French · A2 (Elementary)
Time in French: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful French words for time are la semaine (the week), le mois (the month) and l'année (the year). The full French time phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential French vocabulary for time, with example sentences and English translations. This is A2 (Elementary) material — exactly the kind of practical language you need when you're learning French to live, work, or settle abroad.
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Key time vocabulary
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la semaine | the week |
| le mois | the month |
| l'année | the year |
| après-demain | the day after tomorrow |
| avant-hier | the day before yesterday |
| la saison | the season |
| le rendez-vous | the appointment / meeting |
| la durée | the duration |
| en retard | late / running late |
| à temps | on time |
Example sentences
Je travaille cinq jours par semaine.
I work five days per week.
Le mois prochain, je pars en vacances.
Next month I am going on holiday.
Après-demain, j'ai un rendez-vous.
The day after tomorrow I have an appointment.
Avant-hier, il pleuvait.
The day before yesterday it was raining.
J'ai un rendez-vous chez le médecin.
I have an appointment at the doctor's.
Je suis en retard — désolé!
I am late — sorry!
How to actually learn these
Reading a vocabulary list is not the same as being able to use the words when it counts. Research on adult language acquisition consistently shows that vocabulary retained through contextual use — hearing a word, producing it under mild pressure, and being corrected when you get it wrong — transfers to real speech far more effectively than passive list review. The fastest way to make vocabulary like this stick is to practise it in the actual conversations where it comes up: not drills, but a real back-and-forth where you have to retrieve the word and say it aloud. Language Lab turns vocabulary like this into voiced, real-life scenarios with Sonia, a live AI language tutor who holds real conversations, corrects you in context, and remembers the specific words you keep getting wrong across sessions. The vocabulary stops being something you read and becomes something you say — automatically, under pressure, when you actually need it.
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