Les mois de l’année means the months of the year. The good news? French month names are much less dramatic than they look. In fact, several are very close to English, just wearing a slightly more French outfit.
If you can already guess janvier, mars, or novembre, congratulations: your brain is already doing some of the work for you.
In this beginner guide, you’ll learn all 12 months in French, how to pronounce them, how to use them in real sentences, and a few easy memory tricks so they actually stick. We’ll also look at a couple of tiny grammar rules that learners often trip over, because French loves a small ambush.
If you want to build your basics step by step, you can also explore more lessons in Learn French.
The 12 Months in French
Here’s your core list first. In French, month names are not capitalized unless they start a sentence. So it’s janvier, not Janvier. Tiny detail, very French, worth learning early.
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Translation | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| janvier | zhahn-vee-ay | January | Mon anniversaire est en janvier. | My birthday is in January. | The ending sounds like “yay,” more or less. |
| février | fay-vree-ay | February | En février, il fait souvent froid. | In February, it is often cold. | The accent on é helps give a clear “ay” sound. |
| mars | mars | March | Nous partons en vacances en mars. | We’re going on vacation in March. | Very close to English “Mars,” but with a crisp French sound. |
| avril | ah-vreel | April | Le printemps commence vraiment en avril. | Spring really begins in April. | The final l is pronounced. |
| mai | meh | May | Le mois de mai est magnifique ici. | The month of May is beautiful here. | Short word, easy to remember, sounds a bit like “meh.” |
| juin | zhwan | June | L’école finit en juin. | School ends in June. | This nasal sound is tricky for beginners. Don’t force the n. |
| juillet | zhwee-yay | July | Il fait très chaud en juillet. | It is very hot in July. | The double l here sounds like a y glide. |
| août | oot | August | Beaucoup de Français voyagent en août. | Many French people travel in August. | The circumflex is there, but the word is pronounced simply. |
| septembre | sep-tahmbr | September | La rentrée est en septembre. | The return to school is in September. | Very close to English “September.” |
| octobre | ok-tohbr | October | Halloween est en octobre. | Halloween is in October. | The final e is not pronounced. |
| novembre | noh-vahmbr | November | En novembre, les jours sont plus courts. | In November, the days are shorter. | Another close cousin of the English month. |
| décembre | day-sahmbr | December | Nous fêtons Noël en décembre. | We celebrate Christmas in December. | The accent on é gives the first syllable a clear sound. |
Easy Memory Tricks for French Months
You do not need 12 genius-level mnemonics involving dancing calendars and existential baguettes. A few simple patterns are enough.
1. Spot the Lookalikes
Several French months are almost the same as English:
- mars = March
- septembre = September
- octobre = October
- novembre = November
- décembre = December
These are your free points. Take them.
2. Notice the Common Endings
A lot of French months fall into familiar ending patterns:
- -ier: janvier, février
- -bre: septembre, octobre, novembre, décembre
- short forms: mai, juin, août
If you remember the shape of the word, pronunciation becomes less scary.
3. Pair the Tricky Summer Months
Beginners often mix up juin and juillet. They both start with jui-, because apparently one small challenge was necessary.
- juin = June = shorter word
- juillet = July = longer word
That little length difference helps a lot when you’re memorizing them.
4. Remember August Is Surprisingly Short
août looks a bit unusual, but it is actually one of the shortest month names in French. Think: hot month, short word.
How to Use Months in French Sentences
The most useful beginner pattern is:
en + month
Example: en avril = in April
You usually use en before months in French.
| Pattern | Meaning | French Example | English Translation | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| en janvier | in January | Je commence mon nouveau travail en janvier. | I’m starting my new job in January. | En is the normal preposition with months. |
| en été / en hiver | in summer / in winter | Nous voyageons en été. | We travel in summer. | The same en also appears with some seasons. |
| au mois de + month | in the month of | Au mois de mai, tout change. | In the month of May, everything changes. | More explicit, sometimes a little more formal or emphatic. |
| le + date + month | on + date + month | Mon examen est le 12 juin. | My exam is on June 12. | Use le for full dates. |
Useful Sentence Patterns
- Je pars en août. = I’m leaving in August.
- Elle est née en février. = She was born in February.
- Nous avons un rendez-vous en novembre. = We have an appointment in November.
- Le festival commence en juillet. = The festival starts in July.
- Mon anniversaire est le 3 mars. = My birthday is on March 3.
Months with Real-Life Beginner Examples
Let’s go month by month with short, practical examples you could actually use.
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Translation | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| janvier | zhahn-vee-ay | January | En janvier, je prends de bonnes résolutions. | In January, I make good resolutions. | Useful with New Year vocabulary. |
| février | fay-vree-ay | February | La Saint-Valentin est en février. | Valentine’s Day is in February. | Good month to remember with a holiday. |
| mars | mars | March | En mars, le temps change souvent. | In March, the weather often changes. | Easy spelling, easy win. |
| avril | ah-vreel | April | En avril, il pleut beaucoup. | In April, it rains a lot. | Often learned with spring weather. |
| mai | meh | May | J’adore les fleurs au mois de mai. | I love flowers in May. | Short and common in everyday speech. |
| juin | zhwan | June | Nous finissons les cours en juin. | We finish classes in June. | Watch the nasal sound. |
| juillet | zhwee-yay | July | Le 14 juillet est une fête nationale en France. | July 14 is a national holiday in France. | A useful cultural reference. |
| août | oot | August | Beaucoup de bureaux ferment en août. | Many offices close in August. | Very common cultural note in France. |
| septembre | sep-tahmbr | September | Les enfants retournent à l’école en septembre. | Children go back to school in September. | La rentrée is a very common idea in France. |
| octobre | ok-tohbr | October | En octobre, je porte une veste. | In October, I wear a jacket. | Great month for weather examples. |
| novembre | noh-vahmbr | November | Novembre est souvent gris et calme. | November is often gray and calm. | Notice no article before the month name here. |
| décembre | day-sahmbr | December | En décembre, nous décorons la maison. | In December, we decorate the house. | Often used with holiday vocabulary. |
Important Beginner Grammar Notes
Months Are Masculine
In French, the months are generally treated as masculine nouns.
- le mois de janvier = the month of January
- un janvier très froid = a very cold January
You will often just use the month without an article, especially after en:
- en mars = in March
- en décembre = in December
Months Are Not Capitalized
This is one of the easiest mistakes for English speakers.
- English: January
- French: janvier
French days of the week follow the same rule. If you want to learn those next, have a look at days of the week in French.
Use “En” with Months
This is the main pattern to memorize:
- en janvier
- en avril
- en août
Not dans janvier. Not à janvier. Just en. Nice and clean.
Use “Le” for Full Dates
When you give a complete date, French usually uses le:
- le 5 mai = May 5
- le 12 octobre = October 12
- le 1er janvier = January 1st
That special 1er is used for the first day of the month.
Common Mistakes and Quick Fixes
| Mistake | Correct Form | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Janvier | janvier | Months are not capitalized in French. |
| à mars | en mars | Use en with months. |
| juillet pronounced like English “July” | zhwee-yay | The French pronunciation is quite different. |
| juin and juillet mixed up | juin = June, juillet = July | The words look similar, so memorize them as a pair. |
| le janvier in normal “in January” sentences | en janvier | Le is not used there. |
Mini Practice: Test Yourself
Try these before peeking at the answers.
Translate into English
- en février
- le 14 juillet
- Mon anniversaire est en novembre.
- Nous partons en août.
Translate into French
- in May
- in September
- My exam is in December.
- We are leaving on March 3.
Answers
- en février = in February
- le 14 juillet = July 14
- Mon anniversaire est en novembre. = My birthday is in November.
- Nous partons en août. = We are leaving in August.
- in May = en mai
- in September = en septembre
- My exam is in December. = Mon examen est en décembre.
- We are leaving on March 3. = Nous partons le 3 mars.
Useful Related Phrases with Months
Here are some extra phrases beginners hear all the time.
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Translation | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ce mois-ci | seh mwah-see | this month | Ce mois-ci, je travaille beaucoup. | This month, I’m working a lot. | Useful for everyday conversation. |
| le mois prochain | luh mwah pro-shan | next month | Nous déménageons le mois prochain. | We’re moving next month. | Very common and practical. |
| le mois dernier | luh mwah der-nee-ay | last month | J’ai voyagé le mois dernier. | I traveled last month. | Good phrase for talking about the recent past. |
| au mois de… | oh mwah duh | in the month of… | Au mois de juin, tout devient plus animé. | In the month of June, everything becomes livelier. | A little fuller than just en juin. |
| au début de… | oh day-boo duh | at the beginning of… | Au début de septembre, les rues sont pleines. | At the beginning of September, the streets are full. | Helpful for more specific time expressions. |
| à la fin de… | ah lah fan duh | at the end of… | À la fin d’octobre, il fait plus froid. | At the end of October, it gets colder. | Notice d’ before octobre. |
A Quick Cultural Note
Some months come with very familiar French life moments. janvier often means New Year wishes, juillet brings the national holiday on the 14th, and septembre is famous for la rentrée, the big return to school, work, and normal life after summer. France does love an annual reset.
If you want a useful seasonal phrase, you can also learn how to say Happy New Year in French.
Quick Reference Summary
- janvier = January
- février = February
- mars = March
- avril = April
- mai = May
- juin = June
- juillet = July
- août = August
- septembre = September
- octobre = October
- novembre = November
- décembre = December
- Use en with months: en avril
- Use le for dates: le 5 mai
- Do not capitalize month names in French.
What to Learn Next
Once you know the months, it gets much easier to talk about birthdays, travel, school, holidays, plans, and dates without sounding like your calendar gave up halfway through the sentence.
- Check your level with the French placement test.
- See how many words you already know with the French vocabulary test.
- Pair this lesson with days of the week in French.
- Review this topic again anytime at months in French.
Yak Takeaway: French months are mostly friendly, mostly familiar, and much easier than they first appear. Learn the list, remember en + month, and suddenly your basic date talk stops sounding like a linguistic hostage situation.
