hier
/jɛʁ/
The French word for yesterday is hier.
hier is used to refer to the day before today, serving as both a noun and an adverb.
Meaning: day before today (noun)
Which one should you use?
While hier covers the general concept of yesterday, you can use specific compound forms for different times of the day: use hier matin for yesterday morning and hier soir for yesterday evening or last night. To refer to the day before yesterday, use avant-hier.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In English, the word for yesterday can function as both a noun and an adverb and the French word hier functions the same way without changing its form.
How do you pronounce it?
/jɛʁ/
Did you know?
- While hier means 'yesterday', the French phrase le monde d'hier is used to describe the 'past' as a whole or a lost era.
- The word hier is a direct sibling to the Spanish word ayer, sharing the same immediate ancestor in Latin.
- The modern French word hier evolved from the Old French ier, which simplified the spelling of its Latin root.
Examples in context
- Il a plu hier.It rained yesterday.The first example shows how to use hier to indicate when it rained.Tatoeba #1343566 by Aiji, translation #63300 by CK
- Il a crevé hier.He died yesterday.The second example shows how to use hier to indicate when someone died.Tatoeba #500900 by sacredceltic, translation #296902 by CK
- Je t'ai vu hier.I saw you yesterday.The third example shows how to use hier to indicate when you saw someone.Tatoeba #1346049 by sacredceltic, translation #1475824 by CM
- J'ai fini mon travail hier.I finished my work yesterday.
- Nous avons eu une réunion importante hier matin.We had an important meeting yesterday morning.
- J'ai passé une excellente soirée hier soir chez mes amis.I had a great evening yesterday at my friends' place.
- Hier soir, j'ai regardé un film très intéressant.Last night, I watched a very interesting movie.
- On a bien rigolé hier au soirWe had a good laugh last night
- 1660 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a party in the park.
- LucasTu étais à la fête hier ?Were you at the party yesterday?
- LéaOui, j'y étais avec mes amis.Yes, I was there with my friends.
- LucasC'était bien, hier ?Was it good, yesterday?
- LéaOui, c'était super !Yes, it was great!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yesterday” translations and entries hier, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hier, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
