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.

MonthFrench
Januaryjanvier
Februaryfévrier
Marchmars
Aprilavril
Maymai
Junejuin
Julyjuillet
Augustaoût
Septemberseptembre
Octoberoctobre
Novembernovembre
Decemberdécembre

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.

DayFrench
Mondaylundi
Tuesdaymardi
Wednesdaymercredi
Thursdayjeudi
Fridayvendredi
Saturdaysamedi
Sundaydimanche

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.

Example: 2026-03-04

Continue Learning. Take the French Numbers Quiz


Related French Pages

You can continue learning with these pages.