A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Dates in French

Learning how to say the date in French is a practical skill that pops up in everyday conversation—whether you’re booking appointments, celebrating birthdays, or just chatting about the day. Luckily, it’s easy to get started once you know a few key phrases and patterns.

Sentence Builder
Quelle est la date aujourd’hui ? What is the date today?
C’est le… It is the…
C’est le lundi… It is Monday the…
premier janvier. 1st January.
deux février. 2nd February.
dix mars. 10th March.
quatorze juillet. 14th July.
dix-neuf août. 19th August.
trente octobre. 30th October.
Remember: use premier for the first day of the month. Use an ordinary number for every other date.

Cardinal vs. Ordinal Numbers

Here’s a key detail: French uses ordinal numbers only for the first of the month.

  • le premier janvier – January 1st
  • le premier octobre – October 1st

For all other dates, French uses cardinal numbers (two, three, four…):

  • le deux juin – June 2nd
  • le dix juillet – July 10th
  • le dix-neuf août – August 19th
  • le trente octobre – October 30th

This is different from English, which uses ordinal numbers for all dates (e.g., 2nd, 3rd, 4th). So in French, it’s le deux, not le deuxième.

Talking About Birthdays

Sentence Builder
C’est quand votre anniversaire ? When is your birthday?
Mon anniversaire est le… My birthday is on the…
premier janvier. 1st January.
deux février. 2nd February.
dix mars. 10th March.
quatorze juillet. 14th July.
dix-neuf août. 19th August.
trente octobre. 30th October.
Remember: use premier for the first day of the month. Use an ordinary number for every other date.

Tips for Learners

  • Months and days aren’t capitalized in French unless they start a sentence.
  • Always use le before the date.
  • Practice with real dates – your birthday, today’s date, holidays – to make it stick.

Quick Quiz
Check your understanding Select each question to reveal the answer.