Quel jour sommes-nous ?
The English phrase "what date is it?" can be expressed in French as Quel jour sommes-nous ?
This phrase is used to ask for the current calendar date. While it is a standard way to inquire about the date, it is often used more specifically to ask for the day of the week, such as Monday or Tuesday.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Quel jour sommes-nous ? literally translates to "Which day are we?"
Which one should you use?
While Quel jour sommes-nous ? is used to ask for the date, it is frequently used to ask for the day of the week.
Did you know?
- French speakers do not capitalize the names of days of the week, such as lundi or mardi, unless they start a sentence.
- When answering this question for the first day of the month, French speakers use the definite article le 1er (le premier) instead of the number un.
- The word jour in this phrase shares a common ancestor with the English word 'journal', as both stem from the concept of a daily record or a single day.
Examples in context
- Nous sommes le lundi 12 mai.It is Monday, May 12th.
- Excusez-moi, quel jour sommes-nous ?Excuse me, what is the date?
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are planning a meeting in the office.
- LucasChloé, quel jour sommes-nous ?Chloé, what date is it?
- ChloéNous sommes le douze octobre.It is October twelfth.
- LucasAh, c'est demain le rendez-vous !Ah, the appointment is tomorrow!
- ChloéOui, c'est exact, Lucas.Yes, that's correct, Lucas.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jour, quel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
