What does it mean word for word?
The phrase quel jour on est ? literally translates to 'which day one is?'
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase quel jour on est ? is an informal way to ask the question. For a more formal way to ask, you can use Quel jour sommes-nous ? If you need to be even more formal, such as in a very polite request, you can say Pourriez-vous me dire quel jour nous sommes, s'il vous plaît ?
How does it change in a sentence?
While the informal version uses the indefinite pronoun on (one/we), a more formal version of the question uses the subject nous (we) in the form quel jour sommes-nous ?
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly try to translate 'is it' literally as quel jour est-il ? However, using quel jour on est ? or quel jour sommes-nous ? is much more natural in French.
Did you know?
- The informal pronoun on used in quel jour on est ? originally comes from the Latin word for 'human being' homō, making it a close relative of the word homme.
- In France, asking quel jour on est ? can refer to the day of the week, but quelle date on est ? is often used specifically for the calendar date.
- If you use the word est in a different context, such as for the direction 'East', it is spelled est but pronounced differently, despite the identical spelling.
Examples in context
- Je ne sais plus, quel jour on est ?I don't know anymore, what day is it?
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are sitting in a cafe looking at their calendars.
- LucasQuel jour on est ?What day is it?
- EmmaOn est mardi, Lucas.It is Tuesday, Lucas.
- LucasAh, d'accord. Merci Emma.Ah, okay. Thanks Emma.
- EmmaDe rien !You're welcome!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries est, jour, on, quel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
