mauvaise journée
In French, bad day is translated as mauvaise journée.
The phrase mauvaise journée refers to a period of twenty-four hours during which many unpleasant things happen.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective mauvaise (bad) and the noun journée (day/daytime).
Which one should you use?
Journée pourrie literally translates to rotten day, and Journée galère is used to describe a day from hell or a terribly tough day.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because journée is a feminine noun, the adjective mauvais must take the feminine form mauvaise and the article must be une.
Did you know?
- The slang term galère in journée galère comes from the word for a galley ship, evoking the image of chained prisoners rowing in misery.
- When someone mentions a mauvaise journée, a common French response is c'est la loi des séries, implying that bad things always happen in clusters.
- The word journée evolved from the Vulgar Latin *diurnāta, which specifically referred to the work done in a single day.
Examples in context
- J'ai eu une mauvaise journée.I had a bad day.This sentence is useful for saying you had a bad day using mauvaise journée.Tatoeba #6380935 by Aiji, translation #5850604 by CK
- Je passe une mauvaise journée.I'm having a bad day.This sentence is useful for saying you are having a bad day using mauvaise journée.Tatoeba #7089176 by Aiji, translation #2547743 by CK
- Il passe une mauvaise journée.He's having a bad day.This sentence is useful for saying he is having a bad day using mauvaise journée.Tatoeba #13388487 by lbdx, translation #12902618 by Conjuice
- Quelle journée pourrie ! Tout a mal tourné.What a rotten day! Everything went wrong.
- J'ai passé une journée galère à cause des embouteillages.I had a day from hell because of the traffic.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa arrives home looking tired and talks to Gabriel.
- LéaOublie tout, j'ai passé une mauvaise journée.Forget everything, I had a bad day.
- GabrielOh non, qu'est-ce qui s'est passé ?Oh no, what happened?
- LéaTout a été difficile depuis ce matin.Everything has been difficult since this morning.
- GabrielJe suis désolé, repose-toi un peu.I am sorry, get some rest.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries journée, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
