janvier
/ʒɑ̃.vje/
janvier is the French word for January.
janvier refers to the first month of the year.
How does it change in a sentence?
In French, months are not capitalized unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence. When you are referring specifically to the first day of the month, use the ordinal number 1er (premier) instead of the cardinal number un to say January 1st, as in le 1er janvier.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒɑ̃.vje/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In French, the word janvier shares a linguistic root with the English word 'janitor', as both trace back to the concept of guarding or watching a door.
- In traditional French almanacs, janvier is often associated with the word galette, referring to the galette des rois eaten around the feast of the Epiphany.
- The name janvier is derived from the Latin god 'Ianus', the deity of beginnings, gates, and transitions, who is often depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions.
Examples in context
- Je suis né en janvier .I was born in January.
- Nous partons en vacances le 15 janvier .We are going on vacation on the 15th of January.
- Le temps est généralement froid en janvier .The weather is usually cold in January.
- On se voit le mois prochain, c'est-à-dire en janvier .Let's meet next month, that is, in January.
- Mon anniversaire est en janvier.My birthday is in January.
- Il fait très froid en janvier.It is very cold in January.
- Nous partons en vacances en janvier.We are going on vacation in January.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are discussing their holiday plans.
- GabrielTu pars en vacances en janvier ?Are you going on vacation in January?
- EmmaOui, je pars le cinq janvier.Yes, I am leaving on January fifth.
- GabrielC'est une très bonne idée.That is a very good idea.
- EmmaMerci, Gabriel !Thank you, Gabriel!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry janvier, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries janvier, CC BY-SA 4.0.
