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It can be difficult to know when use which of these words, and how to make the right choice.
| MASCULINE | FEMININE | |
| a day | un jour | une journée |
| an evening | un soir | une soirée |
| a morning | un matin | une matinée |
| a year | un an | une année |
Saying hello and good-bye
| Bonjour | Hello |
| Bonne journée | Have a nice day (good-bye) |
| Bonsoir | Good evening |
| Bonne soirée | Have a nice evening (good-bye) |
| This does not exist in French. Simply say bonjour when you want to say good morning. | |
| Bonne matinée | Have a nice morning (good-bye) |
As you read the following rules and examples, you will notice that the short, masculine words refer to simple, defined amounts of time. Use them when counting, telling your age, saying how many years or days you’ve owned something or have been somewhere, etc.
| un jour | Calendar – 24 hour period |
| le jour | Begins at sunrise Ends (roughly) at sunset |
| un /le soir | Begins (roughly) at sunset Ends when you go to bed |
| un / le matin | Begins at sunrise Ends at noon |
| un an | Calendar – 12 month period |
The feminine words ending in -ée refer to non-specific lengths of time, and are particularly used when talking about durations of time. They don’t refer to calendar days, and they don’t indicate a certain number of hours or days.
| une journée | a day non-defined duration of time |
| une soirée | an evening non-defined duration of time Une soirée can also refer to an event that happens in the evening. |
| une matinée | a morning non-defined duration of time |
| une année | a year non-defined duration of time |
Optional: An vs Année
In the following examples, you can truly choose between either option, and both are equally correct. This is only true for an vs année, and only in these specific situations.
| l’an dernier | last year |
| l’année dernière | last year |
| l’an prochain | next year |
| l’année prochaine | next year |
| le nouvel an | the New Year |
| la nouvelle année | the New Year |
| 3 ans à Paris | 3 years in Paris |
| 3 années à Paris | 3 years in Paris |
Use masculine words when counting:
| un jour | J’ai passé 6 jours à Londres. I spent 6 days in London. |
| un soir | Je sors 3 soirs par semaine. I go out 3 evenings per week. |
| un matin | Je fais du yoga 7 matins sur 7. I do yoga 7 mornings a week. 7 matins sur 7 7 matins par semaine |
| un an | Elle a 49 ans. She is 49 years old. |
Use masculine words with adverbs of time:
| un soir | Je te verrai demain soir. I’ll see you tomorrow evening. Je t’ai vu hier soir. I saw you last night. |
| un matin | Je travaillerai demain matin. I’ll work tomorrow morning. J’ai travaillé hier matin. I worked yesterday morning. |
Use masculine words with demonstrative adjectives (CE – CETTE – CES – CET):
| un jour | Je ne pourrai pas venir ce jour-là. I will not be able to come that day. |
| un soir | Tu passeras chez moi ce soir? Will you stop by my place this evening? |
| un matin | J’ai bu du café ce matin. I drank coffee this morning. |
| Non: Oui: une année | Attention: When using demonstrative adjectives, revert to the feminine form: cette année (not cet an) Qu’est-ce que tu veux accomplir cette année? What do you want to accomplish this year? |
Use feminine words with interrogative adjectives. These are often used to make exclamations:
| une journée | Quelle journée incroyable! What an amazing day! Attention: When asking what day it is, revert to the masculine form: Nous sommes quel jour? |
| une soirée | Quelle belle soirée! What a beautiful evening! Attention: When referring to a calendar evening, revert to the masculine form: Tu viens quel soir? |
| une matinée | Quelle matinée horrible. What a horrible morning. Attention: When referring to a calendar morning, revert to the masculine form: Tu préfères quel matin de la semaine? |
| une année | Tu as fini tes études en quelle année? What year did you finish your studies? Note: Even though the answer to this question indicates a specific year, we still use quelle année. |
Use feminine words with other adjectives:
| une journée | C’était une bonne matinée. That was a good morning. |
| une soirée | On va passer une soirée agréable. We are going to have a pleasant evening. |
| une matinée | Quelle matinée chargée! What a busy morning! |
| une année | C’est une année exceptionnelle. This is an exceptional year. |
Quelques – Attention!
| quelques jours | a few days |
| quelques soirs | a few evenings |
| quelques matins | a few mornings |
| ***quelques années *** | a few years |
Chaque – Attention!
| chaque jour (m) | every (each) day |
| chaque soir (m) | every (each) evening |
| chaque matin (m) | every (each) morning |
| ***chaque année *** (f) | every (each) year |
Use feminine words DANS LA / PENDANT LA / DURANT LA:
| une journée | Il faut boire au moins 2 litres d’eau durant la journée. It is necessary to drink 2 liters of water during the day. |
| une soirée | Ils passeront dans la soirée. They’ll stop by in the evening. |
| une matinée | Je te verrai dans la matinée. I will see you in the morning. |
| une année | Pendant l’année 2020, nous sommes restés à la maison. During the year 2020, we stayed at home. |
Use masculine and feminine words with TOUT:
| un jour | Je fais mon lit tous les jours. I make my bed every day. calendar days |
| une journée | J’ai passé toute la journée avec toi. I spent the whole day with you. |
| un soir | J’y vais tous les soirs. I go there every evening. countable evenings |
| une soirée | Ça va durer toute la soirée. It is going to last all evening. |
| un matin | Je me lève tôt tous les matins. I get up early every morning. countable mornings |
| une matinée | J’étais en cours de français toute la matinée. I was in French class all morning. |
| un an | Tu y retournes tous les ans? Do you go back there every year? countable years |
| une année | On avait passé toute une année en Provence. We had spent a whole year in Provence. |
Le jour – Le soir – Le matin
| Je travaille le jour. | I work during the day. |
| Je travaille le soir. | I work during the evening. |
| Je travaille le matin. | I work during the morning. |
Un jour (masculine) – A day
Expresses a quantity or a set amount of time.
| I have been living in France for five days. | J’habite en France depuis cinq jours. |
Une journée (feminine) – A day
Expresses a non-specific duration of time (not a period of 24 hours).
| Days spent at the beach are so lovely. | Les journées passées à la plage sont tellement agréables. |
Un soir (masculine) – An evening
Expresses a quantity or a set amount of time.
| It’s a meeting that begins at exactly 8:00 pm (in the evening). | C’est une réunion qui commence à exactement 8h00 du soir. |
Une soirée (feminine) – An evening
Expresses a non-specific duration of time.
| We will arrive during the evening. | On arrivera pendant la soirée. |
Un matin (masculine) – A morning
Expresses a quantity or a set amount of time.
| I went running this morning. | Je suis allé(e) courir ce matin. |
Une matinée (feminine) – A morning
Expresses a non-specific duration of time.
| I spent the whole morning cleaning up the apartment. | J’ai passé toute la matinée à ranger l’appartement. |
Un an (masculine) – A year
Expresses a quantity or a set amount of time.
| I’m going to New York for one year. | Je pars à New York pour un an. |
Une année (feminine) – A year
Expresses a non-specific duration of time.
| What an awesome year! | Quelle année géniale! |
| What year is it? | Don’t forget this exception – even though it is specific and calendar related: Nous sommes en quelle année? |
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