Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| carpe diem |
| cueille le jour |
You can use the Latin carpe diem to refer to the philosophical concept of seizing the moment, or use French translations like cueille le jour to express the idea of seizing the day.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase cueille le jour literally means "pluck the day", with cueille meaning "pluck" or "pick" as one would a flower.
Which one should you use?
While cueille le jour is a French translation, French speakers often use the original Latin carpe diem to refer to the philosophical concept of seizing the moment.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Using the Latin carpe diem is considered more literary or formal than using the French translation cueille le jour. For formal settings, you may also use Cueillez le jour (seize the day), Saisissez l'instant or Profitez du jour présent (enjoy the present day). In informal situations, you can say Profite du moment (make the most of the moment), Vis le présent à fond (live the present moment to the fullest) or Saisis chaque occasion.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase cueille le jour is in the imperative mood, used to give a command or advice.
Did you know?
- The Latin word carpe originates from the Ancient Greek word karpós, which means 'fruit'.
- In French, the word jour (day) and the adjective diurne (diurnal) are doublets, meaning they both derive from the same Latin root diurnum.
Examples in context
- Son mantra est carpe diem.His mantra is carpe diem.
- Elle suit le principe carpe diem.She follows the principle of carpe diem.
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are discussing their travel plans.
- ManonOn devrait partir maintenant, Nathan !We should leave right now, Nathan!
- NathanMais nous n'avons pas encore réservé.But we haven't booked yet.
- ManonCarpe diem ! On verra bien.Seize the day! We'll see.
- NathanD'accord, allons-y !Okay, let's go!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “carpe diem” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries carpe, jour, le, CC BY-SA 4.0.
