Daily routines include work or school, meals, free time, and other activities that happen throughout the day.
To describe your own routine, you need expressions for what you do, when you do it, and the order in which things happen.
Talking about the middle of your day
During the day, you may go to work or school, have lunch, and return home:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| aller au travail | to go to work |
| aller à l'école | to go to school |
| commencer le travail | to start work |
| étudier | to study |
| déjeuner | to have lunch |
| finir le travail | to finish work |
| rentrer à la maison | to go home |
You can add a time to show when each activity happens:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je vais au travail à huit heures. | I go to work at eight o'clock. |
| Je commence le travail à neuf heures. | I start work at nine o'clock. |
| Je déjeune à midi. | I have lunch at noon. |
| Je finis le travail à cinq heures. | I finish work at five o'clock. |
| Je rentre à la maison vers six heures. | I go home around six o'clock. |
Your own routine may involve school or other activities instead of work. The same time expressions let you place those activities within your day.
Ending your day
Evening routines can include dinner, relaxing at home, and getting ready for bed:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| dîner | to have dinner |
| regarder la télé | to watch TV |
| lire | to read |
| écouter de la musique | to listen to music |
| se détendre | to relax |
| se coucher | to go to bed |
| s'endormir | to fall asleep |
Se coucher means to go to bed, while s'endormir means to fall asleep:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je dîne à sept heures. | I have dinner at seven o'clock. |
| Je regarde la télé après le dîner. | I watch TV after dinner. |
| Je lis avant de me coucher. | I read before going to bed. |
| Je me couche vers onze heures. | I go to bed around eleven o'clock. |
| Je m'endors vers onze heures et demie. | I fall asleep around eleven thirty. |
Saying when things happen
Parts of the day and clock times let you say when an activity happens:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le matin | in the morning |
| à midi | at noon |
| l'après-midi | in the afternoon |
| le soir | in the evening |
| à sept heures | at seven o'clock |
| vers huit heures | around eight o'clock |
Use à for a specific time and vers when the time is approximate:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Le matin, je vais au travail. | In the morning, I go to work. |
| Je déjeune à midi. | I have lunch at noon. |
| L'après-midi, je travaille. | In the afternoon, I work. |
| Je rentre à la maison vers six heures. | I go home around six o'clock. |
| Le soir, je regarde la télé. | In the evening, I watch TV. |
Putting your routine in order
When you describe several activities, words such as d'abord, ensuite, and puis show the order in which they happen:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| d'abord | first |
| ensuite | next / then |
| puis | then |
| après | afterward |
| enfin | finally |
You can use them with activities from different parts of your day:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| D'abord, je vais au travail. | First, I go to work. |
| Ensuite, je déjeune à midi. | Next, I have lunch at noon. |
| Puis, je rentre à la maison. | Then, I go home. |
| Enfin, je me couche. | Finally, I go to bed. |
You do not need a sequence word before every activity. Use them when they help make the order of your routine clear.
From learning to practice
As you move through your day, try to describe what you are doing and when you do it. At the end of the day, see if you can recall a few activities in order using d'abord, ensuite, or puis.