Friday in French
Vendredi in English: Friday
Updated June 2026
vendredi = venerate = Venus. Reference card with native audio, IPA, Latin etymology, and naturalistic sentence examples.
Etymology
Venus
Latin: dies Veneris = “Day of Venus”
Vendredi derives from Latin dies Veneris, 'day of Venus'. Venus was the Roman goddess of love and beauty, and the brightest planet visible to the naked eye. English cognates: 'venerate' (to regard with reverence), 'venereal', and 'Venice' (a city traditionally dedicated to Venus). English Friday is Freya's day, the Norse love goddess and direct equivalent of Venus.
English cognates: venerate, Venus, Venice
Pronunciation
Vendredi opens with the nasal vowel /ɑ̃/: mouth open, air flowing through the nose. This is the same nasal as in 'temps' or 'chant'. The 'dr' cluster contains the uvular r, made at the back of the throat. The middle syllable is reduced in casual speech.
Common mistake
Pronouncing the 'en' like English 'en' in 'end'
Correct: Nasalise it: vahn (with air through nose, mouth open)
Sentence Examples
Real-world usage drawn from CNRTL attested corpora and naturalistic everyday French. Tap any sentence to hear it spoken.
Vendredi soir, on sort.
Friday night, we go out.
Bare day name + soir.
Le vendredi, c'est jour de marche.
Friday is market day.
Habitual le-vendredi.
Vendredi 13, ca porte malheur ?
Is Friday the 13th unlucky?
The French superstition matches the English one.
Related Days
Vendredi - Frequently Asked Questions
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