Tuesday in French: mardi
Pronounced mar-DEE — literally “Mars's day”.
Tuesday in French at a Glance
| French word | mardi |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | mar-DEE (mar·di) |
| Literal meaning | Mars's day |
| Abbreviation | mar. |
From Latin Martis dies, “day of Mars”, the god of war. You already know this word from Mardi Gras — literally “Fat Tuesday”, the feast before Lent.
How to Pronounce mardi
mar-DEE — syllable by syllable: mar·di.
- 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 mardi
How to Say “Happy Tuesday” in French
“Bon mardi !” is the natural French way to wish someone a good Tuesday — 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: Tuesday in French-Speaking Countries
Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”) is French's most famous export of this day name, celebrated from Nice to New Orleans. In France, mardi is also a common closing day for restaurants that stay open Sunday.
Did You Know?
From Latin Martis dies, “day of Mars”, the god of war. You already know this word from Mardi Gras — literally “Fat Tuesday”, the feast before Lent. Curious how English got its name for Tuesday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use mardi in a Sentence
French uses no preposition for a specific day: Je travaille mardi = I work on Tuesday. Adding le makes it habitual: le mardi = every Tuesday. All seven days are masculine nouns.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Tuesday in French?
Tuesday in French is mardi, pronounced “mar-DEE”. It literally means “Mars's day”.
What does mardi mean in English?
From Latin Martis dies, “day of Mars”, the god of war. You already know this word from Mardi Gras — literally “Fat Tuesday”, the feast before Lent.
How do you pronounce mardi?
It's pronounced “mar-DEE” — broken into syllables: mar·di. Use the audio button on this page to hear a recording.
How do you say “Happy Tuesday” in French?
Bon mardi !. “Bon mardi !” is the natural French way to wish someone a good Tuesday — short, common, and used in person, in texts and in emails. (French adds a space before the exclamation mark.)
How is Tuesday abbreviated in French?
Tuesday (mardi) is abbreviated mar. on French calendars and schedules.
Is mardi capitalized in French?
No — French weekday names are lowercase: mardi, never Mardi (except at the start of a sentence).
How do you say “on Tuesday” in French?
For one specific Tuesday, use no preposition at all: Je travaille mardi = I work (on) Tuesday. With the article — le mardi — it means “every Tuesday”.
How do you say “today is Tuesday” in French?
Aujourd'hui, c'est mardi — or more formally, Nous sommes mardi (literally “we are Tuesday”).