Ask and tell the date

Asking and Telling the Date in French

What You Will Learn

In this lesson, you will learn how to ask for and tell the date in French — like asking "What day is it?" or "What is the date?" and answering correctly. This is useful for talking about events, birthdays, and school schedules.

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Key Vocabulary: Days of the Week

Learn the seven days of the week in French:

French	English
lundi	Monday
mardi	Tuesday
mercredi	Wednesday
jeudi	Thursday
vendredi	Friday
samedi	Saturday
dimanche	Sunday

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Key Vocabulary: Months of the Year

Learn the twelve months in French:

French	English
janvier	January
février	February
mars	March
avril	April
mai	May
juin	June
juillet	July
août	August
septembre	September
octobre	October
novembre	November
décembre	December

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How to Ask for the Date

Use these expressions to ask about the date:

French Phrase	English Meaning
C'est quel jour ?	What day is it?
Nous sommes quel jour aujourd'hui ?	What day is it today?
Quelle est la date ?	What is the date?
C'est quelle date ?	What date is it?
Quelle est la date de ton anniversaire ?	What is the date of your birthday?

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How to Tell the Date

Use these expressions to answer:

French Phrase	English Meaning
C'est lundi.	It's Monday.
C'est aujourd'hui jeudi.	Today is Thursday.
C'est le 25 mars.	It's 25th March.
Mon anniversaire, c'est le 5 octobre.	My birthday is 5th October.
Le concert, c'est samedi 14 janvier.	The concert is Saturday 14th January.

Important: In French, dates use "le" before the number. For example:

• le 14 mars (14th March)
• le premier janvier (1st January)

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Worked Example: Role Play from the Textbook

Here is a conversation between two students asking about the date:

Bakari: Salut, le cours de kiswahili, c'est quand ? (Hello, when is the Kiswahili class?)

Upendo: Salut, c'est jeudi. (Hello, it's Thursday.)

Bakari: À quelle heure ? (At what time?)

Upendo: À dix heures et quart. (At ten fifteen.)

Bakari: Merci. (Thank you.)

Upendo: À bientôt ! (See you soon!)

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Another Example: Asking About a Birthday

Upendo: Bonjour Amani ! Qu'est-ce qu'il y a dans ton sac ? (Hello Amani! What is in your bag?)

Amani: Il y a un gâteau. Aujourd'hui le 15 mars, c'est mon anniversaire. (There is a cake. Today 15th March is my birthday.)

Upendo: Quel âge as-tu ? (How old are you?)

Amani: J'ai dix ans aujourd'hui. (I am ten years old today.)

Upendo: Joyeux anniversaire ! (Happy birthday!)

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How to Say Dates in French

When you say a date in French, use the number followed by the month:

Date in French	English
le premier janvier	1st January
le 14 mars	14th March
le 25 décembre	25th December
le 5 octobre	5th October

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Practice Sentences

Try to complete these sentences:

1. C'est quel jour aujourd'hui? → C'est lundi. (Monday)
2. Quelle est la date? → C'est le 20 juillet. (20th July)
3. Quel jour sommes-nous? → Nous sommes mercredi. (Wednesday)
4. C'est quelle date aujourd'hui? → C'est le 10 avril. (10th April)

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Real-life application

In Tanzania, you can use these phrases in many real situations. For example, when you want to know when your friend's birthday celebration or a school event is happening, you can ask "C'est quel jour?" or "Quelle est la date?" and respond using "le" with the number and month. This helps you plan when to visit the market in Morogoro, when to attend a church service, or when your family celebrates a special day like Christmas on 25 décembre.