French dates are written and spoken differently than English dates. Learning how to write dates in French will help you understand calendars, schedules, news articles, and everyday conversations.
French dates normally follow this order:
day + month + year
Example:
4 mars 2026
Unlike English, French does not normally use commas in dates.
Months in French
The first step in learning French dates is learning the months of the year.
| Month | French |
|---|---|
| January | janvier |
| February | février |
| March | mars |
| April | avril |
| May | mai |
| June | juin |
| July | juillet |
| August | août |
| September | septembre |
| October | octobre |
| November | novembre |
| December | décembre |
French month names are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence.
Writing Dates in French
French dates follow the structure:
day month year
Examples:
1 janvier 2024
14 juillet 1789
25 décembre 2025
The day always comes before the month.
The First Day of the Month
In French, the first day of the month is written differently than the other days.
Instead of writing:
1 janvier
French uses:
1er janvier
This represents the word premier (first).
Example:
1er mai
All other days simply use the number.
Example:
2 mai
15 juin
22 octobre
Saying Dates in French
When spoken aloud, French dates often include the article le.
Examples:
le quatre mars deux mille vingt-six
le quatorze juillet mille sept cent quatre-vingt-neuf
The article le means the.
Asking for the Date in French
Here are some common phrases used when asking about dates.
What is today’s date?
Quelle est la date aujourd'hui ?
Today’s date is…
Nous sommes le…
Example:
Nous sommes le 4 mars 2026.
French Days of the Week
Days of the week are often used together with dates.
| Day | French |
|---|---|
| Monday | lundi |
| Tuesday | mardi |
| Wednesday | mercredi |
| Thursday | jeudi |
| Friday | vendredi |
| Saturday | samedi |
| Sunday | dimanche |
Just like months, French days of the week are not capitalized.
Example:
lundi 4 mars 2026
Practice French Dates
You can practice French dates using the interactive tools below.
Continue Learning. Take the French Numbers Quiz
Related French Pages
You can continue learning with these pages.