journée

Journée is a French feminine noun that denotes the duration of a day or the period from morning to evening, with emphasis on the daylight portion. In common use, it can refer to a calendar day, a working day, or the experiences and activities occurring during that day. The word contrasts with jour, which more often names a calendar date or the abstract notion of a day.

Etymology: Journée comes from Old French journie or journée, formed from jour “day” with the suffix -ée; the root ultimately derives from Latin diurnum through the evolution of Romance languages.

Usage and examples: The term appears in many everyday expressions, such as une journée de travail (a workday), une bonne journée (a good day), or Cette journée a été longue (This day has been long). It can denote the daylight hours, as in la journée a commencé au lever du soleil, or the portion of the day that has passed.

Plural and variants: The plural journées refers to multiple days or spans of daylight, as in les journées des vacances. The phrase journée entière emphasizes the entire day.

Cultural notes: In French, journées often frame daily routines, weather summaries, or events, such as la météo de la journée or une journée bien remplie.