Memory Tricks
How to Remember the Days of the Week in French
Updated 17 April 2026
Songs, planet mnemonics, English cognate hooks, and a memory-palace method. Most learners need only the planet-god scaffold to lock in all seven days permanently.
The Planet-God Mnemonic (the Most Effective Method)
Every French day except samedi and dimanche carries the name of a Roman god and planet. The key insight: these same gods have left their mark on dozens of English words you already know. The mnemonic is simply to find those English cognates and use them as a bridge. Once the bridge is built, the French day name follows naturally.
The word lundi is almost identical to the French word for moon: lune. The suffix -di comes from Latin dies (day). So lundi is literally 'moon-day' in disguise. Think of the Moon on a Monday morning. English lunar, lunatic, and lunation all share this root. Once you make the connection - lune = moon = lundi - you will never forget it.
English cognates: lunar
Mars, the Roman god of war, gives us mardi. The English cognates are everywhere: martial arts, martial law, the month of March (named after Mars in Roman military tradition), and of course Mardi Gras - which literally means 'fat Tuesday'. Mardi Gras celebrations happen every year in New Orleans, French-speaking Canada, and across Catholic Europe. The next time you see Mardi Gras beads, you are looking at a French Tuesday parade.
English cognates: martial / March / Mardi Gras
Mercury (Mercure in French) was the messenger god, patron of commerce and communication. English cognates include mercurial (quick-moving and changeable, like quicksilver mercury), commerce, and the element mercury itself. Mercredi sounds like 'Mercury-di' with French phonetics. The planet Mercury is the fastest in the solar system - the messenger always in motion. English Wednesday is Woden's day (Odin), the Norse equivalent of Mercury as an all-knowing wanderer.
English cognates: mercury / mercurial / commerce
Jeudi comes from Jupiter (Jove), the king of the Roman gods, the thunder-bringer. The word jovial (meaning cheerful and good-humoured) comes from Jove - those born under Jupiter were supposed to be happy and expansive. English Thursday is Thor's day, the Norse thunder god. Both Thor and Jupiter control thunder and sit at the top of their respective divine hierarchies - same role, different mythology. Jeudi = Jovial = Jove = Jupiter.
English cognates: jovial / Jupiter
Vendredi comes from Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. English cognates: venerate (to regard with deep respect, from the same root as love/worship), venereal (relating to sexual love), and Venice - the Italian city traditionally associated with beauty and love. English Friday is Freya's day - the Norse love goddess, direct equivalent of Venus. Both preside over love, beauty, and fertility. Vendredi = Venerate = Venus.
English cognates: venerate / Venus / Venice
Samedi breaks the planetary pattern. It comes from the Sabbath (Hebrew shabbat), not from Saturn. When Christianity became the dominant religion of the Roman Empire, dies Saturni (Saturn's day) was replaced with dies sabbati. The English cognate is sabbatical - a period of rest, from the same Hebrew root meaning to rest. This is why samedi sounds nothing like Saturday. English kept the Roman Saturn-day; French got the Christian Sabbath-day instead.
English cognates: sabbath / sabbatical
Dimanche also breaks the planetary pattern. Dies Solis (Sun's day) was replaced by dies Dominicus (the Lord's Day). English Sunday kept the pagan sun reference; French went with the Christian one. English cognates: dominion, domain, dominate - all from the Latin dominus (lord). The -manche ending comes from the contraction of Dominicus through Old French. Remember: dimanche = dominion of the Lord = Sunday in French.
English cognates: dominion / domain / dominate
English Cognate Cheat Sheet
Use this as a quick-reference while studying. The English cognates column shows words you already know that share the same Latin root as the French day name.
| French Day | Latin Root | English Cognates (your memory bridge) |
|---|---|---|
| lundi | luna (Moon) | lunar, lunatic, lunation |
| mardi | Mars (war god) | martial, March, Mardi Gras |
| mercredi | Mercurius (Mercury) | mercury, mercurial, commerce |
| jeudi | Jovis (Jupiter/Jove) | jovial, Jupiter |
| vendredi | Venus (love goddess) | venerate, venereal, Venice |
| samedi | sabbatum (Sabbath) | sabbath, sabbatical |
| dimanche | Dominicus (Lord) | dominion, domain, dominate |
The Week-in-a-Hand Trick
This physical mnemonic works well for kinaesthetic learners and for solidifying the order of the days once you know the names.
- 1. Hold out your left hand, fingers extended.
- 2. Starting with your little finger: lundi. Curl it in as you say the day aloud.
- 3. Ring finger: mardi. Curl it in.
- 4. Middle finger: mercredi. Curl it in.
- 5. Index finger: jeudi. Curl it in.
- 6. Thumb: vendredi. The end of the working week.
- 7. Move to right hand index: samedi.
- 8. Right hand thumb: dimanche. End of the week.
The physical motion of curling each finger as you say the day creates a muscle memory that reinforces the verbal memory. This is particularly effective for learners who struggle with pure auditory or visual memorisation.
The Memory-Palace Method (Advanced)
The memory palace (or method of loci) is the most powerful memorisation technique known to cognitive science, used by memory champions to recall thousands of items in order. For seven French days, it is overkill - but if you find rote methods do not stick, it is worth trying.
Choose a place you know intimately - your childhood home, your commute route, or your current apartment. Assign each room or landmark to a day of the week in order. Then place a vivid, memorable image in each location that connects to the French day name.
Example palace (using 7 rooms of a house):
- Front door (lundi): A giant crescent moon hanging in the doorway. You duck under it to enter.
- Hallway (mardi): A Roman soldier in full armour (Mars) standing guard. He is doing martial arts.
- Kitchen (mercredi): A bottle of liquid mercury (quicksilver) spilled on the counter. A messenger with winged sandals slides in it.
- Living room (jeudi): Jupiter sits on the sofa, laughing jovially and throwing thunderbolts at the TV.
- Bedroom (vendredi): Venus herself reclining on the bed, surrounded by roses and love letters from Venice.
- Bathroom (samedi): A rabbi washing hands for the Sabbath, reciting prayers in the shower.
- Garden (dimanche): A cathedral organ playing in the garden. The Lord's Day. Church bells. Dominoes on the table.
Walk through your memory palace in sequence while saying the days aloud. After 3-5 mental walks, the images become automatic and the French words follow them. Most learners who try this retain the days for years without further review.
The Classic French Children’s Song: Les Jours de la Semaine
Music is one of the most effective memory aids for language learning. The melody provides a retrieval cue that pure repetition does not. French children learn the days through a simple song - “Les jours de la semaine” - that sets the seven days to a catchy tune. Many versions exist; the most common goes through the days in order with a simple melody similar to a counting song.
Basic lyrics (one common version):
Lundi, mardi, mercredi,
Jeudi, vendredi,
Samedi, dimanche -
Voila la semaine !
“There is the week!” - La semaine = the week. Voila = there it is / here we go.
Alternative version for kids:
Lundi matin l’Empereur, sa femme et le p’tit prince
Sont venus chez moi pour me serrer la pince.
Comme j’etais parti, le p’tit prince a dit :
Puisque c’est ainsi, nous reviendrons mardi...
“Monday morning, the Emperor, his wife and the little prince came to my house to shake my hand. Since I was out, the little prince said: Since that’s how it is, we’ll come back Tuesday...” - repeats through all 7 days.
Search for “Lundi matin l’Empereur” on YouTube to find sung versions. This song has been taught in French primary schools for over a century. The fact that it cycles through each day of the week makes it perfect for learning the sequence.
Put the mnemonics to the test: