matin
/ma.tɛ̃/masculine
In French, morning is translated as matin. Wiktionary also lists matinée and avant-midi.
Meaning: part of the day between dawn and midday (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| matin | /ma.tɛ̃/ /ma.tɑ̃ᵑ/ |
masculine |
| matinée | /ma.ti.ne/ | feminine |
| avant-midi | /a.vɑ̃.mi.di/ | Canada, masculine |
The word refers to the part of the day between dawn and midday. To express the adverbial phrase 'in the morning', French uses the definite article: le matin.
Which one should you use?
While matin refers to the time of day, matinée refers to the duration or the span of the morning.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Canada, avant-midi is commonly used to refer to the morning.
How do you pronounce it?
The word matin is pronounced /ma.tɛ̃/ and consists of two syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use matinée to mean the time of day. However, in French, matinée emphasizes the passage of time or refers to a daytime performance.
Did you know?
- The word matin is actually named after a Roman goddess of the dawn called Matuta.
- The English word 'matinee' is a direct loanword from the French matinée, but it has shifted to specifically mean an afternoon show in English.
- The French word midi used in avant-midi literally means 'midday' and is also the name for the southern region of France.
Examples in context
- On est le matin.It's morning.This sentence shows how to say it is morning using matin.Tatoeba #2190273 by sacredceltic, translation #2187223 by CK
- À demain matin !I'll see you in the morning.This sentence is useful for saying 'see you in the morning' using matin.Tatoeba #3487278 by sacredceltic, translation #1453224 by Spamster
- Es-tu du matin ?Are you a morning person?This sentence demonstrates the expression for a 'morning person' using matin.Tatoeba #6861895 by GB3, translation #6861790 by CK
- Bonjour, MonsieurGood morning, sir
- Bonjour, MadameGood morning, madam
- Bonjour, comment ça va? Je vous souhaite une excellente journée.Good morning, how are you? I wish you an excellent day.
- 1294 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are meeting for coffee.
- ChloéTu es libre ce matin ?Are you free this morning?
- LucasOui, je n'ai rien de prévu ce matin.Yes, I have nothing planned this morning.
- ChloéOn va prendre un café ?Shall we grab a coffee?
- LucasBonne idée, partons maintenant !Good idea, let's go now!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “morning” translations and entries matin, matinée, avant-midi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries avant-midi, matin, matinée, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
