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

  • servir & se servir de

    ByFast French

    In French, the verb “servir” is widely used and versatile. It can mean “to serve,” but its meaning varies depending on the context. When used reflexively as “se servir de,” it takes on a different meaning, more akin to “to use.” 1. “Servir” – Meaning and Usage The verb “servir” generally means “to serve” in…

  • -uire verbs

    ByFast French

    French verbs that end in -uire belong mostly to the third group (irregular verbs). Here is a list of common -uire verbs: Most of these verbs follow a similar conjugation pattern, where the -uire ending changes in the present tense (e.g., je conduis, tu conduis, il conduit, nous conduisons). Conjugation of -uire Verbs in French…

  • du baratin

    ByFast French

    The French expression du baratin refers to speech that is empty, exaggerated, or intended to persuade without substance. It is often used to describe someone who talks a lot to impress, mislead, or charm, but says little of real value. The phrase is informal and common in everyday French. It carries a mildly critical or…

  • Subjunctive regular verbs

    ByFast French

    The subjunctive mood in French can seem difficult at first, but forming it for regular verbs is quite simple. Once you understand the basic method, it becomes much easier to use. The subjunctive is formed by taking the third-person plural form (ils/elles) of the present indicative tense, removing the -ent ending, and adding the subjunctive…

  • c’est vs il est

    ByFast French

    The choice between c’est (and its plural ce sont) and il est (and its feminine elle est, plural ils sont and elles sont) is a basic but important part of french grammar. They both translate as “it is,” “he is,” or “she is,” but they are not used in the same way. The general rule…

  • à partir de

    ByFast French

    The French phrase à partir de is used to indicate a starting point in time, space, or quantity. It is usually translated as “from” or “starting from.” It marks the moment, place, or amount from which something begins, and often implies continuation beyond that point. Temporal meaning When referring to time, à partir de means…