Language/French/Grammar/Use-of-an-année,-jour-journée,-matin-matinée,-soir-soirée

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French Grammar - How to use "an/année", "jour/journée", "matin/matinée", "soir/soirée"

[CHANGED]

  • The English language only has one word for 'morning', 'evening', 'day' or 'year'.
  • The French language has 2, but each is used in different cases.

Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Possessive determiners, Omission of the article, How to use « il s'agit de » in French & Omission of the article in participle + noun constructions linked by de.

Common use[edit | edit source]

It is often said that the words ending in -ée are used when an activity taking place in the morning, evening, etc. is emphasized.

  • Je cours chaque matin/soir/jour

I run every morning/evening/day (where the frequency of the activity rather than the activity itself is emphasized)

  • J'ai étudié toute la matinée/la soirée/la journée

I studied all morning/evening/day (where the duration of study is emphasized)

Different use[edit | edit source]

But there are other situations where the use is different. It seems like a simple convention:

  • au début de la matinée/soirée/journée / en début de matinée/soirée/journée

at the start of the morning/the evening/the day

  • tous les jours/les matins/les ans

every day/morning/year

  • à la fin de la matinée/la soirée/la journée / en fin de matinée/soirée/journée

the morning/evening/the day

  • Un beau matin/jour il est parti

One fine morning/day he up and left

  • par une belle matinée/soirée/journée

on a beautiful morning/evening/day

  • tôt le matin

early in the morning

  • le jour de l'an

New Year's Day

  • l'an 2000

the year 2000

  • souhaiter la bonne année (une heureuse nouvelle année / un joyeux nouvel-an) à quelqu'un

to wish so a Happy New Year

  • les années 80

the 80s

  • le nouvel an / la nouvelle année

the New Year

  • l'année précédente/suivante:prochaine

the previous/following year/next year)

Forms without -ée with preceding numbers[edit | edit source]

With the preceding numbers the forms that do not end in -ée are usually used:

  • 2 fois par jour

2 times a day

  • II a 10 ans

He is 10

However, if an adjective changes the noun, the activity is highlighted:

  • cinq bonnes années

5 good years

  • trois longues journées

3 long days


Types of Nouns (all lessons)[edit source]

Other Chapters[edit | edit source]

Table of Contents

Nouns


Determiners


Personal and impersonal pronouns


Adjectives


Adverbs


Numbers, measurements, time and quantifiers


Verb forms


Verb constructions


Verb and participle agreement


Tense


The subjunctive, modal verbs, exclamatives and imperatives


The infinitive


Prepositions


Question formation


Relative clauses


Negation


Conjunctions and other linking constructions

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]

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