mercredi

Mercredi is the French word for Wednesday, the day of the week that follows mardi and precedes jeudi. It is typically regarded as the midweek day in cultures that place Monday as the start of the workweek, and is used in everyday phrases such as Aujourd’hui, c’est mercredi. In calendars, the abbreviation mer. is commonly seen.

Etymology and cognates: The term derives from Latin Mercurii dies, the day of Mercury. This origin is reflected in several Romance languages, including Spanish miércoles and Italian mercoledì. In Portuguese, the corresponding day is quarta-feira, derived from quarta, meaning “fourth,” a naming pattern that differs from the Mercury-based tradition.

Usage and grammar: In French, days of the week are masculine: le lundi, le mardi, le mercredi, le jeudi, le vendredi, le samedi, le dimanche. The word is written lowercase unless it begins a sentence. When referring to a recurring event, one can say par exemple: « Le mercredi, nous avons réunion ».

Context and notes: The ISO-8601 standard designates Monday as the first day of the week, which places mercredi as the third day of the week in that framework. The word’s meaning is strictly temporal and is not tied to a religious or seasonal designation. Mercredi also appears in cultural and media contexts within French-speaking communities as a straightforward label for the midweek day.