Using capital letters in French correctly is essential for writing accurately. While there are similarities between English and French when it comes to capitalisation rules, there are also key differences that every French learner should be aware of.
In this article, we’ll guide you through the rules of using capital letters in French, ensuring that your writing is not only correct, but also polished and professional.
The Coffee Break French Show is a podcast series that breaks down challenging French language topics into manageable, engaging conversations. In the latest episode, Pierre-Benoît and Max discuss the interesting aspects of French capitalisation rules, highlighting when to use capital letters and when to avoid them.
So, let’s get started, and we’d recommend listening to the audio episode as you read.
Capitalising places, names and events
Just like in English, capital letters in French are used for specific categories such as places, names, brands, and events.
Places
When writing about specific places, such as cities and countries, you should always capitalise the first letter. Here are some examples:
Paris / la ville de Paris
Paris / the city of Paris
le Portugal
Portugal
la France
France
In these examples, Paris, Portugal and France are capitalised because they are proper nouns referring to specific geographical locations.
Names
Personal names in French also require capitalisation, just as they do in English. Whether you’re introducing yourself or mentioning someone else, the first letter of each name should be capitalised. For example:
Je m’appelle Max.
I’m called Max.
Je m’appelle Pierre-Benoît.
I’m called Pierre-Benoît.
Notice that both Max and Pierre-Benoît have their first letters capitalised, as they are proper nouns.
Events
Special events, holidays, and significant occurrences also require the use of capital letters in French. This helps to emphasise their importance and distinguish them from everyday terms. Here are some examples:
la Saint-Valentin
Valentine’s Day
Noël
Christmas
Pâques
Easter
When not to use capital letters in French
While the use of some capital letters in French mirror those in English, there are notable differences, particularly regarding days of the week, months of the year, languages, and the pronoun je.
Days of the week and months of the year
The days of the week in French are not capitalised. The same goes for months of the year. This is a significant difference from English and an important rule to remember. For example:
tous les lundis
every Monday
le 8 juin
the 8th of June
In these instances, lundis and juin are not capitalised. The same rule obviously applies to all days of the week and months of the year in French:
lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi, dimanche
janvier, février, mars, avril, mai, juin, juillet, août, septembre, octobre, novembre, décembre
Languages
When writing in French, the names of languages do not take a capital letter. This rule is different from in English, where language names are always capitalised:
Je parle français.
I speak French.
Tu parles anglais.
You speak English.
In both examples, français and anglais are written all in lowercase.
The pronoun ‘je’
The pronoun je (“I”) is never capitalised in French, except at the beginning of a sentence. This contrasts sharply with English, where “I” is always capitalised. Let’s see some examples:
Je pense, donc je suis.
I think, therefore I am.
Il sait comment je m’appelle.
He knows what I’m called.
As you can see, je remains all lowercase, unless it is the first word of the sentence.
Special cases and common pitfalls
Understanding the general French capitalisation rules is crucial, but being aware of some special cases can also help you avoid common mistakes.
Nationalities
When referring to nationalities in French, capitalise the noun but not the adjective:
Les Français aiment le fromage.
French people like cheese.
Mon voisin est français.
My neighbour is French.
This rule applies to all nationalities. Here are some others: anglais, anglaise, américain, américaine, brésilien, brésilienne, chinois, chinoise, australien, australienne, égyptien, égyptienne, japonais, japonaise, allemand, allemande, espagnol, espagnole etc.
Administrative documents or announcements
In the following examples, note that the nouns ville and gouvernement are written with a capital letter only when they are used to refer to a specific institution.
Paris est une ville.
Paris is a city.
La Ville de Paris a déclaré que tous les musées seraient fermés.
The City of Paris / The Administration of Paris announced that all museums would be closed.
Le Gouvernement du Québec va faire une annonce demain.
The Government of Quebec will be making an announcement tomorrow.
Il y a un nouveau gouvernement au Québec.
There is a new government in Quebec.
A recap of using capital letters in French
To summarise, here are the key points to remember about using capital letters in French:
- Use capitals for places, names, brands, and events.
- Do not use capitals for days of the week, months, languages, and the pronoun je.
- Pay attention to special cases, such as nationalities.
Practising French capitalisation rules
Now, let’s put your knowledge to the test! Below are three sentences in English; your task is to translate them into French. Remember to pay close attention to capital letters, using French capitalisation rules.
- I love French and I love French food.
- I love the French.
- I leave on Christmas day. It is a Thursday.
For further explanation on this topic, don’t forget to listen to the podcast version of this lesson with Pierre-Benoît and Max on The Coffee Break French Show. We’ll be releasing more episodes soon, so make sure to subscribe to our podcast feed and our channel on YouTube for more help with your French.
What’s more, if you’d like to receive regular, free email lessons to help you improve your French, you can sign up below. Your next French lesson will arrive straight to your inbox very soon.
Happy Coffee Breaking!
PS. Here are the answers to the translation challenge:
- J’adore le français et j’adore la nourriture française / la cuisine française.
- J’adore les Français.
- Je pars le jour de Noël. C’est un jeudi.
