Quick answer: The French days of the week are lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi, dimanche (Monday to Sunday). The months are janvier, février, mars, avril, mai, juin, juillet, août, septembre, octobre, novembre, décembre. The seasons are le printemps (spring), l'été (summer), l'automne (autumn) and l'hiver (winter). To tell the time, say Il est … heure(s), for example Il est trois heures (it is three o'clock). In French, days and months are written in lower case.
French is part of most hotel management courses because many culinary and service terms are French, and many hotels welcome French-speaking guests. This guide gives you the vocabulary with pronunciation hints and front-desk phrases you can actually use.
Days of the week (les jours de la semaine)
| English | French | Approximate pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | lundi | lun-DEE |
| Tuesday | mardi | mar-DEE |
| Wednesday | mercredi | mair-kruh-DEE |
| Thursday | jeudi | zhuh-DEE |
| Friday | vendredi | von-druh-DEE |
| Saturday | samedi | sam-DEE |
| Sunday | dimanche | dee-MONSH |
Points to remember
- The French week starts on Monday.
- Days are masculine: le lundi.
- Lundi on its own means "on Monday" (this coming one). Le lundi means "on Mondays" (every Monday).
- Useful words: aujourd'hui (today), demain (tomorrow), hier (yesterday), le week-end (the weekend), la semaine (the week).
Months of the year (les mois de l'année)
| English | French | Approximate pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| January | janvier | zhon-vee-AY |
| February | février | fay-vree-AY |
| March | mars | MARS |
| April | avril | a-VREEL |
| May | mai | MAY |
| June | juin | zhwan |
| July | juillet | zhwee-YAY |
| August | août | OOT (or OO) |
| September | septembre | sep-TOM-bruh |
| October | octobre | ok-TOH-bruh |
| November | novembre | no-VOM-bruh |
| December | décembre | day-SOM-bruh |
Use en to say "in" a month: en juillet (in July). Months are masculine and written in lower case.
Seasons (les saisons)
| English | French | "In the …" |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | le printemps | au printemps |
| Summer | l'été | en été |
| Autumn / fall | l'automne | en automne |
| Winter | l'hiver | en hiver |
Notice that spring uses au while the others use en. This is a common exam question.
Dates (les dates)
In French, the date is written day first, then month, then year, just as in India.
- Asking the date: Quelle est la date aujourd'hui ? (What is the date today?)
- Answering: Nous sommes le 12 mars or C'est le 12 mars.
- The first of the month uses premier: le premier mai (1 May). All other dates use ordinary numbers: le deux juin, le quinze août.
- Full date: le lundi 3 février 2027.
- Years are read as full numbers: 2027 is deux mille vingt-sept.
Telling the time (l'heure)
Basic structure
- Asking: Quelle heure est-il ? (What time is it?)
- One o'clock: Il est une heure.
- Other hours: Il est deux heures, trois heures …
- Noon: Il est midi. Midnight: Il est minuit.
Minutes, quarters and halves
| Time | French |
|---|---|
| 3:05 | Il est trois heures cinq. |
| 3:15 | Il est trois heures et quart. |
| 3:30 | Il est trois heures et demie. |
| 3:45 | Il est quatre heures moins le quart. |
| 3:50 | Il est quatre heures moins dix. |
| 12:30 pm | Il est midi et demi. |
The 24-hour clock
In France, the 24-hour clock is used for timetables, bookings and official times, and is common in hotels. Quatorze heures is 2 pm, and vingt heures trente is 8:30 pm. With the 24-hour clock, say the minutes as numbers instead of et quart or et demie.
Parts of the day
- le matin: the morning (du matin = a.m.)
- l'après-midi: the afternoon (de l'après-midi)
- le soir: the evening (du soir = p.m.)
- la nuit: the night
Numbers you need for dates and times
Dates and times depend on numbers, so learn these first. Once you know them, you can read any time on the clock and any date in the calendar.
| Number | French | Number | French |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | un / une | 11 | onze |
| 2 | deux | 12 | douze |
| 3 | trois | 13 | treize |
| 4 | quatre | 14 | quatorze |
| 5 | cinq | 15 | quinze |
| 6 | six | 16 | seize |
| 7 | sept | 17 | dix-sept |
| 8 | huit | 20 | vingt |
| 9 | neuf | 30 | trente |
| 10 | dix | 31 | trente et un |
Other useful forms: 21 is vingt et un, 22 is vingt-deux, 40 is quarante and 50 is cinquante. Because heure is feminine, one o'clock is une heure, not un heure.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Capitalising days and months. Write mardi and octobre, not Mardi and Octobre, unless they start a sentence.
- Using "deuxième" for dates. Only the first of the month uses an ordinal (premier); every other date uses a plain number, so the second is le deux, not le deuxième.
- Forgetting "heures". In French you must say Il est cinq heures; Il est cinq is incomplete.
- Mixing systems. Do not say quatorze heures et demie; with the 24-hour clock, say quatorze heures trente.
- Writing dates the American way. French dates go day, month, year: 05/04 means 5 April, not 4 May.
Front office phrases using days, dates and time
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Bonjour, bienvenue à l'hôtel. | Good morning, welcome to the hotel. |
| Vous restez combien de nuits ? | How many nights are you staying? |
| Votre réservation est du 5 au 8 avril. | Your reservation is from 5 to 8 April. |
| Le départ est à midi. | Check-out is at noon. |
| Le petit-déjeuner est servi de sept heures à dix heures. | Breakfast is served from 7 to 10 am. |
| Le restaurant est fermé le lundi. | The restaurant is closed on Mondays. |
| Votre chambre est prête. | Your room is ready. |
| Voulez-vous un réveil demain matin ? | Would you like a wake-up call tomorrow morning? |
| Bon séjour ! | Enjoy your stay! |
These phrases fit naturally into each stage of the guest's stay, from reservation and arrival to departure. Our guide to the guest cycle in the front office explains those stages in English.
Tips for learning quickly
- Say the days and months aloud every morning for a week.
- Practise reading times from your watch in French, using both 12-hour and 24-hour forms.
- Role-play a check-in with a classmate, using dates and times from a real booking.
- Listen to French audio or videos to get used to the sound, especially words like juin and juillet.
- Mention basic French on your CV only if you can actually use it; interviewers may test you. Our list of front office interview questions helps you prepare.
Frequently asked questions
Are French days and months capitalised?
No. Unless they begin a sentence, days and months are written in lower case in French.
How do you say the first of the month in French?
Use premier: le premier janvier. All other dates use ordinary numbers, such as le deux janvier.
Why is it "au printemps" but "en été"?
Printemps begins with a consonant, so it takes au. Été, automne and hiver begin with a vowel sound, so they take en.
How do you say 2:30 pm in French?
Il est deux heures et demie de l'après-midi, or with the 24-hour clock, Il est quatorze heures trente.
What is the difference between "lundi" and "le lundi"?
Lundi means on a specific Monday, usually the next one. Le lundi means every Monday.
Why do hotel students learn French?
Many kitchen, service and front office terms come from French, and some hotels receive French-speaking guests. Basic French helps in exams, at work and in interviews.