacances pour quinze jours en août.

The 'two weeks' or 'fortnight' – quinze jours / une quinzaine

While English has the word 'fortnight,' French expresses the concept of a two-week period differently. The most common and idiomatic way is by using the phrase quinze jours, which literally means 'fifteen days'.

The phrase quinze jours can be confusing since it translates to '15 days,' not 14. This is a cultural and linguistic convention. When French speakers say quinze jours, they are referring to a period of two weeks. Think of it as including both the starting day and the final day in the count.

A very common alternative is une quinzaine. The suffix -aine in French often denotes an approximation (like une dizaine for 'about ten'). Therefore, une quinzaine means 'about fifteen' and is used interchangeably to signify 'about two weeks'.

Both terms are used frequently. quinze jours can feel slightly more precise, like a defined two-week block (e.g., for a vacation). une quinzaine often carries a stronger sense of approximation, similar to saying 'around two weeks' or 'a couple of weeks' in English, but it can also be used for a precise period.

In most everyday contexts, you can use either term without issue. If you're booking a hotel for exactly 14 nights, quinze jours is perfect. If you're estimating how long a task will take, une quinzaine de jours might fit better. Ultimately, both are essential phrases for talking about time in French.

💡 * Je pars en vacances pour quinze jours en août.

• Le projet devrait prendre une quinzaine de jours à compléter.
• On se revoit dans quinze jours !
• Il y a une quinzaine, j'étais encore à Paris.

The 'working week' – la semaine de travail / les jours ouvrables

When discussing the 'working week' in French, two key phrases are used: la semaine de travail and les jours ouvrables. While similar, they are not always interchangeable and their usage depends on the context.

La semaine de travail is the literal translation for 'the work week.' It generally refers to the period when an individual works, which for many is Monday through Friday. It's the most common term used in everyday conversation about one's schedule.

Les jours ouvrables translates to 'business days' or 'working days.' This term is more formal and is typically used in commercial, legal, or administrative contexts. It refers to the days a business or service is officially open. In France, this traditionally includes Monday through Saturday, excluding public holidays.

Think of la semaine de travail as your personal work schedule, while les jours ouvrables refers to the operational schedule of a company or service. If you're talking about your job, use la semaine de travail. If you're reading a shipping policy, you'll see les jours ouvrables.

💡 * Ma semaine de travail est de 35 heures. (My work week is 35 hours.)

• Le colis arrivera dans un délai de 3 jours ouvrables. (The package will arrive within 3 business days.)
• Pendant la semaine de travail, je me lève tôt. (During the work week, I get up early.)
• Nos bureaux sont ouverts tous les jours ouvrables de 9h à 17h. (Our offices are open every business day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

The 'end of the week' – le week-end

Perhaps the easiest term to learn, le week-end is a direct loanword from English. As you've likely guessed, it means 'the weekend,' referring to the period from Friday evening or Saturday to Sunday evening.

While the spelling is identical, the pronunciation has a distinct French flair. The 'w' is pronounced closer to a 'v' sound, and the final '-end' is pronounced more nasally, sounding like 'le week-enn'. The 'd' is typically silent.

In French grammar, le week-end is a masculine noun. Therefore, you always use masculine articles and adjectives with it, such as le week-end, un bon week-end, or ce week-end.

It's used exactly like its English counterpart. A very common phrase you'll hear is 'Qu'est-ce que tu fais ce week-end?' (What are you doing this weekend?). To wish someone well for their time off, you simply say, 'Bon week-end !' (Have a good weekend!).

💡 * Qu'est-ce que tu as fait ce week-end ? (What did you do this weekend?)

• Je vais me reposer pendant le week-end. (I am going to rest during the weekend.)
• Nous avons passé un super week-end à la campagne. (We had a great weekend in the countryside.)
• Bon week-end à tous ! (Have a good weekend, everyone!)

The 'never-gonna-happen' week (an idiom for 'never') – la semaine des quatre jeudis

The French expression la semaine des quatre jeudis literally translates to “the week of four Thursdays.” It's a vivid and humorous way to describe an impossible timeframe.

In practice, this colorful idiom is the French equivalent of saying 'when pigs fly' or simply 'never.' It refers to a time or an event that will never occur because a week, of course, only has one Thursday.

The origin of this phrase dates back to when French schoolchildren had Thursdays off instead of Wednesdays. A week with four Thursdays would have meant four days off from school—an impossible and highly desirable event. Thus, it came to symbolize something that would never happen.

While it might sound a bit dated to some younger speakers, la semaine des quatre jeudis is still widely understood. It's often used with a touch of irony or humor to dismiss an unlikely promise or event, frequently paired with verbs like attendre (to wait for) or remettre à (to postpone to).

💡 * Il a promis de ranger sa chambre, mais je pense que ce sera pour la semaine des quatre jeudis. (He promised to clean his room, but I think that'll happen when pigs fly.)

• On nous remboursera nos impôts ? Oui, à la semaine des quatre jeudis ! (They'll refund our taxes? Yeah, never!)
• Ce projet sera terminé à la semaine des quatre jeudis s'ils n'embauchent pas plus de monde. (This project will be finished never if they don't hire more people.)

The 'every other week' – une semaine sur deux

To express the concept of 'every other week' in French, the standard phrase is une semaine sur deux. This is a key expression for talking about recurring events or schedules.

The structure literally translates to 'one week out of two'. The preposition sur in this context means 'out of' or 'per', indicating a ratio. This logic is fundamental to understanding frequency expressions in French.

This pattern is highly versatile and can be adapted for different timeframes. For instance, un jour sur deux means 'every other day', and un mois sur trois means 'one month out of three'. Mastering this structure allows you to describe a wide range of frequencies.

💡 * Je rends visite à mes parents une semaine sur deux. (I visit my parents every other week.)

• Elle travaille à domicile un jour sur deux. (She works from home every other day.)
• Ce magazine ne paraît qu'un mois sur deux. (This magazine only comes out every other month.)
• Une fois sur deux, j'oublie mes clés. (Half the time / One time out of two, I forget my keys.)

The 'weekly' adjective/adverb – hebdomadaire / hebdomadairement

The French adjective for 'weekly' is hebdomadaire. It's a more formal term derived from the Greek hebdomás, meaning 'week'. You'll often see it in professional, academic, or media contexts, such as referring to a weekly publication or meeting.

Hebdomadaire is an adjective that agrees in number (but not gender) with the noun it describes. It remains the same for both masculine and feminine nouns, but you add an -s for plural nouns. For example: un rapport hebdomadaire (a weekly report) and des réunions hebdomadaires (weekly meetings).

The corresponding adverb is hebdomadairement, meaning 'weekly' or 'on a weekly basis'. It modifies a verb to describe the frequency of an action. For instance, Le comité se réunit hebdomadairement (The committee meets weekly).

While hebdomadaire is correct, in everyday conversation, it's more common to use phrases like chaque semaine (every week) or une fois par semaine (once a week). For example, instead of saying Je vais au marché hebdomadairement, most people would say Je vais au marché chaque semaine.

💡 * C'est une publication hebdomadaire spécialisée dans la finance.

• Nos cours de français sont hebdomadaires.
• Le magazine est distribué hebdomadairement dans tout le pays.
• Il faut mettre à jour le rapport hebdomadairement.

1. The Phrase for 'Holiday Week': La Semaine de Vacances

The most direct and common way to say 'holiday week' in French is la semaine de vacances. This literally translates to 'the week of vacation' and is the standard term used for any week off from work or school.

Let's break down the grammar. Semaine (week) is a feminine noun, so it uses the article la. The preposition de ('of') connects it to vacances (vacation/holidays). It's important to note that vacances is almost always used in its plural form in French when referring to a holiday period.

You would use la semaine de vacances when talking about any designated week-long break. This could be for a planned personal trip, a company-wide shutdown, or a school holiday like spring break (la semaine de vacances de printemps).

A related and very common cultural concept in France is faire le pont (literally, 'to make the bridge'). This refers to taking an extra day off to connect a public holiday to the weekend. For example, if a holiday falls on a Thursday, many people will 'make the bridge' by also taking Friday off, creating a four-day weekend.

💡 * Nous partons pour une semaine de vacances en Italie.

• Les enfants attendent avec impatience la semaine de vacances de Pâques.
• Prends-tu une semaine de vacances cet été ?
• Le 1er mai est un jeudi, alors beaucoup de gens vont faire le pont.

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

Are there other ways to say “week” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to refer to a “week” in French. But beyond the standard semaine, French has various idioms and expressions for specific contexts, especially when discussing durations or recurring events.

You can also do an online search for “expressions de temps en français” or “comment parler d'une période de sept jours” to uncover more nuanced or literary phrases.

You might find some interesting related terms this way. Of course, always remember to check a phrase's definition and try to see it used in context before you start using it yourself.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French. Notice how people talk about their plans, schedules, and deadlines—you'll soon get a feel for the natural rhythm of these time-based expressions.

And if you’re looking for more vocabulary related to the calendar and scheduling, the WordReference entry for semaine is a great place to start your exploration!

I hope you found this article helpful. To finish, here is a fitting French proverb about the nature of time: Qui a temps a vie. (He who has time has life.)