le premier jour du mois
The English phrase "the first day of the month" is translated into French as le premier jour du mois.
le premier jour du mois refers specifically to the day that marks the beginning of a calendar month.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of le (the), premier (first), jour (day), du (of the) and mois (month).
Which one should you use?
When writing the date, the ordinal number is abbreviated as 1er (le premier). In common usage, the word jour is often omitted and le premier du mois is used to mean "the first of the month".
Did you know?
- In French, the first day of the month is the only date that uses an ordinal number premier. Every other day of the month is expressed with a cardinal number, such as le deux for the second.
- The word mois comes from the Latin mēnsis, which originally referred to the cycle of the moon rather than a calendar month.
- During the French Revolution, the first day of the month was still called le premier jour, but the months were renamed after nature, such as Brumaire for the month of fog.
Examples in context
- Le premier jour du mois est un lundi.The first day of the month is a Monday.
- Je paie mon loyer le premier jour du mois.I pay my rent on the first day of the month.
- Nous avons une réunion le premier jour du mois.We have a meeting on the first day of the month.
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are discussing their schedule.
- NathanQuand commence ton nouveau travail, Chloé ?When does your new job start, Chloé?
- ChloéJe commence le premier jour du mois.I start on the first day of the month.
- NathanC'est très bientôt alors !That's very soon then!
- ChloéOui, je suis très impatiente.Yes, I am very impatient.
