{"id":118558,"date":"2023-06-16T06:16:42","date_gmt":"2023-06-16T10:16:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/french-months\/"},"modified":"2025-01-31T06:06:06","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T11:06:06","slug":"french-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/french-months\/","title":{"rendered":"French Months of the Year (Plus Pronunciation)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Knowing the months in French is a crucial step in any French learner’s journey.\u00a0It’s helpful with planning your year, making travel plans to France and so much more.<\/p>\n

So here are the months in French, how to pronounce them and the holidays that are celebrated in France throughout the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How to Say the Months in French<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
janvier<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>January<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
f\u00e9vrier<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>February<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
mars<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>March<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
avril<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>April<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
mai<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>May<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
juin<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>June<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
juillet<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>July<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ao\u00fbt<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>August<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
septembre<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>September<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
octobre<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>October<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
novembre<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>November<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
d\u00e9cembre<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>December<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Janvier <\/em>(January)<\/h3>\n

What better place to start than Le jour de l’An\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/i>(New Year’s Day)? Let’s start the year off by making\u00a0une r\u00e9solution<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(a resolution). At the very least wish your loved ones b<\/em><\/strong>onne ann\u00e9e !<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(Happy\u00a0New Year).<\/p>\n

Janvier\u00a0<\/em>is also the time of year in France for\u00a0l’\u00c9piphanie<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(Epiphany). It falls on the sixth of the month, and is a Catholic holiday celebrating the Wise Men\u00a0visiting Jesus in his manger.<\/p>\n

Expect there to be\u00a0une galette des rois<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(a king’s cake) at gatherings this time of year. Whoever gets a slice with\u00a0la f\u00e8ve\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(the small figurine hidden inside the cake) becomes\u00a0le Roi\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(the king) or\u00a0la Reine<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(the Queen) and gets a crown!<\/p>\n

F\u00e9vrier <\/em>(February)<\/h3>\n

Il fait froid !<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(It’s cold!)\u00a0If you’re in France, then\u00a0f<\/em>\u00e9vrier\u00a0<\/em>certainly means the start of\u00a0l’hiver<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(winter).<\/p>\n

And while it’s not quite as commercialized as it is in the States, l<\/em><\/strong><\/a>e jour de la Saint-Valentin<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(Valentine’s Day) still happens this month, or as the French often call it,\u00a0la f\u00eate des amoureux\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(literally: lover’s day).<\/p>\n

In France, it’s a holiday\u00a0mostly for lovers, not a day to send every family member and friend a greeting card. But if you happen to have\u00a0un(e) petit(e)-ami(e)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(a boyfriend\/girlfriend), then send a\u00a0je t’aime<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(I love you).<\/p>\n

Mars (March)<\/h3>\n

P\u00e2ques<\/em><\/strong> (Easter) usually falls in the month of mars<\/em> (though it does sometimes like to sneak into the month of April).<\/p>\n

And much like in the States,\u00a0P\u00e2ques\u00a0<\/em>is a time to color\u00a0les \u0153ufs<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(eggs), eat\u00a0le chocolat<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(chocolate) and wait for\u00a0les cloches\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>(bells)\u00a0<\/strong>to fly over and leave chocolate. Check out this post<\/a> for an explanation.<\/p>\n

While\u00a0P\u00e2ques\u00a0<\/em>may not always be a\u00a0m<\/em>ars\u00a0<\/em>event,\u00a0La f\u00eate de la Saint-Patrick<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(Saint Patrick’s Day) certainly is. Spend the day wearing vert<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(green), drinking\u00a0une bi\u00e8re<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(a beer) and, of course, trying to find\u00a0un pot d’or<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(a pot of gold).<\/p>\n

Avril <\/em>(April)<\/h3>\n

Ah ! Il pleut !<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(Ah! It’s raining!) If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in France in the month of avril<\/em>, you’ll be subject to beautifully stereotypical scenes of Paris in the rain.<\/p>\n

Avril\u00a0<\/i>is also a time of the year in France where lots of students and workers have\u00a0les vacances\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(vacation).<\/p>\n

It’s the best\u00a0time of year to\u00a0take\u00a0le train<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(the train) to\u00a0la campagne<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(the countryside) or\u00a0le Sud de la France<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(the South of France)! Well, I can dream, can’t I?<\/p>\n

Mai <\/em>(May)<\/h3>\n

Le printemps<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(spring) is in full swing!\u00a0Les fleurs<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(The flowers) are in full bloom, along with\u00a0les touristes<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(tourists).\u00a0Mai\u00a0<\/em>is one of the most popular times of year to visit France, so if you happen to be visiting this time of year, prepare for the crowds.<\/p>\n

A major attraction is the\u00a0Festival de Cannes<\/strong> <\/em>(Cannes Film Festival). Located in le Sud de la France,\u00a0<\/em>it’s a large\u00a0festival de cin\u00e9ma<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(film festival) for schmoozing and watching the newest film releases.<\/p>\n

Juillet <\/em>(July)<\/h3>\n

Juillet <\/em>proves to be a\u00a0month of national pride for many countries. Whether it be Independence Day in the States on the 4th, Canada Day on the 1st or the French holiday\u00a0le quatorze juillet<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(the 14th of July), aka\u00a0la Prise de la Bastille<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(the storming of the Bastille), aka\u00a0la F\u00eate Nationale<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(the National Holiday).<\/p>\n

It celebrates the beginning of\u00a0la R\u00e9volution fran\u00e7aise<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(the French Revolution), where they stormed\u00a0la Bastille, <\/em>a symbol of Louis XVI’s regime. Expect les<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0feux d’artifice<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(fireworks) all around France!<\/p>\n

Ao\u00fbt <\/em>(August)<\/h3>\n

Everything is\u00a0ferm\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(closed)! That’s\u00a0a<\/em>o\u00fbt\u00a0<\/em>in France for you. It’s the hardest month during\u00a0which to get anything done. And so, it’s the best to se\u00a0<\/strong>reposer<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(relax).<\/p>\n

Avril\u00a0<\/em>was merely a warm-up for all of the\u00a0voyages\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(travels)\u00a0<\/em>you’ll embark on in\u00a0a<\/em>o\u00fbt.\u00a0<\/em>With\u00a0<\/strong>jours f\u00e9ri\u00e9s<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(national holidays) galore, expect the lines at l’a\u00e9roport <\/strong><\/em>(the airport) to be long, and les h\u00f4tels<\/strong>\u00a0<\/i>(the hotels) to be booked.<\/p>\n

Septembre <\/em>(September)<\/h3>\n

Ah, the fun is over, or depending on your perspective, the fun has just begun, because it’s la rentr\u00e9e<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(back to school season).<\/p>\n

Whether les \u00e9l\u00e8ves <\/b><\/em>(primary and secondary school students)\u00a0<\/em>are heading to\u00a0\u00e9cole<\/b>\u00a0<\/em>(grade school),\u00a0coll\u00e8ge<\/b>\u00a0<\/em>(middle school) or\u00a0lyc\u00e9e<\/b>\u00a0<\/em>(high school), or les \u00e9tudiants <\/strong><\/em>(students) are gearing up for\u00a0universit\u00e9<\/b>\u00a0<\/em>(college), they’ll need their heavy\u00a0cartable<\/b>\u00a0<\/em>(book bag).<\/p>\n

What better time of year to start amping up your own French studies and act in solidarity with the French \u00e9l\u00e8ves<\/strong>,\u00a0\u00e9tudiants<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>and professeurs<\/em><\/strong> (teachers)?<\/p>\n

Octobre <\/em>(October)<\/h3>\n

Now that the school year has settled in, it’s time for a bit more fun. Even though the French don’t really celebrate Halloween\u00a0<\/b><\/i>(Halloween), since Americans are obsessed with it and it’s fun to pronounce in French, we should at least touch on it.<\/p>\n

The holiday is gaining popularity in France, especially among young people. If you ever find yourself living in France, then it’ll be no problem at all to\u00a0sculpter\u00a0une citrouille<\/b>\u00a0<\/em>(carve a pumpkin) or\u00a0se d\u00e9guiser en sorcier\/fant\u00f4me\/princesse<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(dress up as a wizard\/ghost\/princess).<\/p>\n

Go ahead and say\u00a0“Friandises ou b\u00eatises !”<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(“Trick or treat!”), even if the French aren’t as committed as you are.<\/p>\n

Novembre <\/em>(November)<\/h3>\n

Ah, automne<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>(fall) in France!\u00a0Les feuilles<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(the leaves) begin to turn\u00a0orange et jaune<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(orange and yellow), and families\u00a0all around will start making beaucoup de\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>soupe<\/strong>\u00a0<\/i>(lots of soup).<\/p>\n

Thanksgiving obviously isn’t celebrated in France, but maybe you can find some unsuspecting French friends to serve une dinde<\/strong>\u00a0<\/i>(a turkey) to, or be lucky enough to find\u00a0des canneberges<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(cranberries) for a sauce.<\/p>\n

However, what the French\u00a0do celebrate this month is l’Armistice de la Premi\u00e8re Guerre mondiale<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(Armistice Day of the First World War), or l’Armistice de 1918<\/strong>.<\/i>\u00a0It falls on the eleventh of November, and remembers\u00a0les soldats <\/em><\/strong>(the soldiers) who died during\u00a0WWI.<\/p>\n

D\u00e9cembre <\/em>(December)<\/h3>\n

C’est la fin de l’ann\u00e9e<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(It’s the end of the year)! And while it’s certainly the time of year for\u00a0No\u00ebl<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(Christmas)\u2014which has lots of great vocabulary that you can find here<\/a>, here<\/a> and here<\/a>\u2014some French also celebrate an interesting little holiday on the sixth of d<\/em>\u00e9cembre\u00a0<\/i>called la\u00a0<\/strong>Saint-Nicolas<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(a celebration of Saint Nicolas).<\/p>\n

You may have heard the name Saint Nicolas around Christmastime in the States, but in parts of France and Belgium, they celebrate the actual saint day of Saint Nicolas.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Parents often give\u00a0petits cadeaux<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(little presents) and\u00a0les bonbons<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(candies). In some places, they even put the treats in\u00a0les\u00a0<\/strong>chaussures<\/b>\u00a0<\/em>(the shoes)!<\/p>\n

How\u00a0to\u00a0Learn the French Months of the Year<\/h2>\n

Here are a few tips to make committing the French calendar to memory a cinch.<\/p>\n

Juin <\/em>(June)<\/h3>\n

Il fait chaud !<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(It’s hot!) Grab your\u00a0lunettes de soleil<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(sunglasses) and soak up the sun. In France, the weather is perfect in j<\/em>uin<\/em>\u00a0to hit\u00a0la plage<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(the beach).\u00a0L’\u00e9cole\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(school) may not officially end until the end of\u00a0j<\/em>uin,\u00a0<\/em>but l’\u00e9t\u00e9<\/em> (the summer)<\/a> has already begun to gear up.<\/p>\n

In France, it’s a popular time of year to attend un festival de<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0musique<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(a music festival). In fact, France is among the many countries that celebrate an international day of music called la f\u00eate de la Musique.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

It falls on le solstice d’\u00e9t\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(summer solstice), where there are\u00a0les musiciens<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(musicians) playing around every corner, all over the country!<\/p>\n