après-midi
/a.pʁɛ.mi.di/feminine, masculine
The French word for afternoon is après-midi.
après-midi refers to the part of the day between noon and evening.
Meaning: part of the day between noon and evening (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of après, meaning after and midi, meaning noon.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of southern France, especially in Provence, locals may greet each other with Coucou.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun après-midi can be either masculine or feminine, so you may use either un après-midi or une après-midi. Because the word can be masculine, the demonstrative adjective cet is used in the phrase cet après-midi to mean 'this afternoon'.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /a.pʁɛ.mi.di/. It has 4 syllables.
When do people say it?
When greeting someone during the afternoon in most formal situations, Bonjour is commonly used. For casual greetings throughout the day, including the afternoon, Salut is a common choice.
Did you know?
- The word midi is used as a poetic or geographical nickname for the southern region of France. This is because the south is the direction of the midday sun.
- While après-midi can be masculine or feminine, the feminine une après-midi is often used when emphasizing the duration or the lived experience of the time spent.
- In French, the word midi is used as a common shorthand for the midday meal. Saying manger à midi often implies eating lunch rather than just eating at twelve o'clock.
Examples in context
- Je sors cet après-midi.I am going out this afternoon.This sentence uses après-midi to talk about going out.Tatoeba #6520 by TRANG, translation #257584 by CC
- Je pars cet après-midi.I leave this afternoon.This sentence uses après-midi to talk about leaving.Tatoeba #2384368 by sacredceltic, translation #2377284 by CK
- Que fais-tu l'après-midi ?What do you do in the afternoon?This sentence uses après-midi to ask about afternoon activities.Tatoeba #479607 by sacredceltic, translation #464538 by lukaszpp
- 466 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are planning their Saturday.
- NathanTu es libre pour l'après-midi ?Are you free for the afternoon?
- ChloéOui, je n'ai rien de prévu cet après-midi.Yes, I have nothing planned this afternoon.
- NathanOn va au parc cet après-midi ?Shall we go to the park this afternoon?
- ChloéC'est une excellente idée, Nathan.That is an excellent idea, Nathan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “afternoon” translations and entries après-midi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
