Wednesday in French: mercredi
Pronounced mehr-kruh-DEE — literally “Mercury's day”.
Wednesday in French at a Glance
| French word | mercredi |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | mehr-kruh-DEE (mer·cre·di) |
| Literal meaning | Mercury's day |
| Abbreviation | mer. |
From Latin Mercurii dies, “day of Mercury”, the messenger god. English Wednesday honors Woden — the Germanic god Romans equated with Mercury — so the two names share one ancestor idea.
How to Pronounce mercredi
mehr-kruh-DEE — syllable by syllable: mer·cre·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 mercredi
How to Say “Happy Wednesday” in French
“Bon mercredi !” is the natural French way to wish someone a good Wednesday — 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: Wednesday in French-Speaking Countries
Mercredi is the children's day in France: primary schools traditionally have (or had) Wednesday off or a half-day, so it's packed with music lessons, sport and grandparents. Every French kid knows mercredi means freedom.
Did You Know?
From Latin Mercurii dies, “day of Mercury”, the messenger god. English Wednesday honors Woden — the Germanic god Romans equated with Mercury — so the two names share one ancestor idea. Curious how English got its name for Wednesday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use mercredi in a Sentence
French uses no preposition for a specific day: Je travaille mercredi = I work on Wednesday. Adding le makes it habitual: le mercredi = every Wednesday. All seven days are masculine nouns.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Wednesday in French?
Wednesday in French is mercredi, pronounced “mehr-kruh-DEE”. It literally means “Mercury's day”.
What does mercredi mean in English?
From Latin Mercurii dies, “day of Mercury”, the messenger god. English Wednesday honors Woden — the Germanic god Romans equated with Mercury — so the two names share one ancestor idea.
How do you pronounce mercredi?
It's pronounced “mehr-kruh-DEE” — broken into syllables: mer·cre·di. Use the audio button on this page to hear a recording.
How do you say “Happy Wednesday” in French?
Bon mercredi !. “Bon mercredi !” is the natural French way to wish someone a good Wednesday — short, common, and used in person, in texts and in emails. (French adds a space before the exclamation mark.)
How is Wednesday abbreviated in French?
Wednesday (mercredi) is abbreviated mer. on French calendars and schedules.
Is mercredi capitalized in French?
No — French weekday names are lowercase: mercredi, never Mercredi (except at the start of a sentence).
How do you say “on Wednesday” in French?
For one specific Wednesday, use no preposition at all: Je travaille mercredi = I work (on) Wednesday. With the article — le mercredi — it means “every Wednesday”.
How do you say “today is Wednesday” in French?
Aujourd'hui, c'est mercredi — or more formally, Nous sommes mercredi (literally “we are Wednesday”).