French uses jour, journée, and date for different meanings of English “day.” The right word depends on whether you mean a calendar day, the time spent during it, or a date on the calendar.
day in French = jour, journée, or date, pronounced approximately zhoor / zhoor-NAY / daht.
How Do You Say day in French?
Jour refers to a day as a unit or calendar day. Journée emphasizes the duration or activities of a day. Date means a specific calendar date.
Meaning: day; daytime; date
Use un jour for one day on the calendar, toute la journée for all day long, and Quelle est la date ? to ask what the date is.
Different Ways to Express day
These forms overlap in translation but are not interchangeable in every expression. For one part of the day, see afternoon in French.
1. Jour — a day on the calendar
jour — day. Use it when counting days or referring to a day as a unit: trois jours means “three days.”
2. Journée — the course of a day
journée — daytime; the day’s duration. Use it to emphasize how the day goes or how long an activity lasts: une longue journée is “a long day.”
3. Date — a date on the calendar
date — date. Use it for the specific number, month, and year: la date du rendez-vous means “the appointment date.”
4. Tous les jours — every day
tous les jours — every day. This common expression uses the plural jours to describe a repeated routine.
day in French: Quick Comparison
Use this comparison to choose the form that best fits your sentence. Pay attention to whether you are counting, describing a quality, or referring to a particular situation.
| French | Meaning | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| jour | day | Calendar units and dates |
| journée | daytime; the day’s duration | Duration and daily activities |
| date | date | Calendar dates |
| tous les jours | every day | Frequency |
How to Pronounce jour, journée, or date
Jour is approximately “zhoor,” with the French j sound and a rounded vowel. Journée adds a final e sound and stress falls toward the end. The t in date is pronounced.
Example Sentences Using day
Read each example aloud and notice how the surrounding words give the phrase its exact meaning. The English translation is natural rather than a strict word-for-word rendering.
Meaning: I work three days a week.
Use: Jour counts calendar days.
Meaning: I had a good day.
Use: Journée focuses on the experience of the day.
Meaning: What is the date today?
Use: Date asks for the calendar date.
Frequently Asked Questions About day in French
Tap a question below to see the answer.
How do you say “day” in French?
The most common word is jour, but journée and date are used in other senses.
What is the difference between <em>jour</em> and <em>journée</em>?
Jour is a day as a unit; journée emphasizes the duration or experience of the day.
How do you say “all day”?
Say toute la journée.
How do you ask “what is the date?”
Say Quelle est la date ?
How do you say “every day”?
Say tous les jours.
Summary: day in French
Use jour for a day as a calendar unit, journée for the course or experience of a day, and date for a calendar date. Learn common expressions such as toute la journée and tous les jours.
