jour de l'an
/ʒuʁ də l‿ɑ̃/masculine
New Year's Day in French is translated as jour de l'an or Nouvel An.
Meaning: holiday occurring on the first day of the year (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| jour de l'an | /ʒuʁ də l‿ɑ̃/ | masculine |
| Nouvel An | masculine |
Both terms refer to the holiday occurring on the first day of the year.
Which one should you use?
jour de l'an is typically used to refer to the specific day or the concept of the holiday, whereas Nouvel An is more commonly used to refer to the New Year period or the transition into the new year.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Le jour de l'An is commonly used in France, Belgium, Switzerland and other French-speaking countries.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using Nouvel An as a noun referring to the holiday or the period, it is almost always preceded by the definite article le.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒuʁ də l‿ɑ̃/
Did you know?
- In France, it is common to give a 'galette des rois' or 'cake des rois' around Nouvel An, though the tradition peaks in January. A small plastic or ceramic figure called a 'fève' is hidden inside the cake to designate the king or queen of the day.
- In some French regions, a traditional custom for the jour de l'an involves the étrennes, which are small gifts or monetary tips given to children and service workers to start the year with generosity.
- While Nouvel An refers to the holiday, the greeting Bonne année is often extended well into January, as it is considered polite to wish people a 'good year' for several weeks after the actual day.
Examples in context
- Le Jour de l'An ouvre l'année.New Year's Day is the key to the year.This sentence uses jour de l'an to describe the start of the year.Tatoeba #6304887 by nimfeo, translation #27390 by zvzuibqx
- Les gens célèbrent le jour de l'an de nombreuses manières différentes.People celebrate New Year's Day in many different ways.This sentence shows how people celebrate using jour de l'an.Tatoeba #12958229 by lbdx, translation #12950053 by CK
- Il est sobre depuis presque un an mais il a succombé à la tentation aux alentours du nouvel an.He had been dry for almost a year, but he fell off the wagon around New Year's Day.This sentence uses Nouvel An to refer to the period around the holiday.Tatoeba #761088 by Micsmithel, translation #293814 by papabear
- Demain, c'est le jour de l'An, nous allons fêter ça en famille.Tomorrow is New Year's Day, we will celebrate it with family.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are discussing their holiday plans.
- GabrielQue fais-tu pour le jour de l'an ?What are you doing for New Year's Day?
- LéaJe vais déjeuner avec ma famille.I am going to have lunch with my family.
- GabrielC'est une bonne idée pour le jour de l'an.That is a good idea for New Year's Day.
- LéaOui, on se voit après la fête !Yes, we will see each other after the party!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “new year's day” translations and entries jour de l'an, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
