Beyond hier and demain

ByFast French

Translating “the day before,” “tomorrow,” and “the day after” into French

You may already know the French words “hier” (yesterday) and “demain” (tomorrow). French offers several expressions to convey concepts like “the day before,” “tomorrow,” and “the day after.” Each has its unique nuances depending on the context.

1. “The day before”

The English phrase “the day before” can be translated as la veille in French. This term is often used in storytelling or reporting events in the past. It implies the day that precedes a specific point in time.

Explanation:

  • La veille comes from the verb veiller, meaning “to stay awake,” but in this context, it refers to “the eve” or “the previous day.”
  • It is used without an article when referring generally to “the day before yesterday” (discussed later).

Examples:

  • Il est arrivé la veille.
    (He arrived the day before.)
  • La veille de son anniversaire, elle était très excitée.
    (The day before her birthday, she was very excited.)

2. “Tomorrow”

The word “tomorrow” is translated as demain in French. It is straightforward and commonly used to refer to the day following today.

Explanation:

  • Demain is an adverb and does not change based on gender or number.
  • It can also be used metaphorically to refer to a near or distant future.

Examples:

  • Nous partons demain matin.
    (We’re leaving tomorrow morning.)
  • Demain est un autre jour.
    (Tomorrow is another day.)

Proverbs and Idioms:

  • À demain!
    (See you tomorrow!)
  • Remettre à demain ce qu’on peut faire aujourd’hui.
    (To put off until tomorrow what one can do today.)

3. “The day after”

The French equivalent of “the day after” is le lendemain. It is frequently used in narratives to refer to the day following a specific event or moment.

Explanation:

  • Le lendemain is a noun that literally translates to “the next day.”
  • It’s often paired with events mentioned in the past or future, providing temporal context.

Examples:

  • Le lendemain de la fête, tout le monde était fatigué.
    (The day after the party, everyone was tired.)
  • Nous avons continué notre voyage le lendemain.
    (We continued our journey the next day.)

Temporal Contexts and Related Expressions

“Yesterday” vs. “The day before”

While “yesterday” translates to hier, the difference between hier and la veille lies in the narrative perspective:

  • Hier refers to the actual calendar day before today.
  • La veille references the day before a past or future event.

Example:

  • Hier, il a neigé. (Yesterday, it snowed.)
  • La veille de Noël, il a neigé. (The day before Christmas, it snowed.)

Other Temporal Expressions

  • “The day after tomorrow” → Après-demain
    Nous partirons après-demain. (We’ll leave the day after tomorrow.)
  • “The day before yesterday” → Avant-hier
    Je l’ai vu avant-hier. (I saw him the day before yesterday.)

Summary Table

English PhraseFrench TranslationNotes
The day beforeLa veilleUsed for past/future narrative contexts
TomorrowDemainGeneral term for the next day
The day afterLe lendemainUsed in storytelling or planned events
The day before yesterdayAvant-hierRefers to two days ago
The day after tomorrowAprès-demainRefers to two days ahead

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • I do my best

    ByFast French

    The most common French translation of the phrase “I do my best” is “je fais de mon mieux,” but there are some variations and alternative translations that you should know about. “I do my best” in French: je fais de mon mieux The phrase “je fais de mon mieux” translates directly to “I do my…

  • un phare

    ByFast French

    Un phare is a masculine noun. Its main meaning is a lighthouse, a tower with a strong light used to guide ships at sea. By extension, it can also mean a guiding light in a figurative sense, and in modern use it often refers to a car headlight. Core meaning: lighthouse The basic sense of…

  • aussitôt & aussitôt que possible

    ByFast French

    The French words aussitôt and aussitôt que possible are used to express immediacy or promptness. While they share similarities with English terms like “immediately” and “as soon as possible,” their usage follows specific grammatical patterns in French. 1. “Aussitôt” (immediately, right away) Aussitôt functions as an adverb meaning “immediately” or “right away.” It emphasizes that…

  • loger vs se loger

    ByFast French

    “Loger” is a transitive verb meaning to accommodate, house, or provide lodging for someone or something. The subject provides housing to the object. “Se loger” is a reflexive verb meaning to find accommodation, to house oneself, or to settle somewhere. The subject finds or secures housing for themselves. Key structural differences Loger (transitive) This verb…

  • rez-de-chaussée

    ByFast French

    The French term rez-de-chaussée refers to the ground floor of a building—that is, the level at ground height, directly accessible from the street. It corresponds to what Australians (and the British) call the “ground floor.” This differs from American English, where the same level is called the “first floor.” The distinction is essential when booking…

  • faire le plein de

    ByFast French

    The french phrase faire le plein de is a common and useful expression. It literally means to fill up, but it has several figurative meanings. The core meaning: filling a tank The most basic use of faire le plein is for filling the fuel tank of a vehicle. In this context, you will often hear…