Sunday in French: dimanche
Pronounced dee-MAHNSH — literally “the Lord's day”.
Sunday in French at a Glance
| French word | dimanche |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | dee-MAHNSH (di·manche) |
| Literal meaning | the Lord's day |
| Abbreviation | dim. |
From Latin dies dominica, “the Lord's day”, adopted with Christianity. English Sunday kept the older pagan “day of the Sun”. Dimanche is the only French day not ending in -di — the di moved to the front.
How to Pronounce dimanche
dee-MAHNSH — syllable by syllable: di·manche.
- The French r is soft and made at the back of the throat — don't roll it.
- Nasal vowels (as in lundi or vendredi) are pronounced through the nose, without sounding the n itself.
- Final syllables get the gentle stress in French — the rhythm is more even than English.
Example Sentences with dimanche
How to Say “Happy Sunday” in French
“Bon dimanche !” is the natural French way to wish someone a good Sunday — short, common, and used in person, in texts and in emails. (French adds a space before the exclamation mark.)
All 7 Days of the Week in French
Five French days still carry the names of Roman planetary gods — Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus — each ending in -di, from Latin dies (“day”). Saturday and Sunday flip the order (samedi, dimanche) and come from the Sabbath and “the Lord's day”. The French week starts on Monday.
| English | French | Pronunciation | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | lundi | luhn-DEE (nasal “un”) | |
| Tuesday | mardi | mar-DEE | |
| Wednesday | mercredi | mehr-kruh-DEE | |
| Thursday | jeudi | zhuh-DEE | |
| Friday | vendredi | vah(n)-druh-DEE | |
| Saturday | samedi | sahm-DEE | |
| Sunday | dimanche | dee-MAHNSH |
See the full guide: Days of the Week in French.
Cultural Notes: Sunday in French-Speaking Countries
French dimanche is seriously a day of rest: most shops are shut by law or custom, and the long Sunday déjeuner en famille remains sacred. Plan your shopping accordingly when visiting France.
Did You Know?
From Latin dies dominica, “the Lord's day”, adopted with Christianity. English Sunday kept the older pagan “day of the Sun”. Dimanche is the only French day not ending in -di — the di moved to the front. Curious how English got its name for Sunday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use dimanche in a Sentence
French uses no preposition for a specific day: Je travaille dimanche = I work on Sunday. Adding le makes it habitual: le dimanche = every Sunday. All seven days are masculine nouns.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Sunday in French?
Sunday in French is dimanche, pronounced “dee-MAHNSH”. It literally means “the Lord's day”.
What does dimanche mean in English?
From Latin dies dominica, “the Lord's day”, adopted with Christianity. English Sunday kept the older pagan “day of the Sun”. Dimanche is the only French day not ending in -di — the di moved to the front.
How do you pronounce dimanche?
It's pronounced “dee-MAHNSH” — broken into syllables: di·manche. Use the audio button on this page to hear a recording.
How do you say “Happy Sunday” in French?
Bon dimanche !. “Bon dimanche !” is the natural French way to wish someone a good Sunday — short, common, and used in person, in texts and in emails. (French adds a space before the exclamation mark.)
How is Sunday abbreviated in French?
Sunday (dimanche) is abbreviated dim. on French calendars and schedules.
Is dimanche capitalized in French?
No — French weekday names are lowercase: dimanche, never Dimanche (except at the start of a sentence).
How do you say “on Sunday” in French?
For one specific Sunday, use no preposition at all: Je travaille dimanche = I work (on) Sunday. With the article — le dimanche — it means “every Sunday”.
How do you say “today is Sunday” in French?
Aujourd'hui, c'est dimanche — or more formally, Nous sommes dimanche (literally “we are Sunday”).