In the bustling heart of France, where the language of love dances upon the airwaves, mastering the art of writing dates is essential for seamless communication. Whether planning a romantic rendezvous or navigating an important business meeting, knowing how to accurately convey the date in French is paramount to success. This guide will provide you with a comprehensive insight into the intricacies of French date-writing, ensuring that you can navigate the calendar with confidence and finesse.
Unlike English, French date-writing follows a distinct structure that differs from the familiar month-day-year format. Instead, the day of the month precedes the month, followed by the year. For example, the date “March 8, 2023” would be written as “8 mars 2023” in French. However, there are several exceptions to this rule that you should be aware of. For instance, when stating the year alone, it is common to use the abbreviated form of the century followed by the last two digits of the year. So, the year 2023 would be written as “23ème siècle” (23rd century).
Furthermore, when writing the date in French, there are specific rules regarding the use of articles and prepositions. The definite article “le” is typically used before the day of the month, while the preposition “de” is used before the month. For example, “the 10th of August” would be written as “le 10 août”. Additionally, when writing the date in full, it is customary to use the ordinal numbers for the day of the month. So, instead of “10 août”, you would write “dixième août”. By adhering to these conventions, you can ensure that your French date-writing is both accurate and优雅.
The Basic Format
When writing a date in French, you follow a specific format that includes the day, month, and year. Each of these elements is written out in full, with a few exceptions.
Day
The day of the month is written as a number, followed by a period. The numbers 1-9 are written as follows:
| Number | French |
|---|---|
| 1 | un |
| 2 | deux |
| 3 | trois |
| 4 | quatre |
| 5 | cinq |
| 6 | six |
| 7 | sept |
| 8 | huit |
| 9 | neuf |
The numbers 10-29 are written as a combination of the numbers 1-9 and the word “dix” (ten). For example, 11 is written as “onze” (one-ten), 12 as “douze” (two-ten), and so on.
The numbers 30-99 are written as a combination of the tens place (20-90) and the ones place (0-9). For example, 34 is written as “trente-quatre” (thirty-four), 56 as “cinquante-six” (fifty-six), and so on.
Day and Month
In French, the day of the month is placed before the month name. For example, to write “July 4th,” you would write “4 juillet.” Days of the week and months of the year are always lowercase in French.
Numbers
French numbers are generally similar to English numbers. However, there are a few key differences:
| Number | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | un/une | one |
| 2 | deux | two |
| 3 | trois | three |
| 4 | quatre | four |
| 5 | cinq | five |
Year
In French, the year is written in four digits. The first two digits represent the century, and the last two digits represent the year within the century.
For example, the year 2023 would be written as 2023 in French.
There is no comma between the century and the year.
Special Cases
There are a few special cases to keep in mind when writing the year in French:
- The year 1000 is written as “mille”.
- The years 1100 to 1999 are written with two digits, followed by “cent”. For example, the year 1800 would be written as “dix-huit cent”.
- The years 2000 and beyond are written with four digits. For example, the year 2023 would be written as “deux mille vingt-trois”.
Table of Years
The following table shows how to write the years 1000 to 2023 in French:
| Year | French |
|---|---|
| 1000 | mille |
| 1100 | onze cent |
| 1200 | douze cent |
| 1300 | treize cent |
| 1400 | quatorze cent |
| 1500 | quinze cent |
| 1600 | seize cent |
| 1700 | dix-sept cent |
| 1800 | dix-huit cent |
| 1900 | dix-neuf cent |
| 2000 | deux mille |
| 2001 | deux mille un |
| 2002 | deux mille deux |
| 2003 | deux mille trois |
| 2004 | deux mille quatre |
| 2005 | deux mille cinq |
| 2006 | deux mille six |
| 2007 | deux mille sept |
| 2008 | deux mille huit |
| 2009 | deux mille neuf |
| 2010 | deux mille dix |
| 2011 | deux mille onze |
| 2012 | deux mille douze |
| 2013 | deux mille treize |
| 2014 | deux mille quatorze |
| 2015 | deux mille quinze |
| 2016 | deux mille seize |
| 2017 | deux mille dix-sept |
| 2018 | deux mille dix-huit |
| 2019 | deux mille dix-neuf |
| 2020 | deux mille vingt |
| 2021 | deux mille vingt et un |
| 2022 | deux mille vingt-deux |
| 2023 | deux mille vingt-trois |
Ordinal Numbers
In French, ordinal numbers are used to indicate the position of something in a sequence. They are formed by adding the suffix -ième to the cardinal number. For example, the ordinal number for “one” is premier, the ordinal number for “two” is deuxième, and so on.
Some examples of ordinal numbers in French are:
| Cardinal number | Ordinal number |
|---|---|
| 1 | premier |
| 2 | deuxième |
| 3 | troisième |
| 4 | quatrième |
| 5 | cinquième |
| 6 | sixième |
| 7 | septième |
| 8 | huitième |
| 9 | neuvième |
| 10 | dixième |
The ordinal number for “4” is quatrième. This is because the suffix -ième is added to the stem of the cardinal number, which is quatre. The stem of a number is the part of the number that does not change when the number is declined.
Ordinal numbers are used in a variety of contexts, such as:
- To indicate the position of something in a sequence, such as the first, second, or third place.
- To indicate the date, such as the fourth of July.
- To indicate the time, such as the fourth hour.
Prepositions
When writing dates in French, it is important to use the correct prepositions. The most common prepositions used with dates are “le” (the), “en” (in), “de” (of), and “au” (to). The preposition “le” is used before the day of the month, while “en” is used before the month. “De” is used before the year, and “au” is used before a date range.
Here is a table summarizing the prepositions used with dates:
| Preposition | Usage |
|---|---|
| le | Before the day of the month |
| en | Before the month |
| de | Before the year |
| au | Before a date range |
For example, to write the date “February 14, 2023” in French, you would write “le 14 février 2023.” To write the date range “February 14-18, 2023” in French, you would write “du 14 au 18 février 2023.”
Using “le” with Dates
The preposition “le” is used before the day of the month. When the day of the month is a single digit, the “le” is contracted to “l’.” For example:
- Le 1er janvier (January 1st)
- Le 14 février (February 14th)
- L’8 mars (March 8th)
Using “en” with Dates
The preposition “en” is used before the month. When the month is a plural noun, the “en” is contracted to “d’.” For example:
- En janvier (In January)
- En février (In February)
- D’avril (In April)
Using “de” with Dates
The preposition “de” is used before the year. For example:
- De 2023 (Of 2023)
- De 1999 (Of 1999)
- D’2000 (Of 2000)
Using “au” with Dates
The preposition “au” is used before a date range. For example:
- Du 14 au 18 février (From February 14th to 18th)
- Du 1er au 31 décembre (From December 1st to 31st)
- D’avril à juin (From April to June)
Common Mistakes
French dates can be a bit tricky at first, but once you get the hang of them, they’re easy to write. Just make sure to avoid these common mistakes:
- Don’t forget the “de” between the day and the month, for example: “le 14 de mars” instead of “le 14 mars”.
- For dates after the 30th, write “le” before the date, for example: “le 31 décembre” instead of “31 décembre”.
- Don’t use the word “et” between the month and the year, for example: “le 14 mars 2023” instead of “le 14 mars et 2023”.
- The articles “le” and “la” should not be used before the months unless it is a specific date. So, instead of “la mars” for March, simply write “mars”.
- Don’t forget to include a comma after the year, for example: “le 14 mars 2023,” instead of “le 14 mars 2023”.
- Be careful with the spelling of the months. For example, “juillet” is spelled with one “l” and “août” is spelled with a circumflex accent.
- Don’t use the “s” on the end of the month when writing the date, for example: “le 14 mars” instead of “le 14 marss”.
Cultural Conventions
In French, dates are typically written in the following format: DAY / MONTH / YEAR. The day and month are both written in numerals, while the year can be written in either numerals or spelled out. For example:
• 14/07/2023 (fourteenth of July, two thousand and twenty-three)
• 14 juillet 2023 (fourteenth of July, two thousand and twenty-three)
When writing dates, it is important to follow the correct order of day, month, and year. In French, the day always comes first, followed by the month, and then the year. This is different from the order used in English, where the month comes first, followed by the day, and then the year.
The Number 8
The number 8 is written differently in French depending on whether it is used as a cardinal number or an ordinal number. As a cardinal number, 8 is written as “huit.” As an ordinal number, 8 is written as “huitième.” For example:
| Cardinal Number | Ordinal Number |
|---|---|
| huit | huitième |
When writing dates, the number 8 is always used as a cardinal number. Therefore, it is always written as “huit.” For example:
• 08/08/2023 (eighth of August, two thousand and twenty-three)
How To Write A Date In French
In French, the date is written in the following order: day, month, year. The day is written as a number, and the month is written as a word. The year is written as a four-digit number.
For example, the date “January 1, 2023” would be written as “1er janvier 2023” in French.
People Also Ask
How do you write the date in French in numbers?
To write the date in French in numbers, you would write the day as a number, followed by the month as a number, and then the year as a four-digit number.
For example, the date “January 1, 2023” would be written as “01/01/2023” in French.
How do you write the date in French in words?
To write the date in French in words, you would write the day as a number, followed by the month as a word, and then the year as a four-digit number.
For example, the date “January 1, 2023” would be written as “un janvier deux mille vingt-trois” in French.
Is there a specific format for writing dates in French?
Yes, there is a specific format for writing dates in French. The date is written in the following order: day, month, year.
The day is written as a number, and the month is written as a word. The year is written as a four-digit number.
For example, the date “January 1, 2023” would be written as “1er janvier 2023” in French.
