le mois dernier
The English phrase 'last month' is translated into French as le mois dernier.
le mois dernier is used to refer to the month immediately preceding the current one.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the definite article le (the), the noun mois (month) and the adjective dernier (last).
Which one should you use?
While dernier can mean 'last' in terms of order (the final one in a series), when placed after a time noun like mois, it specifically refers to the previous month.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the temporal sense of 'last month', the adjective dernier must follow the noun mois.
Did you know?
- The word mois shares a common ancestor with the English word 'moon', as both stem from the same ancient roots describing the lunar cycle.
- The word dernier comes from the Latin roots meaning 'from behind' or 'backwards', which gives the phrase its sense of looking back at a previous time.
- In professional French settings, the phrase le mois dernier is often replaced by le mois précédent to avoid ambiguity in formal reports.
Examples in context
- J'ai déménagé le mois dernier.I moved last month.This sentence shows how to use le mois dernier to describe a past movement.Tatoeba #1175578 by sacredceltic, translation #1174276 by CK
- Tom a disparu le mois dernier.Tom disappeared last month.This sentence uses le mois dernier to describe a past disappearance.Tatoeba #5684402 by Yemana, translation #2644000 by CK
- Je lui ai écrit le mois dernier.I wrote to her last month.This sentence uses le mois dernier to describe a past action of writing to someone.Tatoeba #128916 by Aiji, translation #272700 by CH
- Le mois dernier, nous avons eu une réunion très productive.Last month, we had a very productive meeting.
- Veuillez trouver ci-joint le rapport du mois précédent.Please find attached the report from the previous month.
- Tu te souviens de cette soirée le mois passé ? C'était génial !Do you remember that party last month? It was awesome!
- 78 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are talking about their vacations.
- ManonTu es allé où le mois dernier ?Where did you go last month?
- LucasJe suis allé en Italie avec ma famille.I went to Italy with my family.
- ManonC'était génial ! Moi, je suis restée ici.That was great! Me, I stayed here.
- LucasC'est dommage, on aurait dû sortir ensemble le mois dernier.That's a shame, we should have gone out together last month.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dernier, le, mois, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
