premier juin
In French, June first is said as premier juin.
This phrase is used to refer to the first day of the month of June.
Which one should you use?
In French, only the first day of the month uses an ordinal number like premier juin. For all other days of the month, you use cardinal numbers, such as deux juin for June second.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you use this phrase as a specific date within a sentence, it is preceded by the definite article le, forming le premier juin. In written French, it is very common to abbreviate the ordinal number premier as 1er, resulting in le 1er juin.
Did you know?
- In French, the name of the month juin is actually a remnant of the Roman god Juno, the protector of marriage and childbirth.
- In some French-speaking regions like Quebec, you might hear people say le premier de juin instead of the standard le premier juin, adding a preposition that is considered incorrect in France.
- The word premier shares an ancestral root with the English word 'primary', which is why they both feel so fundamental.
Examples in context
- Réserve la date ! Le premier juin, on organise une grande fête à la plage !Save the date! On June 1st, we're throwing a big party at the beach!
- On se voit le premier juin ?Shall we see each other on June first?
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are discussing their summer holiday plans.
- LucasTu pars en vacances quand ?When are you going on vacation?
- ManonJe pars le premier juin.I am leaving on June first.
- LucasC'est très bientôt !That is very soon!
- ManonOui, je suis très impatiente.Yes, I am very impatient.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries juin, premier, CC BY-SA 4.0.
