Learn French: Months & Seasons

This lesson introduces the essential building blocks for discussing time and the calendar in French. You will learn the names of the twelve months, from janvier (January) to décembre (December), along with the four distinct seasons. These words are vital for any student, as they enable you to talk about your birthday, plan future travel, or describe the changing weather. Beyond the months themselves, this set includes broader terms like une année (a year) and le calendrier (the calendar) to help you structure your conversations about time and duration.

One important pattern to notice is that French months and seasons are masculine nouns. While we use le printemps (spring), you will see the elided article l’ used before seasons starting with a vowel, such as l’été (summer), l’automne (autumn), or l’hiver (winter). Additionally, unlike in English, months are not capitalized in French unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence. When discussing sequences of time, you can use descriptors that follow the noun, such as le mois prochain (next month) or le mois dernier (last month). Paying attention to the pronunciation of certain months is also key; for instance, the final consonant in juillet (July) is silent, whereas in août (August), the final t is typically pronounced. Mastering these terms will provide a solid foundation for your daily French interactions and help you navigate the year with confidence.