jour

Jour is a French masculine noun meaning day: the 24-hour period from one midnight to the next, a calendar date, or a point in time. It can refer to any day (un jour) or to a specific day (ce jour-là). The term is contrasted with journée, which denotes the daytime portion or the duration of a day, often emphasizing what happens during that day.

Etymology: Jour derives from Old French jorn or jour, from Latin diurnum via Late Latin. The same root appears in the English word journey, which originally referred to a day’s travel and comes from the Old French jornée, illustrating a historical link between the concepts of day and travel.

Usage and phrases: Common expressions include bonjour (hello; literally “good day”), à jour (up to date), jour ouvrable (working day), jour férié (holiday), and jour par jour (day by day). Un jour can mean “a day” or “someday.” Aujourd’hui means today. La journée refers to the entire daytime or to the events of a day, as in “La journée a été longue.”

Notes on distinction: Jour often marks a point in time or a calendar day, while journée emphasizes duration or daytime activity. In everyday language, the two forms are used in complementary ways to describe time, dates, and everyday routines.