Why is "Capitalising days and months in English style (Lundi, Janvier)." a common mistake in Days, months and seasons?

Why it happens: In English we always capitalise Monday and January, so the habit carries over. How to avoid it: In French, days, months and seasons are common nouns — write them lowercase: lundi, janvier, l'été. Only capitalise when the word begins a sentence. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports (Paper 4 Writing)

Why is "Saying 'en printemps' instead of 'au printemps'." a common mistake in Days, months and seasons?

Why it happens: The other three seasons all use 'en', so students over-generalise the pattern to spring too. How to avoid it: Learn the four together: en été, en automne, en hiver — BUT au printemps. Spring is the single exception. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports (Paper 3 Speaking)

Why is "Using 'dans' or 'à' with a month (dans mars, à juillet)." a common mistake in Days, months and seasons?

Why it happens: 'dans' and 'à' both translate as time words elsewhere, so beginners reach for them. How to avoid it: For 'in' + a month, always use 'en': en mars, en juillet, en décembre. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports (Paper 4 Writing)

Why is "Mixing up 'le lundi' (every Monday) with 'lundi' (one Monday)." a common mistake in Days, months and seasons?

Why it happens: English uses 'on Monday' for both the habit and the single occasion, so the distinction is invisible to learners. How to avoid it: Use 'le + day' only for repeated habits (le lundi = on Mondays). Drop the article for a single specific occasion (lundi = this Monday). Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports (Paper 3 Speaking)

Why is "Dropping accents on février, décembre, l'été and août." a common mistake in Days, months and seasons?

Why it happens: English has no accents, so learners forget the é (février, décembre) and the circumflex û on août. How to avoid it: Memorise the spellings with their accents: février, décembre, l'été, août. Missing accents are marked as spelling errors. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports (Paper 4 Writing)

Why is "Treating a season as feminine (e.g. 'la printemps', 'une bonne été')." a common mistake in Days, months and seasons?

Why it happens: Learners guess gender, and the hidden 'l'' on l'été/l'hiver disguises the masculine article. How to avoid it: All four seasons are masculine. Remember 'le printemps' and that l'été/l'automne/l'hiver are masculine despite the l'. Adjectives take the masculine form: un bon été. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports (Paper 4 Writing)

Language FoundationsCambridge IGCSE French (0520)

Days, months and seasons

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Days, Months and Seasons in French — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

Learn the seven days, twelve months and four seasons in French from scratch — with pronunciation, the little time words (le lundi vs lundi, en été vs au printemps) and frequency phrases that examiners love to hear.

At a glance

The seven days: lundi (Monday), mardi (Tuesday), mercredi (Wednesday), jeudi (Thursday), vendredi (Friday), samedi (Saturday), dimanche (Sunday).
In France the week starts on Monday (lundi), not Sunday — calendars are laid out that way.
The twelve months run janvier (January) → décembre (December). Most look like English, which makes them easy cognates.
The four seasons: le printemps (spring), l'été (summer), l'automne (autumn/fall), l'hiver (winter). All are masculine.
No capital letters! Days, months and seasons are written in lowercase in French (lundi, not Lundi).
le lundi = on Mondays (every Monday, a habit). lundi alone = on Monday (this coming/last Monday, one time).
Seasons take special prepositions: en été / en automne / en hiver but au printemps ('in spring' is the odd one out).
For 'in' + a month, use en: en janvier (in January), en juillet (in July).
Frequency words add detail: tous les jours (every day), le week-end (at weekends), souvent (often), parfois (sometimes).

What you’ll learn

Mapped to the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 syllabus (2025-2027).

Recognise, say and spell the seven days of the week in French.
Recognise, say and spell the twelve months of the year in French.
Name the four seasons and use the correct preposition with each (en été, au printemps, etc.).
Explain why days, months and seasons are lowercase and masculine in French.
Distinguish 'le lundi' (on Mondays, habitual) from 'lundi' (on Monday, one occasion).
Use 'en' + month to say when something happens (en mars, en septembre).
Use frequency expressions (tous les jours, souvent, le week-end) to describe routines.
Give and understand dates and timetable information in listening, reading, speaking and writing tasks.

The seven days (les jours de la semaine)

Six of the seven days end in -di. Learn them in order and the spellings become predictable.

la semaine (the week) has sept jours (seven days). Here is the full list, in the French order — remember the week starts on lundi (Monday):

French	Pronunciation (plain English)	English
lundi	luhn-DEE /lœ̃.di/	Monday
mardi	mar-DEE /maʁ.di/	Tuesday
mercredi	mair-kruh-DEE /mɛʁ.kʁə.di/	Wednesday
jeudi	zhuh-DEE /ʒø.di/	Thursday
vendredi	vahn-druh-DEE /vɑ̃.dʁə.di/	Friday
samedi	sam-DEE /sam.di/	Saturday
dimanche	dee-MAHNSH /di.mɑ̃ʃ/	Sunday

Spot the pattern. Six of the seven days end in -di (the part that comes from the Latin word for 'day'). Only dimanche (Sunday) is different — it comes from a Latin phrase meaning 'the Lord's day'.

Useful day phrases:

Quel jour sommes-nous ? (What day is it?) → Nous sommes mardi. (It's Tuesday.)
Aujourd'hui, c'est jeudi. (Today is Thursday.)
demain (tomorrow), hier (yesterday), après-demain (the day after tomorrow), avant-hier (the day before yesterday).

Mini-example. Today is Wednesday, so tomorrow is Thursday: Aujourd'hui, c'est mercredi, donc demain, c'est jeudi. (donc = so/therefore.)

Seven days, week starts on lundi (Monday).
Six end in -di; only dimanche (Sunday) is the exception.
Quel jour sommes-nous ? → Nous sommes + day.
aujourd'hui (today), demain (tomorrow), hier (yesterday).

The twelve months (les mois de l'année)

Most French months are near-identical to English. Watch the accents and the lowercase rule.

l'année (the year) has douze mois (twelve months). The good news for beginners: nearly every month is an obvious cognate (a word that looks like its English twin), so you already half-know them.

French	Pronunciation (plain English)	English
janvier	zhahn-vee-AY /ʒɑ̃.vje/	January
février	fay-vree-AY /fe.vʁi.je/	February
mars	MARSS /maʁs/	March
avril	a-VREEL /a.vʁil/	April
mai	MAY /mɛ/	May
juin	zhwAN /ʒɥɛ̃/	June
juillet	zhwee-YAY /ʒɥi.jɛ/	July
août	OOT (or AH-oot) /ut/	August
septembre	sep-TAHM-bruh /sɛp.tɑ̃bʁ/	September
octobre	ok-TOH-bruh /ɔk.tɔbʁ/	October
novembre	noh-VAHM-bruh /nɔ.vɑ̃bʁ/	November
décembre	day-SAHM-bruh /de.sɑ̃bʁ/	December

Accents matter. février and décembre each need an acute accent on the é — leaving it off is a spelling error examiners notice. The é is pronounced "ay".

The two tricky ones to hear:

juin (June) and juillet (July) both start with the same "zhw" sound, so listen carefully in Paper 1 (Listening).
mars (March) keeps its final -s sound, unlike many French words where the final consonant is silent.

To say 'in' a month, use en:

en janvier (in January), en avril (in April), en septembre (in September).
My birthday is in August: Mon anniversaire est en août. (anniversaire = birthday.)

Mini-example. The holidays are in July and August: Les vacances sont en juillet et en août. (les vacances = the holidays.)

Twelve months, mostly easy cognates of English.
Don't forget the accents on février and décembre.
'in [month]' = en + month: en mars, en octobre.
Months are lowercase, just like days.

The four seasons (les quatre saisons)

All four seasons are masculine. Three take 'en', but spring takes 'au'.

The seasons wheel: spring takes au; summer, autumn and winter all take en.

les saisons (the seasons). There are quatre (four), and every one is masculine (le / l'):

French	Pronunciation (plain English)	English
le printemps	luh prAN-tahn /lə pʁɛ̃.tɑ̃/	spring
l'été (m)	lay-TAY /l‿e.te/	summer
l'automne (m)	loh-TUN /l‿o.tɔn/	autumn / fall
l'hiver (m)	lee-VAIR /l‿i.vɛʁ/	winter

Why l'? été, automne and hiver all begin with a vowel sound, so the article le shortens to l' (this is called elision). printemps begins with a consonant sound, so it keeps the full le printemps.

The preposition rule — learn this carefully, it is examined a lot:

en été (in summer)
en automne (in autumn)
en hiver (in winter)
au printemps (in spring) ← the odd one out!

So three seasons use en, but spring uses au. A memory trick: spring is the only season starting with a consonant (p), and it is the only one that takes au.

Mini-examples.

In summer, I go to the beach: En été, je vais à la plage. (la plage = the beach.)
In winter, it is cold: En hiver, il fait froid. (il fait froid = it is cold.)
In spring, the weather is nice: Au printemps, il fait beau. (il fait beau = the weather is nice.)

Four seasons, all masculine: le printemps, l'été, l'automne, l'hiver.
en été, en automne, en hiver — BUT au printemps.
été/automne/hiver use l' because they start with a vowel sound.
Pair seasons with weather phrases: il fait froid, il fait beau.

Why they are lowercase — and why they are masculine

French does not capitalise days, months or seasons. All four seasons (and all months) are masculine.

Two grammar rules trip up nearly every English beginner here.

1. Lowercase, always. In English we capitalise Monday, July, Spring (sometimes). In French, days, months and seasons are common nouns, so they are written in lowercase:

✅ lundi, janvier, l'été
❌ Lundi, Janvier, l'Été

The only time you capitalise is the normal one — when the word starts a sentence. Lundi, je vais au collège. (On Monday, I go to school.) Here Lundi is capitalised only because it is the first word.

2. Gender — they are masculine.

All four seasons are masculine: le printemps, **l'**été, **l'**automne, **l'**hiver.
All twelve months are masculine too. You rarely need an article with a month, but when an adjective agrees, it takes the masculine form: un janvier froid (a cold January) — froid, not froide.
The days are masculine as well: le lundi, le mardi… (you'll see this in le lundi = on Mondays, covered next).

Because everything in this topic is masculine, you almost never use la or une here — a small mercy for beginners! The two exceptions to remember are the nouns for the units of time themselves: la semaine (the week) and la saison (the season) are feminine, and l'année (the year) is feminine too.

Days, months and seasons are lowercase (capital only at the start of a sentence).
All four seasons are masculine: le/l'.
All twelve months are masculine.
But la semaine, la saison and l'année (feminine) are the time-unit nouns.

Time prepositions: le lundi vs lundi, en + month, au printemps

The little word in front changes the meaning from 'every Monday' to 'this Monday'. Get it right.

This is the single most examined grammar point in the topic. The preposition (or its absence) tells the listener whether you mean a habit or one specific occasion.

Days — the le / no-le contrast:

French	English	Meaning
le lundi	on Mondays	a regular habit, every Monday
lundi	on Monday	one specific Monday (this/last/next)
tous les lundis	every Monday	emphatic 'every single Monday'

On Mondays I have French (every week): Le lundi, j'ai français.
On Monday I have a test (this coming Monday): Lundi, j'ai un contrôle. (un contrôle = a test.)

So le + day = the habit; day on its own = a single time. This exact contrast appears in speaking and writing mark schemes.

Months — use en:

en mars (in March), en décembre (in December).
I was born in June: Je suis né(e) en juin. (né = born, masculine; née = born, feminine.)

Seasons — en for three, au for spring:

en été (in summer), en automne (in autumn), en hiver (in winter).
au printemps (in spring).

Other handy time words:

le matin (in the morning), l'après-midi (in the afternoon), le soir (in the evening).
le week-end (at the weekend), en semaine (on weekdays / during the week).
pendant (during): pendant les vacances (during the holidays).

Mini-example putting it together. On Saturdays, in winter, I often play football: Le samedi, en hiver, je joue souvent au football. (Notice le samedi = habit, en hiver = the 'en' season, souvent = often.)

le lundi = on Mondays (habit); lundi = on Monday (one time).
tous les lundis = every Monday (emphatic habit).
en + month: en mai, en novembre.
en été / en automne / en hiver, BUT au printemps.
le week-end (at weekends), en semaine (on weekdays).

Frequency expressions (la fréquence)

Saying how often you do something turns a flat sentence into a confident, examinable one.

Examiners reward candidates who say how often things happen. These phrases pair perfectly with days, months and seasons.

French	Pronunciation (plain English)	English
toujours	too-ZHOOR /tu.ʒuʁ/	always
souvent	soo-VAHN /su.vɑ̃/	often
d'habitude	da-bee-TEWD /da.bi.tyd/	usually
parfois / quelquefois	par-FWA /paʁ.fwa/	sometimes
de temps en temps	duh tahn-zahn-TAHN /də tɑ̃.zɑ̃.tɑ̃/	from time to time
rarement	rar-MAHN /ʁaʁ.mɑ̃/	rarely
ne … jamais	nuh … zha-MAY /nə … ʒa.mɛ/	never
tous les jours	too lay ZHOOR /tu le ʒuʁ/	every day
toutes les semaines	toot lay suh-MEN /tut le sə.mɛn/	every week
une fois par semaine	ewn fwa par suh-MEN	once a week
deux fois par mois	duh fwa par MWA	twice a month

Where do they go? Most frequency adverbs go right after the verb: Je mange souvent au restaurant. (I often eat at a restaurant.) Phrases like tous les jours can go at the start or the end: Tous les jours, je fais mes devoirs. / Je fais mes devoirs tous les jours. (I do my homework every day.)

'Never' is special. It wraps around the verb: ne … jamais. I never watch TV on Mondays: Le lundi, je ne regarde jamais la télé. (the ne comes before the verb, jamais after.)

Mini-example. In summer I go to the pool twice a week: En été, je vais à la piscine deux fois par semaine. (la piscine = the swimming pool.)

Frequency adverbs usually sit just after the verb.
tous les jours = every day; une fois par semaine = once a week.
ne … jamais (never) wraps around the verb.
Combine with time words: 'Le samedi, je joue souvent au tennis.'

How it’s examined

Days, months and seasons are foundational vocabulary that surface across all four papers of Cambridge IGCSE French 0520.

Paper 1 (Listening): dates, timetables and appointments are read out — you must catch a day or month at speed and distinguish similar sounds (juin vs juillet, mardi vs mercredi).
Paper 2 (Reading): schedules, event posters, holiday adverts and emails state when things happen using en + month, le + day and the season prepositions.
Paper 3 (Speaking): in the role-play and conversation you describe your weekly routine and free-time habits — examiners credit accurate use of 'le lundi' (habit) and frequency adverbs (souvent, tous les jours).
Paper 4 (Writing): describing your routine, holidays and plans requires correct spelling (with accents), lowercase days/months, and the right preposition (au printemps vs en été). Mark schemes reward range and accuracy, so frequency phrases and 'prochain/dernier' add value.

Examiner reports repeatedly flag two errors here: capitalising days/months in English style, and writing 'en printemps' instead of 'au printemps'.

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Syllabus 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Specimen Papers 2026; Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports 2022-2024. Last reviewed 2026-06-02.

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Step-by-step worked examples — Days, months and seasons

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on days, months and seasons, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Work out the day after tomorrow
Getting started
Question
Today is vendredi (Friday). Write, in French, what day après-demain (the day after tomorrow) will be.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Recall the order of the days. … vendredi (Friday), samedi (Saturday), dimanche (Sunday) … The week is: lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi, dimanche.
2. Step 2
  Count forward two days from vendredi. Tomorrow (demain) = samedi; the day after tomorrow (après-demain) = dimanche.
3. Step 3
  Write it correctly. Use lowercase — it is dimanche, not Dimanche. A full sentence: Après-demain, c'est dimanche. (The day after tomorrow is Sunday.)
Answer
dimanche (Sunday) — Après-demain, c'est dimanche.
Examiner tip
Lowercase is the marked point here. Examiners deduct for English-style capitals (Dimanche). The sequence vendredi → samedi → dimanche must be secure.
2Say when your birthday is
Getting started
Question
Translate into French: My birthday is in November. You will need the word for birthday and the correct preposition for 'in' + a month.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Vocabulary. birthday = anniversaire (masculine: mon anniversaire). November = novembre (lowercase, no accent).
2. Step 2
  Choose the preposition. 'in' + a month = en. So 'in November' = en novembre.
3. Step 3
  Assemble the sentence. Mon anniversaire (my birthday) + est (is) + en novembre (in November).
Answer
Mon anniversaire est en novembre.
Examiner tip
Common slip: writing dans novembre or à novembre. With months it is always en + month. Keep novembre lowercase and unaccented.
3Habit or one occasion? le lundi vs lundi
Building confidence
Question
Translate BOTH sentences and explain the difference: (a) On Mondays, I have French. (b) On Monday, I have a test. (un contrôle = a test)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Decide habit or single occasion. (a) 'On Mondays' = every Monday = a habit → use le lundi. (b) 'On Monday' = this one specific Monday → use lundi with NO article.
2. Step 2
  Build (a). Le lundi (on Mondays) + j'ai (I have) + français (French). → Le lundi, j'ai français.
3. Step 3
  Build (b). Lundi (on Monday) + j'ai (I have) + un contrôle (a test). → Lundi, j'ai un contrôle.
4. Step 4
  State the rule. le + day signals a repeated habit ('every Monday'); the day alone signals one specific occasion ('this Monday').
Answer
(a) Le lundi, j'ai français. (habit) (b) Lundi, j'ai un contrôle. (one occasion). The article le is the difference.
Examiner tip
This le/no-le contrast is directly credited in 0520 speaking and writing. Using 'le lundi' to describe a weekly routine shows control of register and grammar.
4Pick the right preposition for each season
Building confidence
Question
Complete with the correct preposition (en or au): '___ été je nage', '___ hiver il neige', '___ printemps il fait beau', '___ automne les feuilles tombent.' Then say why spring is different.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Recall the rule. Three seasons take en (en été, en automne, en hiver). Spring is the exception and takes au (au printemps).
2. Step 2
  Fill the gaps. En été je nage (In summer I swim). En hiver il neige (In winter it snows). Au printemps il fait beau (In spring the weather is nice). En automne les feuilles tombent (In autumn the leaves fall).
3. Step 3
  Explain spring. printemps is the only season beginning with a consonant sound and the only one that takes au instead of en. Memorising the four as a set makes the exception stand out.
Answer
En été je nage · En hiver il neige · Au printemps il fait beau · En automne les feuilles tombent. Spring is the odd one out: au printemps.
Examiner tip
'en printemps' is one of the most frequent errors in examiner reports. The correct form is au printemps — always.
5Build a routine sentence with day, season and frequency
Stretch
Question
Write one rich French sentence meaning: In winter, on Saturdays, I often go to the cinema with my friends. (le cinéma = the cinema; mes amis = my friends)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Season first. 'In winter' = en hiver (hiver takes en).
2. Step 2
  Habit day. 'On Saturdays' (every Saturday) = le samedi — use the article because it is a habit.
3. Step 3
  Verb + frequency. 'I go' = je vais; 'often' = souvent, placed right after the verb → je vais souvent.
4. Step 4
  Finish the phrase. 'to the cinema' = au cinéma; 'with my friends' = avec mes amis. Combine everything.
Answer
En hiver, le samedi, je vais souvent au cinéma avec mes amis.
Examiner tip
Top-band detail: the sentence layers a season (en hiver), a habitual day (le samedi) and a frequency adverb (souvent) accurately. This range and accuracy is exactly what the writing mark scheme rewards.

Model Answers — Days, months and seasons

High-scoring sample answers for days, months and seasons on the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 paper, with examiner-style notes mapping each response to the mark scheme and assessment objectives.

Question 1
10 marks
Speaking / Writing. Décris ta semaine typique. (Describe your typical week — mention days, a season and how often you do things.)
Model answer
D'habitude, ma semaine est bien remplie. Le lundi et le mercredi, j'ai cours de français au collège. (On Mondays and Wednesdays, I have French class at school.) Le mardi, je joue souvent au basket après les cours. (On Tuesdays, I often play basketball after lessons.) Le week-end, je me repose : le samedi matin je fais mes devoirs, et le dimanche je vois ma famille. (At weekends I rest: on Saturday morning I do my homework, and on Sunday I see my family.) En hiver, je vais quelquefois à la patinoire, mais en été je préfère aller à la plage tous les jours. (In winter I sometimes go to the ice rink, but in summer I prefer to go to the beach every day.)
Why this scores
Scores well because it uses le + day correctly for habits (le lundi, le mardi, le week-end), contrasts two seasons with the right preposition (en hiver / en été), and layers in frequency adverbs (souvent, quelquefois, tous les jours). Days and seasons are all lowercase. The range of structures lifts it into the higher band.
Question 2
Speaking role-play. You did not catch which day or month the speaker said. How do you politely ask them to repeat it?
Model answer
Pardon, vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ? C'était quel jour ? (Sorry, can you repeat please? Which day was it?) Or, for a month: Excusez-moi, c'était en quel mois ? (Excuse me, in which month was it?) To check you heard correctly: Donc, c'est bien lundi, le quinze mai ? (So, it's definitely Monday the fifteenth of May?)
Why this scores
Uses vous (the polite form) which suits a role-play with an adult or stranger — a tu/vous slip would cost marks. 'C'était quel jour ?' and 'en quel mois ?' show correct question formation, and confirming the date ('lundi, le quinze mai') demonstrates secure control of day + date + month together.
Question 3
8 marks
Writing. Quelle est ta saison préférée et pourquoi ? (What is your favourite season and why? — 2-3 sentences.)
Model answer
Ma saison préférée, c'est l'été. (My favourite season is summer.) En été, il fait beau et chaud, et les journées sont longues. (In summer, the weather is nice and hot, and the days are long.) Pendant les grandes vacances, en juillet et en août, je vais à la mer presque tous les jours avec mes amis. (During the summer holidays, in July and August, I go to the seaside almost every day with my friends.) Je n'aime pas beaucoup l'hiver parce qu'il fait trop froid. (I don't really like winter because it is too cold.)
Why this scores
Strong because it gives an opinion with a reason (parce qu'il fait trop froid), uses en été and en juillet / en août with correct prepositions, keeps the season noun masculine (l'été, l'hiver), and adds frequency (presque tous les jours). Opinion + justification is exactly what the higher writing bands require.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Days, months and seasons

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for days, months and seasons answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0520 sitting.

le jour / la semaine
Examiner keyword
le jour = the day; la semaine = the week. Note jour is masculine but semaine is feminine. The French week begins on lundi (Monday).
Example
Quel jour sommes-nous ? — Nous sommes mardi.
le mois / l'année
Examiner keyword
le mois = the month (masculine); l'année = the year (feminine). There are douze mois (twelve months), all masculine and all lowercase.
Example
Il y a douze mois dans une année.
la saison
Examiner keyword
The season. There are quatre saisons (four seasons), all of which are masculine: le printemps, l'été, l'automne, l'hiver.
Example
Ma saison préférée, c'est l'automne.
le + day (le lundi)
Examiner keyword
Putting the article 'le' before a day means 'on [that day]s' as a regular habit — e.g. le lundi = on Mondays, every Monday.
Example
Le vendredi, je vais au club de musique.
en + month
Examiner keyword
The preposition 'en' before a month means 'in' that month. Used for all twelve months.
Example
Mon anniversaire est en septembre.
en / au + season
Examiner keyword
Seasons take 'en' (en été, en automne, en hiver) EXCEPT spring, which takes 'au' (au printemps).
Example
Au printemps, il fait beau ; en hiver, il fait froid.
l' (elision)
When a noun starts with a vowel sound, 'le' shrinks to 'l''. This is why we write l'été, l'automne, l'hiver and l'année.
Example
l'été (not 'le été'), l'hiver (not 'le hiver').
la fréquence (frequency adverbs)
Examiner keyword
Words that say how often something happens: souvent (often), parfois (sometimes), toujours (always), rarement (rarely), ne…jamais (never), tous les jours (every day).
Example
Le samedi, je joue souvent au tennis.
prochain / dernier
prochain = next; dernier = last. They follow the time word and agree in gender: lundi prochain, la semaine prochaine, l'été dernier.
Example
On se voit la semaine prochaine.
aujourd'hui / demain / hier
aujourd'hui = today; demain = tomorrow; hier = yesterday. Add après-demain (day after tomorrow) and avant-hier (day before yesterday).
Example
Aujourd'hui, c'est jeudi ; demain, c'est vendredi.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Days, months and seasons

The traps other students keep falling into on days, months and seasons questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0520 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Capitalising days and months in English style (Lundi, Janvier).
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports (Paper 4 Writing)
Why it happens
In English we always capitalise Monday and January, so the habit carries over.
How to avoid it
In French, days, months and seasons are common nouns — write them lowercase: lundi, janvier, l'été. Only capitalise when the word begins a sentence.
✕Saying 'en printemps' instead of 'au printemps'.
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports (Paper 3 Speaking)
Why it happens
The other three seasons all use 'en', so students over-generalise the pattern to spring too.
How to avoid it
Learn the four together: en été, en automne, en hiver — BUT au printemps. Spring is the single exception.
✕Using 'dans' or 'à' with a month (dans mars, à juillet).
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports (Paper 4 Writing)
Why it happens
'dans' and 'à' both translate as time words elsewhere, so beginners reach for them.
How to avoid it
For 'in' + a month, always use 'en': en mars, en juillet, en décembre.
✕Mixing up 'le lundi' (every Monday) with 'lundi' (one Monday).
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports (Paper 3 Speaking)
Why it happens
English uses 'on Monday' for both the habit and the single occasion, so the distinction is invisible to learners.
How to avoid it
Use 'le + day' only for repeated habits (le lundi = on Mondays). Drop the article for a single specific occasion (lundi = this Monday).
✕Dropping accents on février, décembre, l'été and août.
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports (Paper 4 Writing)
Why it happens
English has no accents, so learners forget the é (février, décembre) and the circumflex û on août.
How to avoid it
Memorise the spellings with their accents: février, décembre, l'été, août. Missing accents are marked as spelling errors.
✕Treating a season as feminine (e.g. 'la printemps', 'une bonne été').
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports (Paper 4 Writing)
Why it happens
Learners guess gender, and the hidden 'l'' on l'été/l'hiver disguises the masculine article.
How to avoid it
All four seasons are masculine. Remember 'le printemps' and that l'été/l'automne/l'hiver are masculine despite the l'. Adjectives take the masculine form: un bon été.

Past paper style quiz

Get a report showing which sub-topics you've nailed and which ones still need work.

Days, months and seasons

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Work out the day after tomorrow

2Say when your birthday is

3Habit or one occasion? le lundi vs lundi

4Pick the right preposition for each season

5Build a routine sentence with day, season and frequency

le jour / la semaine

le mois / l'année

la saison

le + day (le lundi)

en + month

en / au + season

l' (elision)

la fréquence (frequency adverbs)

prochain / dernier

aujourd'hui / demain / hier

✕Capitalising days and months in English style (Lundi, Janvier).

✕Saying 'en printemps' instead of 'au printemps'.

✕Using 'dans' or 'à' with a month (dans mars, à juillet).

✕Mixing up 'le lundi' (every Monday) with 'lundi' (one Monday).

✕Dropping accents on février, décembre, l'été and août.

✕Treating a season as feminine (e.g. 'la printemps', 'une bonne été').

Past paper style quiz