Look at how we say next and last with durations:
Le weekend prochain, nous allons à Brighton.
Next weekend, we're going to Brighton.
La semaine dernière, j'ai rencontré ses parents.
Last week, I met her parents.
La fois dernière, c'était parce qu'il était malade!
Last time, it was because he was sick!
Le mois dernier, j'ai passé deux semaines à l'étranger.
Last month, I spent two weeks abroad.
L'année prochaine, il commence l'université.
Next year, he's starting university.
In French when you say next/last + [generic duration term] (month, week, year...), you will use :
le/la/l' + [duration term] + prochain/prochaine (next)
le/la/l' + [duration term] + dernier/dernière (last)
Note that to say the next day or the following day in French, you use le lendemain, and the previous day/the day before is la veille.
See also the more advanced When to use "demain"/"hier" vs "le lendemain"/"la veille" vs "le jour suivant"/"le jour précédent"
ATTENTION:
For specific days (next Monday, last Friday, ...), you won't use the definite article le :
Mardi prochain, elle va à un concert.
Next Tuesday, she is going to a concert.
Jeudi dernier, je t'ai donné mon coeur.
Last Thursday, I gave you my heart.
For specific months (last February, next March, ...), you will use :
En janvier dernier, Simon a emménagé en France.
Last January, Simon moved to France.
En septembre prochain, Gareth visitera Madrid.
Next September, Gareth will visit Madrid.
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
En janvier dernier, Simon a emménagé en France.
Last January, Simon moved to France.
Le weekend prochain, nous allons à Brighton.
Next weekend, we're going to Brighton.
Mardi prochain, elle va à un concert.
Next Tuesday, she is going to a concert.
La semaine dernière, j'ai rencontré ses parents.
Last week, I met her parents.
La fois dernière, c'était parce qu'il était malade!
Last time, it was because he was sick!
Jeudi dernier, je t'ai donné mon coeur.
Last Thursday, I gave you my heart.
L'année prochaine, il commence l'université.
Next year, he's starting university.
En septembre prochain, Gareth visitera Madrid.
Next September, Gareth will visit Madrid.
Le mois dernier, j'ai passé deux semaines à l'étranger.
Last month, I spent two weeks abroad.
Q&A
Lucy
Kwiziq community member
27 February 2019
0 replies
Why do we say à la semaine prochaine, but we say prochaine juin? Why does prochain come after “week” but before a certain month?
Chris
Kwiziq community member
2/05/18
Hi Patrick,
this is a question about nuance which, of course, benefits from the input of a native speaker. That said, I would say that they are about as similar to each other as "last year" and "the year past".
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Chris
Kwiziq community member
25/04/18
Hi Nabeel,
this is a very good question and got me thinking.
prochain before the noun somehow implies the next within a sequence.
prochain after the noun implies the temporally next occurrence.
Here is an example. Suppose you're sitting in a meeting which convenes every other Monday (i.e., every two weeks). Then someone says either of the two sentences below:
On en parlera plus prochain lundi. -- This refers to the next Monday on which the meeting will reconvene, i.e., Monday in two weeks.
On en parlera plus lundi prochain. -- In this case the speaker refers to the Monday immediately following the meeting.
I hope that makes sense. Certainly, this topic would benefit from the input of a native speaker.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Aurélie
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10/03/17
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John
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24/10/16
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Jennifer
Kwiziq community member
3/08/16
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
13/06/16
Bonjour Melody !
Thanks for pointing this out: I checked with my AngloSaxon colleagues, and indeed you would use 'to' in English:
Simon moved to France.
Thanks to you, it's now been edited!
Merci et à bientôt !
jennifer
Kwiziq community member
15 March 2019
0 replies
commencera
L'année prochaine, il commence l'université.Next year, he's starting university.why do we not say:-
L'année prochaine, il commencera à l'université