How to Write the Date in French

Do not capitalize the months or days of the week when writing the date in French.
... nito100/iStock/Getty Images

Dates written in French are ordered by the day, month and year. This format is used in both shorthand and longer date notation; however, the longer notation will require knowledge of the French names for each month and potentially the French days of the week as well as French numbers.

1 Shorthand French Dates

The shorthand version of a date in French would include the day, month and year each divided by a backslash. To represent the date of Dec. 5, 2014, for example, you would write: 05/12/2014.

2 Long Version of French Dates

To fully write out the dates in French, use the same order of information as noted previously, but precede it with the appropriate French article; you can also include each portion of the date completely written out. To write the date for Friday, April 8, 2005, for example, you could write: "le 8 avril 2005." The preceding article, "le," or "the," remains the same for all date notations. You could also write out the digit, or "le huit avril 2005," meaning the "8th of April," or include the day of the week, as in "vendredi, le huit avril 2005," meaning "Friday, the 8th of April."

The months in French are: "janvier," or January; "fevrier," or February; "mars," or March; "avrile," or April; "mai," or May; "juin," or June; "juillet," or July; "aout," or August; "septembre," or September; "octobre," or October; "novembre," or November; and "decembre," or December. The days of the week in French are: "dimanche," or Sunday; "lundi," or Monday; "mardi," or Tuesday; "mercredi," or Wednesday; "jeudi," or Thursday; "vendredi," or Friday; and "samedi," or Saturday.

Teresa J. Siskin has been a researcher, writer and editor since 2009. She holds a doctorate in art history.

×