date de naissance
/dat də nɛ.sɑ̃s/
The English phrase "birth date" is translated into French as date de naissance.
This phrase is commonly found on official administrative forms, such as passports or identity cards. When writing the date itself in French, use the day/month/year format, such as 25/12/1980.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of date (date), de (of) and naissance (birth).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is typically used in the singular form when referring to a specific person's birth date.
Did you know?
- While date de naissance is used for people, French uses the term date de fabrication to refer to the 'birth date' or manufacture date of an object.
- In France, you will often see date de naissance followed by the abbreviation Né(e) le, which means 'Born on'. The extra 'e' in parentheses is there to accommodate both masculine and feminine genders.
- While English uses 'date' to mean a specific calendar day, the French word date originally meant 'the given thing' in Latin, which is why it refers to a point in time.
Examples in context
- Quelle est votre date de naissance ?What is your date of birth?
- Veuillez indiquer votre date de naissance ici.Please indicate your date of birth here.
Example conversation
Nathan is filling out a registration form at a gym.
- NathanChloé, est-ce que tu connais ma date de naissance ?Chloé, do you know my date of birth?
- ChloéNon, je ne la connais pas, Nathan.No, I don't know it, Nathan.
- NathanC'est écrit sur mon passeport.It is written on my passport.
- ChloéRegarde dans ton sac.Look in your bag.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry date de naissance, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries date, date de naissance, de, naissance, CC BY-SA 4.0.
