matinée
/ma.ti.ne/feminine
The English phrase matinee is translated into French as matinée.
matinée is a noun used to describe a showing of a movie or theatrical performance that takes place in the morning or afternoon.
Meaning: a showing of a movie or theatrical performance in the morning or afternoon (noun)
Which one should you use?
While matinée refers to a performance or event held during the day, the word matin refers specifically to the time of day (morning).
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is feminine, so it is preceded by the feminine article une rather than the masculine un, as in une matinée.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ma.ti.ne/ and consists of three syllables.
Did you know?
- The word matinée descends from Mātūta, the ancient Roman goddess of the morning.
- Unlike the English 'matinee', which almost always refers to a ticketed event, a French speaker might use matinée to describe a simple morning spent cleaning the house.
- The suffix -ée in matinée is used in French to turn a point in time into a duration, changing 'morning' into 'the whole morning'.
Examples in context
- Marie et Paul ont réservé des places pour la représentation en matinée du ballet classique.Marie and Paul have booked tickets for the matinee performance of the classical ballet.
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are planning their weekend activities.
- NathanVeux-tu aller au cinéma samedi ?Do you want to go to the movies on Saturday?
- LéaOui, je préfère une matinée.Yes, I prefer a matinee.
- NathanC'est une bonne idée, Léa.That is a good idea, Léa.
- LéaJe vais réserver les places.I will book the seats.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “matinee” translations and entries matinée, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries matinée, CC BY-SA 4.0.
