ce matin
The English phrase "this morning" is translated into French as ce matin.
ce matin is used to refer to the morning of the current day.
Meaning: during the morning of today (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the demonstrative adjective ce (this) and the noun matin (morning).
Which one should you use?
While ce matin refers to the current day, you should not use it with other time words like demain to say "tomorrow morning". Instead, use demain matin. Additionally, if you wish to emphasize a specific morning in the past, use Ce matin-là to mean "that morning" or "on that morning".
How does it change in a sentence?
In English, "this morning" can function as an adverbial phrase, but in French, ce matin is a noun phrase that typically functions as an adverbial of time without the need for a preposition such as dans or pendant.
Did you know?
- The word matin is named after Matuta, a Roman goddess of the dawn and the morning. This makes your morning greeting a subtle nod to ancient mythology.
- In French, the word matin is used to form the term matinée to describe the morning as a duration of time or a specific event, like a matinée performance.
- The French word matin comes from the Latin 'matutinus', which shares an ancestor with the English word 'matins'. In English, 'matins' refers to a specific type of morning prayer service.
Examples in context
- J'ai froid ce matin.I feel cold this morning.This sentence shows how to use ce matin to describe a physical state.Tatoeba #4197217 by olivier, translation #242200 by CK
- Je fais ça ce matin.I'm doing that this morning.This sentence shows how to use ce matin when describing a current activity.Tatoeba #7067848 by Aiji, translation #6264344 by CK
- Je l'ai vu ce matin.I saw him this morning.This sentence shows how to use ce matin to indicate when an action occurred in the past.Tatoeba #8708675 by Julien_PDC, translation #3910555 by CH
- J'ai rencontré le directeur ce matin.I met the director this morning.
- Nous avons visité le musée ce matin-là.We visited the museum that morning.
- La réunion aura lieu ce matin.The meeting will take place this morning.
- 481 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are talking in the kitchen.
- HugoTu as bu ton café ce matin ?Did you drink your coffee this morning?
- ChloéNon, je l'ai oublié ce matin.No, I forgot it this morning.
- HugoTu es très pressée, Chloé.You are in a big hurry, Chloé.
- ChloéOui, j'ai beaucoup de travail ce matin.Yes, I have a lot of work this morning.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “this morning” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ce, matin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
