Thanks for the quick and definitive response Cecile.
Andrea
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 :
[day of the week] + dernier / prochain
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 + [month] + dernier / prochain
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
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.
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!
Q&A Forum 14 questions, 16 answers
Thanks Andrea,
If you could post these remarks on the actual question answered that would be great as this creates another question ( which is not a question) if you get my meaning!
Andrea asked:View original
Thanks for responding
Thanks for the quick and definitive response Cecile.
Andrea
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AndreaKwiziq community member
pronunciation of FOIS and MOIS
In this lesson, these two words sounded like 'Foy" and 'Moy" (like the english word 'toy'). A subsequent lesson on adjectives that change meaning according to position had the speaker (a male) pronounce them like' Mwa' and ' Fwa'. ( Google translate and Forvo used the latter pronunciation too) . Could some one please shed light on this?
Asked 3 months ago
Hi Andrea,
I have listened to the two examples using ‘mois’ and ‘fois’ in the lesson and I hear ‘mwa’ and ‘fwa’ which is the correct pronunciation.
However, the recording is of poor quality so will see if something can be done about it.
Hope this helps!
Andrea asked:View original
pronunciation of FOIS and MOIS
In this lesson, these two words sounded like 'Foy" and 'Moy" (like the english word 'toy'). A subsequent lesson on adjectives that change meaning according to position had the speaker (a male) pronounce them like' Mwa' and ' Fwa'. ( Google translate and Forvo used the latter pronunciation too) . Could some one please shed light on this?
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CharlesKwiziq community member
‘Prochaines’ before or after ‘vacances’
Is ‘Pour mes prochaines vacances’ (writing challenge B1 My Next Holiday) because the writer assumes there will be more than one more holiday? (ie, the next in an expected future series). Would it be ‘Pour mes vacances prochaines’ if the next was thought to be the last?
Asked 4 months ago
Mary AnneKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
I have the same question as Charles. What is the reason "prochaines" is places before the noun? Thanks for your help.
Charles asked:View original
‘Prochaines’ before or after ‘vacances’
Is ‘Pour mes prochaines vacances’ (writing challenge B1 My Next Holiday) because the writer assumes there will be more than one more holiday? (ie, the next in an expected future series). Would it be ‘Pour mes vacances prochaines’ if the next was thought to be the last?
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PaulKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Tomorrow will be Monday
Hi, Is there a Kwiziq lesson on the construction "demain on sera lundi" or "demain nous serons lundi" as a translation of "tomorrow will be Monday"?
Asked 6 months ago
Hi Paul,
No apart from the following Kwiziq lesson on the future tense of 'être' -
https://kwiziq.learnfrenchwithalexa.com/revision/grammar/conjugate-etre-in-le-futur-future-tense
In every day speech , you would probably just use the present tense as imminent -
'Demain c'est lundi'
Hope this helps!
PaulKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Merci Cécile, C'était une phrase dans une traduction Kwiziq le semaine dernière. Je comprends mieux maintenant. Bonne journée, Paul.
Paul asked:View original
Tomorrow will be Monday
Hi, Is there a Kwiziq lesson on the construction "demain on sera lundi" or "demain nous serons lundi" as a translation of "tomorrow will be Monday"?
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JenniferKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
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
Asked 7 months ago
Jennifer asked:View original
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
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LucyKwiziq community member
Why do we say à la semaine prochaine, but we say prochaine juin? Why does prochain come after “week” but before a certain month?
Asked 8 months ago
Lucy asked:View original
Why do we say à la semaine prochaine, but we say prochaine juin? Why does prochain come after “week” but before a certain month?
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PatrickKwiziq community member
Is there a difference between "l'année passée" and "l'année dernière" or can they both mean "last year"? Thanks!
Asked 1 year ago
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
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).
Patrick asked:View original
Is there a difference between "l'année passée" and "l'année dernière" or can they both mean "last year"? Thanks!
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NabeelKwiziq community member
La prochaine
Je vais à l'université la prochaine année is considered wrong, while l’année prochaine is considered right. Explain please.
Asked 1 year ago
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
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).
Nabeel asked:View original
La prochaine
Je vais à l'université la prochaine année is considered wrong, while l’année prochaine is considered right. Explain please.
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YuriKwiziq community member
What is the difference between "jeudi prochain" and "le jeudi d'arpès»?
Would it be correct to explain that "jeudi prochain" is the next Thursday, i.e. from today, while "jeudi d'après" is "the following Thursday" regardless the time reference point (i.e. it could be the next Thursday from the event that had taken place a year ago) ?
Asked 2 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Yuri !
You got it! Basically "jeudi prochain" is used to talk about a future action from a present standpoint (= next Thursday), whereas "le jeudi d'après" is used to express "the following Thursday".
À bientôt !
Yuri asked:View original
What is the difference between "jeudi prochain" and "le jeudi d'arpès»?
Would it be correct to explain that "jeudi prochain" is the next Thursday, i.e. from today, while "jeudi d'après" is "the following Thursday" regardless the time reference point (i.e. it could be the next Thursday from the event that had taken place a year ago) ?
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MelodyKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
En septembre prochain, Gareth visite Madrid.
Why not the future simple? Gareth visitera Madrid. Apologies, this has probably been addressed in another lesson, but it's not coming to me now.
Asked 2 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Melody !
Here Le Présent is acceptable, like "Gareth is visiting Madrid next September" could be correct as well.
However, I agree that Le Futur Simple would be better here, as this is not in the immediate future.
I've decided to change this example accordingly.
Merci et à bientôt !
Melody asked:View original
En septembre prochain, Gareth visite Madrid.
Why not the future simple? Gareth visitera Madrid. Apologies, this has probably been addressed in another lesson, but it's not coming to me now.
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JohnKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Prochain vs Suivant
I get confused between prochain and suivant. The next day is le jour suivant, but the next summer is l'ete prochain, right? How do I know when to use what? Thanks.
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour John !
The difference is as such:
- "Prochain" = (x) next
l'été prochain = NEXT summer
- "Suivant" = following/next
l'été suivant = the following summer / THE next summer
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
JohnKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
So the difference is that suivant goes with THE?
So, l'été prochain je vais visiter Paris, et l'été suivant (deux ans de maintenant) je vais visiter Madrid.
Is that correct? Thanks.
John asked:View original
Prochain vs Suivant
I get confused between prochain and suivant. The next day is le jour suivant, but the next summer is l'ete prochain, right? How do I know when to use what? Thanks.
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IvoKwiziq community member
La fois dernière vs. la dernière fois
Je n'arrive pas a comprendre la différence
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Ivo,
This lesson has been recently updated, please have a look at it again, and let me know if it still confuses you :)
Ivo asked:View original
La fois dernière vs. la dernière fois
Je n'arrive pas a comprendre la différence
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JenniferKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
la prochaine fois
I have encountered la prochaine fois recently. Why might prochain (e) precede the verb?
Asked 3 years ago
LauraKwiziq team member
Bonjour Jennifer,
There's a slight difference in meaning.
La fois prochaine means "next time - and soon."
La prochaine fois means "next time" whenever that may be.
Jennifer asked:View original
la prochaine fois
I have encountered la prochaine fois recently. Why might prochain (e) precede the verb?
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MelodyKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Simon a emménagé en France.
Just curious about the translation of en = in. Is "to France" also correct, depending on the context?
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
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 !
Melody asked:View original
Simon a emménagé en France.
Just curious about the translation of en = in. Is "to France" also correct, depending on the context?
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