Days of the Week in French (Lowercase, and Named After the Planets)
The 7 French days of the week with pronunciation - lowercase, unlike English - plus the Roman-god origins that make them easy to remember.
The French days of the week are lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi and dimanche - always lowercase, unlike English. Most are named after Roman gods and planets: mardi for Mars, jeudi for Jupiter, vendredi for Venus.
Quick answer
The French days of the week are lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi and dimanche - always lowercase, unlike English. Most are named after Roman gods and planets: mardi for Mars, jeudi for Jupiter, vendredi for Venus.
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The 7 days
| Day | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | lundi | /luhn-DEE/ |
| Tuesday | mardi | /mar-DEE/ |
| Wednesday | mercredi | /mehr-kruh-DEE/ |
| Thursday | jeudi | /zhuh-DEE/ |
| Friday | vendredi | /vahn-druh-DEE/ |
| Saturday | samedi | /sam-DEE/ |
| Sunday | dimanche | /dee-MAHNSH/ |
Why French days are lowercase
Unlike English, French days are always lowercase, even at the start of a phrase: je travaille le lundi, not “Lundi.” This is a real, frequent spelling error for English speakers writing French for the first time.
Where the names come from (memory hook)
| Day | Root |
|---|---|
| lundi | Lune (Moon) |
| mardi | Mars |
| mercredi | Mercure (Mercury) |
| jeudi | Jupiter/Jove |
| vendredi | Vénus (Venus) |
| samedi | Sabbath |
| dimanche | dies Dominicus, the Lord’s day |
Using days in sentences
The article changes the meaning: le lundi means “on Mondays” (a habitual pattern), while plain lundi alone means “this/next Monday” (one specific occurrence). Add context with ce lundi (this Monday), lundi prochain (next Monday), lundi dernier (last Monday).
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Questions about this note
Are French days of the week capitalized?
No - always lowercase, even at the start of a sentence.
What day does the French week start on?
Monday (lundi), not Sunday.
Where does mercredi come from?
From dies Mercurii - Mercury's day.
What's the difference between le lundi and lundi?
le lundi means "on Mondays" (habitual); lundi alone means "this/next Monday."
How do you say weekend in French?
le week-end (a loanword).