A1 Nouns & Articles 7 min read Easy

French Months: Names and Prepositions (en, le)

French months are lowercase, masculine, and use 'en' for 'in' or 'le' for specific calendar dates.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Use 'en' for the month itself, but 'le' if you are talking about a specific date or the month as a noun.

  • Use 'en' before a month to say 'in' (e.g., 'en janvier').
  • Use 'le' before a month when specifying a date (e.g., 'le 12 janvier').
  • Months are masculine nouns in French (e.g., 'le mois de mars').
en + Month | le + Day + Month

Overview

Mastering French months and their associated prepositions is fundamental for expressing temporal information. Unlike English, where months are always capitalized, French months are treated as common nouns, meaning they are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence. All French months are masculine, a crucial detail influencing agreement with adjectives or articles when they are used as standalone nouns.

This guide will dissect the structure of French months, detailing their names, correct pronunciation, and the essential prepositions en and le. Understanding these nuances is critical for forming accurate and natural French sentences, particularly when discussing dates, appointments, or durations. At the A1 level, a clear grasp of these foundational elements will unlock your ability to communicate about daily life, travel, and personal events with confidence.

How This Grammar Works

French grammar operates on precise rules for expressing time. When referring to a general period within a month, the preposition en is consistently employed. This particle acts as the equivalent of “in” when discussing months.
For instance, you would say en juillet to mean “in July.” This contrasts with specific dates, where the definite article le precedes the day and the month, signifying “on” a particular date. Thus, le 14 juillet translates to “on July 14th.” This distinction between general month reference (en) and specific date reference (le) is a cornerstone of temporal expression in French.
Furthermore, the masculine gender of all months simplifies usage; you never need to determine if a month is feminine. This consistency means that any adjectives modifying a month will always take their masculine form. For example, un bon décembre (a good December) uses the masculine adjective bon.
A more formal construction, au mois de (in the month of), provides an alternative to en, often used in written or official contexts. This structure literally translates to “to the month of,” with au being the contraction of à le.
For example:
  • Mon anniversaire est en septembre. (My birthday is in September.)
  • Le mariage est le 20 mai. (The wedding is on May 20th.)
  • La conférence aura lieu au mois de novembre. (The conference will take place in the month of November.)

Formation Pattern

1
Learning the names of the French months involves memorization, although many bear a strong resemblance to their English counterparts. The consistent masculine gender is a simplifying factor. Below is a comprehensive list of the twelve months, their English equivalents, and common pronunciations:
2
| French Month | English Equivalent | Pronunciation Notes |
3
| :----------- | :----------------- | :------------------ |
4
| janvier | January | |
5
| février | February | Note the é and vrier |
6
| mars | March | s is generally silent |
7
| avril | April | l is pronounced |
8
| mai | May | |
9
| juin | June | Pronounced like 'jwan' |
10
| juillet | July | Pronounced like 'jwee-yeh' |
11
| août | August | aoû pronounced 'oo', t is silent |
12
| septembre | September | |
13
| octobre | October | |
14
| novembre | November | |
15
| décembre | December | |
16
When expressing a general event or period within a month, you prepend the month name with en:
17
Je pars en vacances en août. (I'm going on vacation in August.)
18
Il fait froid en janvier. (It's cold in January.)
19
For specific dates, the structure is le + number + month. Remember to use le 1er for the first day of any month, not le un:
20
Le 1er mai est un jour férié. (May 1st is a public holiday.)
21
Elle est née le 22 avril. (She was born on April 22nd.)
22
The formal alternative au mois de is also constructed simply by placing it before the month name:
23
Le rapport est attendu au mois de mars. (The report is due in the month of March.)

Gender & Agreement

All French months are grammatically masculine. This is a fixed characteristic, simplifying their usage as you do not need to consider feminine forms. While le is used with specific dates, and en with general months, these prepositions are distinct from the definite article le that would precede a month if it were acting as a standalone noun, or part of a noun phrase.
When a month is directly preceded by en or le for dates, no explicit article is used with the month itself. However, if you are referring to the concept of “the month of [X],” the construction is le mois de [X]. Here, le is the masculine definite article for mois (month), which is also masculine.
Consider the implications for agreement:
  • If an adjective describes the month itself, it will agree in gender with the masculine mois (or implicitly, the masculine month name if used metaphorically).
  • C'était un long décembre. (It was a long December.) — long (masculine singular) agrees with décembre (masculine).
  • If you say “the beautiful month of May,” you would use le beau mois de mai. The adjective beau (beautiful, masculine singular) agrees with mois. The month mai retains its form.
This fixed masculine gender for all months means you can consistently apply masculine adjective forms should you choose to describe the months, which typically occurs in more literary or evocative language rather than everyday conversation. In most practical applications at the A1 level, the gender primarily reinforces the choice of le for dates and the understanding that mois itself is masculine.

When To Use It

Accurate usage of French months and their prepositions is essential across numerous contexts, from casual conversations to formal communications.
1. Expressing events or periods within a general month (en):
This is used when an event occurs at some point within a month, without specifying the exact day. It denotes the general timeframe.
  • Je visite mes grands-parents en juillet. (I visit my grandparents in July.)
  • Les cerises sont mûres en juin. (Cherries are ripe in June.)
  • En février, il fait très froid dans cette région. (In February, it is very cold in this region.)
2. Indicating a specific date (le + number + month):
When you need to pinpoint an exact day, the definite article le is mandatory before the number. Remember le 1er for the first day.
  • La réunion est le 10 mars. (The meeting is on March 10th.)
  • Son anniversaire est le 5 novembre. (His/Her birthday is on November 5th.)
  • Nous partons le 24 décembre. (We leave on December 24th.)
3. Formal or emphatic expression (au mois de):
This construction adds a layer of formality or emphasis, often found in written announcements, official documents, or when you want to highlight the entire month as a period.
  • Les inscriptions ferment au mois d'octobre. (Registrations close in the month of October.)
  • Il a été nommé directeur au mois de janvier. (He was appointed director in the month of January.)
4. Cultural and historical context:
French culture is rich with dates and events. Using the correct preposition is vital for understanding and discussing these. For example, le 14 juillet immediately evokes Bastille Day.
  • Le 1er avril, c'est le poisson d'avril ! (April 1st is April Fools' Day!)

Common Mistakes

Learners often make predictable errors when using French months, primarily due to direct translation from English or misunderstanding fundamental French grammar rules. Being aware of these pitfalls will help you avoid them.
1. Capitalization of months: This is arguably the most common mistake for English speakers. In French, months are common nouns and therefore are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence. Capitalizing Janvier in the middle of a sentence is grammatically incorrect.
  • Incorrect: Je pars en Janvier.
  • Correct: Je pars en janvier. (I leave in January.)
2. Using dans instead of en for months: The preposition dans means “in” but typically implies physical containment or a duration within a future period (e.g., dans deux heures – in two hours). For general temporal reference with months, en is the correct choice.
  • Incorrect: Nous voyageons dans juillet. (Implies being inside the month physically.)
  • Correct: Nous voyageons en juillet. (We travel in July.)
3. Omitting le for specific dates: While in informal English you might say

Month Usage Patterns

Context Preposition/Article Example
General Month
en
en janvier
Specific Date
le
le 10 janvier
Noun Reference
le mois de
le mois de janvier

Contractions

Form Usage
d'
Used before vowels (le mois d'août)

Meanings

This rule governs how to correctly introduce months when discussing time, dates, or general calendar references.

1

Temporal Location

Indicating when an event happens within a month.

“Nous partons en août.”

“Il fait froid en janvier.”

2

Specific Date

Indicating a specific day within a month.

“C'est le 14 juillet.”

“Je suis né le 5 mars.”

3

Noun Usage

Referring to the month as a subject or object.

“Le mois de juin est long.”

“J'aime le mois d'octobre.”

Reference Table

Reference table for French Months: Names and Prepositions (en, le)
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
en + Month
Je pars en mai.
Negative
ne... pas en + Month
Je ne pars pas en mai.
Question
Est-ce que + en + Month
Est-ce que tu pars en mai ?
Date Affirmative
le + Day + Month
C'est le 5 mai.
Date Negative
ce n'est pas le + Day + Month
Ce n'est pas le 5 mai.
Date Question
Est-ce que + le + Day + Month
Est-ce que c'est le 5 mai ?

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Je pars au mois de juillet.

Je pars au mois de juillet. (Travel plans)

Neutral
Je pars en juillet.

Je pars en juillet. (Travel plans)

Informal
Je pars en juillet.

Je pars en juillet. (Travel plans)

Slang
Je me casse en juillet.

Je me casse en juillet. (Travel plans)

Month Grammar Map

Months in French

General

  • en in

Specific

  • le on/the

En vs Le

En
en mars in March
Le
le 10 mars on March 10th
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Examples by Level

1

Je pars en mai.

I am leaving in May.

2

C'est le 12 juin.

It is June 12th.

3

Il fait chaud en juillet.

It is hot in July.

4

Mon anniversaire est le 5 mars.

My birthday is March 5th.

1

Nous finissons le projet en octobre.

We are finishing the project in October.

2

Le 24 décembre est une fête.

December 24th is a holiday.

3

Il neige souvent en janvier.

It often snows in January.

4

On se voit le 1er avril.

We will see each other on April 1st.

1

Le mois de février est le plus court.

The month of February is the shortest.

2

Elle a pris ses vacances en août.

She took her vacation in August.

3

La réunion est prévue le 15 septembre.

The meeting is scheduled for September 15th.

4

Il est né en novembre.

He was born in November.

1

Le 14 juillet est la fête nationale.

July 14th is the national holiday.

2

Nous avons déménagé en janvier dernier.

We moved last January.

3

Le contrat expire le 31 décembre.

The contract expires on December 31st.

4

En avril, ne te découvre pas d'un fil.

In April, don't shed a thread (proverb).

1

Le mois de mai est traditionnellement associé au renouveau.

The month of May is traditionally associated with renewal.

2

L'événement aura lieu le 20 juin.

The event will take place on June 20th.

3

Il a été nommé en septembre.

He was appointed in September.

4

Le 1er janvier marque le début de l'année.

January 1st marks the beginning of the year.

1

En février, les jours commencent à rallonger.

In February, the days start to get longer.

2

Le 11 novembre est une date commémorative.

November 11th is a commemorative date.

3

Il a terminé son manuscrit en août.

He finished his manuscript in August.

4

Le mois d'août est souvent calme à Paris.

The month of August is often quiet in Paris.

Easily Confused

French Months: Names and Prepositions (en, le) vs En vs Dans

Learners use 'dans' for months because it means 'in'.

French Months: Names and Prepositions (en, le) vs En vs Au

Learners use 'au' for months because it's used for countries.

French Months: Names and Prepositions (en, le) vs Le vs En for dates

Learners use 'en' with specific dates.

Common Mistakes

✗

Je pars dans janvier.

✓

Je pars en janvier.

Use 'en' for months, not 'dans'.
✗

La janvier est froid.

✓

Le janvier est froid.

Months are masculine.
✗

Je pars le janvier.

✓

Je pars en janvier.

Use 'en' for the month alone.
✗

C'est en 5 janvier.

✓

C'est le 5 janvier.

Use 'le' for specific dates.
✗

Il est né au mai.

✓

Il est né en mai.

Use 'en' for months, not 'au'.
✗

Le mois de mai est la belle.

✓

Le mois de mai est beau.

Month is masculine.
✗

Je travaille le mai.

✓

Je travaille en mai.

Use 'en' for the month.
✗

En le 10 mai, je pars.

✓

Le 10 mai, je pars.

Do not use 'en' with a specific date.
✗

C'est en mois de mai.

✓

C'est le mois de mai.

Use 'le' for the noun phrase.
✗

Je suis arrivé en le 5.

✓

Je suis arrivé le 5.

No 'en' with dates.
✗

C'est en 1990, en mai.

✓

C'est en mai 1990.

Correct word order.
✗

Le 10 de mai.

✓

Le 10 mai.

No 'de' needed for dates.
✗

En le mois d'août.

✓

Au mois d'août.

Use 'au' for 'in the month of'.

Sentence Patterns

Je pars en ___.

Mon anniversaire est le ___ ___.

Il fait froid en ___.

La réunion est prévue le ___ ___.

Real World Usage

Social Media constant

Je pars en vacances en août ! ✈️

Texting constant

On se voit le 10 ?

Job Interview very common

Je suis disponible en septembre.

Travel Booking very common

Date de départ : le 15 juillet.

Food Delivery occasional

Livraison prévue le 5 juin.

Email common

Cordialement, le 12 mai.

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💡

Capitalization

Months are not capitalized in French unless they start a sentence.
⚠️

No 'dans'

Never use 'dans' for months. It's always 'en'.
🎯

Dates

Always use 'le' for dates, even if it's the first of the month (le 1er).
💬

Masculine

All months are masculine. You will never need a feminine article.

Smart Tips

Always use 'en'.

Je pars dans mai. → Je pars en mai.

Use 'le'.

C'est en 10 mai. → C'est le 10 mai.

Remember it's masculine.

La janvier est froid. → Le janvier est froid.

Use 'le' + number + month.

10 mai. → Le 10 mai.

Pronunciation

mai [mɛ]

Month names

Most end in a consonant sound, but 'mai' ends in a vowel sound.

en avril [ɑ̃navʁil]

Linking

When 'en' is followed by a month starting with a vowel, link the 'n'.

Statement

Je pars en mai. ↘

Falling intonation for facts.

Question

Tu pars en mai ? ↗

Rising intonation for questions.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Remember: 'En' is for the general 'End' of the month, 'Le' is for the 'Level' of a specific day.

Visual Association

Imagine a calendar. When you look at the whole month, you are 'in' (en) a big box. When you point to a specific square, you are touching 'the' (le) day.

Rhyme

For the month, use 'en', but for the date, use 'le' again.

Story

Pierre loves the month of May. He says, 'Je pars en mai.' But his birthday is special. He says, 'Mon anniversaire est le 10 mai.' He always remembers: 'en' for the month, 'le' for the day.

Word Web

janvierfévriermarsavrilmaijuinjuilletaoûtseptembreoctobrenovembredécembre

Challenge

Write down the birthdays of three friends using the correct 'le' + date format.

Cultural Notes

In France, dates are written day/month/year. Always use 'le' for the day.

Similar to France, but 'le' is always used for dates.

Uses the same system as France for months and dates.

The use of 'en' comes from Latin 'in', and 'le' comes from Latin 'ille'.

Conversation Starters

“

En quel mois est ton anniversaire ?

“

Est-ce que tu pars en vacances en août ?

“

Quel est ton mois préféré ?

“

Quand est la fête nationale ?

Journal Prompts

Write about your favorite month and why.
Describe your birthday and how you celebrate it.
Plan a trip for the next year, mentioning months.
Compare the weather in two different months.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Fill in the correct preposition.

Je pars ___ juillet.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: en
Use 'en' for months.
Select the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je pars en juillet.
Use 'en' for months.
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

C'est en 10 mai.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: C'est le 10 mai.
Use 'le' for dates.
Reorder the words. Sentence Reorder

Arrange the words in the correct order:

All words placed

Click words above to build the sentence

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je pars en mai.
Correct word order.
Translate to French. Translation

I am born in March.

Answer starts with: Je ...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je suis né en mars.
Use 'en' for months.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Quand est ton anniversaire ? B: ___ 5 juin.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Le
Use 'le' for dates.
Build a sentence. Sentence Building

Use: 'vacances', 'août', 'en'.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je pars en vacances en août.
Correct placement of 'en'.
Sort the phrases. Grammar Sorting

Sort into 'en' or 'le'.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: en: janvier, mai; le: 10 mars, 5 juin
Correct categorization.

Score: /8

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Fill in the correct preposition.

Je pars ___ juillet.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: en
Use 'en' for months.
Select the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je pars en juillet.
Use 'en' for months.
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

C'est en 10 mai.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: C'est le 10 mai.
Use 'le' for dates.
Reorder the words. Sentence Reorder

mai / en / pars / je

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je pars en mai.
Correct word order.
Translate to French. Translation

I am born in March.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je suis né en mars.
Use 'en' for months.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Quand est ton anniversaire ? B: ___ 5 juin.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Le
Use 'le' for dates.
Build a sentence. Sentence Building

Use: 'vacances', 'août', 'en'.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je pars en vacances en août.
Correct placement of 'en'.
Sort the phrases. Grammar Sorting

Sort into 'en' or 'le'.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: en: janvier, mai; le: 10 mars, 5 juin
Correct categorization.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
Complete the sentence. Fill in the Blank

Nous sommes ___ mois de décembre.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: au
Translate 'in August' to French. Translation

Translate: In August

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: en août
Put the words in the correct order. Sentence Reorder

février / en / neige / il

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Il neige en février
Identify the correct month spelling. Multiple Choice

Which one is spelled correctly?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: février
Match the month with its English equivalent. Match Pairs

Match these:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: juin:June, juillet:July, août:August
Fill in the blank for July 14th. Fill in the Blank

C'est ___ 14 juillet.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: le
Correct the preposition. Error Correction

Elle arrive dans septembre.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elle arrive en septembre.
Translate 'The month of March'. Translation

Translate: The month of March

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Le mois de mars
Which sounds most natural for a specific day? Multiple Choice

Pick one:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je pars le 5 octobre.
What month comes after 'octobre'? Fill in the Blank

Après octobre, c'est ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: novembre

Score: /10

FAQ (8)

No, months are lowercase in French unless they start a sentence.

In French, we use the ordinal 'premier' for the first day of the month.

No, 'dans' is for future duration, not for the month itself.

Yes, all twelve months are masculine.

You can say 'au mois de' + month.

Yes, 'en' is used for years (e.g., 'en 2023').

Yes, 'le' is used for recurring days (e.g., 'le lundi').

No, it is a very consistent rule.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish high

en + mes

Spanish uses 'de' for dates (el 10 de mayo).

German moderate

im + Monat

German uses 'im' instead of 'en'.

Japanese low

Month + ni

Japanese uses numbers for months, not names.

Arabic moderate

fi + month

Arabic uses a different preposition system.

Chinese low

Month + li

Chinese uses numbers for months.

English high

in + month

English uses 'on' for dates, French uses 'le'.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Telling Time in French (Quelle heure est-il?)

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