en cette date
In French, "on this date" can be expressed as en cette date.
The phrase is used to refer to a specific day or calendar date that was previously mentioned or is currently being discussed.
How does it change in a sentence?
In France, when specifying a date, the format follows a day/month/year structure, such as le 5 octobre.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use en cette date to mean "on this date". However, in French, this phrase is rarely used and sounds unnatural when referring to a specific calendar day. Instead, it is more natural to use à cette date to express "on this date" or "at this date".
Did you know?
- While date refers to a calendar day, using it to describe a romantic outing is an anglicism. A French speaker would instead use the term un rendez-vous to describe such a meeting.
- The word cette actually comes from the Vulgar Latin phrase ecce ista, which translates to 'behold this one'.
- The French word date can be transformed into the verb dater, which is used not only to mark when something was created but also to describe a style as 'dated'.
Examples in context
- La réunion aura lieu à cette dateThe meeting will be held on this date
- Le 12 juilletOn July 12th
- Le 1er janvierOn January 1st
- On se rencontrera à cette date préciseWe'll meet on this specific date
- Le mariage est prévu le 27 septembreThe wedding is scheduled for September 27th
- Je suis né le 14 juillet 1990I was born on July 14th, 1990
- À cette date, nous étions déjà partis.On this date, we had already left.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are looking at an old calendar.
- GabrielRegarde, nous étions ici en cette date.Look, we were here on this date.
- ChloéC'était un voyage magnifique, Gabriel.It was a wonderful trip, Gabriel.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu te souviens du restaurant ?Do you remember the restaurant?
- ChloéOui, c'était vraiment délicieux.Yes, it was really delicious.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cette, date, en, CC BY-SA 4.0.
