Les dates / Dates

French dates follow a different format than English: day before month, and cardinal numbers (not ordinal) are used for most days. Learning dates is essential for appointments, travel, and official documents.

Date Format

French uses: day + month + year

• le 15 mars 2024 [lə kɛ̃z maʁs dø mil vɛ̃t katʁ] — March 15, 2024
• le 3 juillet [lə tʁwa ʒɥi.jɛ] — July 3rd

Key Rule: Cardinal Numbers

Use regular numbers (cardinal), except for the first of the month:

• le premier janvier [lə pʁə.mje ʒɑ̃.vje] — January 1st (use premier)
• le deux janvier [lə dø ʒɑ̃.vje] — January 2nd (use deux, not “deuxième”)
• le trois janvier [lə tʁwa ʒɑ̃.vje] — January 3rd
• le vingt-cinq décembre [lə vɛ̃t sɛ̃k de.sɑ̃bʁ] — December 25th

Asking About Dates

French	IPA	English
Quelle est la date?	[kɛl ɛ la dat]	What’s the date?
On est le combien?	[ɔ̃n‿ɛ lə kɔ̃.bjɛ̃]	What’s today’s date?
C’est quand?	[sɛ kɑ̃]	When is it?

Answers:

• On est le 5 avril. [ɔ̃n‿ɛ lə sɛ̃k a.vʁil] — It’s April 5th.
• Nous sommes le 12 octobre. [nu sɔm lə duz ɔk.tɔbʁ] — It’s October 12th.
• C’est le premier mai. [sɛ lə pʁə.mje mɛ] — It’s May 1st.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect	Correct	Explanation
*le deuxième janvier	le deux janvier	Use cardinal numbers (except 1st)
*janvier 15	le 15 janvier	Day comes before month
*le un janvier	le premier janvier	Use premier for the 1st

Practice Sentences

1. Mon anniversaire est le 8 mars. [mɔ̃n‿a.ni.vɛʁ.sɛʁ ɛ lə ɥit maʁs] — My birthday is March 8th.
2. On est le premier avril. [ɔ̃n‿ɛ lə pʁə.mje a.vʁil] — It’s April 1st.
3. La réunion est le 20 juin. [la ʁe.y.njɔ̃ ɛ lə vɛ̃ ʒɥɛ̃] — The meeting is June 20th.
4. Les vacances commencent le 1er juillet. [le va.kɑ̃s kɔ.mɑ̃s lə pʁə.mje ʒɥi.jɛ] — Vacation starts July 1st.
5. Quelle est la date aujourd’hui? [kɛl ɛ la dat o.ʒuʁ.dɥi] — What’s today’s date?

Exercise: Write the Date in French

Write these dates in French:

1. March 1st
2. May 15th
3. December 25th
4. July 14th
5. February 2nd

Answers

1. le premier mars [lə pʁə.mje maʁs] — March 1st
2. le quinze mai [lə kɛ̃z mɛ] — May 15th
3. le vingt-cinq décembre [lə vɛ̃t.sɛ̃k de.sɑ̃bʁ] — December 25th
4. le quatorze juillet [lə ka.tɔʁz ʒɥi.jɛ] — July 14th
5. le deux février [lə dø fe.vʁi.je] — February 2nd