Why does French have two words for “day”? The distinction between jour and journée can be confusing for French learners and can seem subtle, but we’re going to look at the nuances of each word to help you know when to translate “day” as jour and when it should be journée.
The Coffee Break French Show is a podcast series of bite-sized, friendly conversations in which we demystify tricky French language topics. In the latest episode, Mark and Max explore the distinction between jour and journée in French, and similar word pairs like soir and soirée, an and année or matin and matinée.
These pairs of words are often used interchangeably by learners, but they have subtle differences in their meanings that deserve exploration, as using the right one will be an extra step towards feeling more confident in French.
Continue reading to find out more and why not listen to the podcast as you go?
‘Jour’ and ‘journée’: what’s the difference?
First and foremost, it’s important to understand that jour (a masculine noun) refers to a 24-hour period, as in one calendar day. On the other hand, journée (a feminine noun) refers to the time during the day when the sun is shining, as in from sunrise to sunset.
When we use un jour, it encompasses all the different parts of the day, including la matinée (“the morning”), la journée (“the day”), la soirée (“the evening”) and la nuit (“the night”). Let’s compare jour and journée by looking at the following examples:
Nous avons passé trois jours à Paris.
We spent three days in Paris.
Nous avons passé la journée à Paris.
We spent the day in Paris.
‘Tous les jours’ and ‘toute la journée’
It’s also important to note that tous les jours means “every day”, while toute la journée means “all day long”. So, while these two phrases may appear to be similar at first glance, this distinction is crucial to understand when conveying the duration of an activity or event.
‘Matin’ and ‘matinée’, ‘soir’ and ‘soirée’
The same pattern applies to matin (a masculine noun) and matinée (a feminine noun). Le matin describes the time of day, whereas la matinée describes a length of time during which an action takes place.
Similarly, we can differentiate between soir and soirée. Soir refers to a period between sunset and the beginning of the night – the evening as a period in time. It is often used as context for something else that happens within that timeframe. This is different from the word soirée, which indicates the duration of the evening.
This is perhaps easiest to understand with two examples:
Ce soir, je vais chez mon ami Nicolas.
Tonight, I’m going to my friend Nicolas’s house (i.e. at some point this evening or tonight, I will travel to Nicolas’s house).
On the other hand:
Je vais passer la soirée chez Nicolas.
I’m going to spend the evening at Nicolas’s (i.e. I will be at Nicolas’s for the duration of the evening).
It’s worth noting that soirée can also mean a “party” or “gathering” held at night, adding another layer to its usage.
‘An’ and ‘année’
Lastly, let’s touch on the difference between an and année.
An primarily denotes a year as a unit of time and it is mostly used with numbers (for example, when talking about age or dates) or with expressions like tous les ans (“every year”).
On the other hand, année is used with adjectives (for example, bonne, longue, magnifique) and with quantifiers (for example, chaque, quelques, combien).
A visual summary
To finish off, if you have watched or listened to this episode of The Coffee Break French Show, you will have heard some examples to think about. Here they are in writing:
Katia va au supermarché tous les matins.
Katia goes to the supermarket every morning.
Qu’est-ce que tu fais ce soir ?
What are you doing this evening?
Passe une bonne soirée chez Louis.
Have a good evening at Louis’s.
L’année prochaine nous allons à Tokyo.
Next year, we’re going to Tokyo.
The nuances between jour and journée, soir and soirée, as well as matin and matinée and an and année may seem subtle, but they play a crucial role in conveying precise meanings. By understanding these differences, you can enhance your communication skills in the French language and express yourself more accurately.
Of course, don’t worry if you do mix these words up – French speakers will have no problem understanding what you mean and the more you use the language, the more natural this will become.
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So, whether you’re planning a soirée or looking forward to an année filled with adventures, remember the distinctions and you’ll master the art of using these words effectively.
Happy Coffee Breaking!
