French Phrase
Aujourd'hui, c'est le premier mai.
Meaning
The sentence announces the current date, specifically that today is the first day of May. It is a straightforward way to tell someone the date in spoken French.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to state the date, whether in casual conversation, a formal announcement, a news broadcast, or while filling out a calendar. It is especially common on May 1st, which is a public holiday (Fête du Travail) in France.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Aujourd'hui,c'estlepremiermai.
Aujourd'hui
An adverb meaning 'today', formed from 'au jour d'hui' (on the day of today).
c'est
Contraction of 'ce' (this/it) + 'est' (is); used to identify or describe.
le
Definite article used before masculine singular nouns, including months.
premier
Ordinal number meaning 'first'; agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
mai
Name of the month May; months are written in lowercase in French.
🗨In Conversation
Quel jour sommes‑nous aujourd'hui ?
What day is it today?
Aujourd'hui, c'est le premier mai.
Today is the first of May.
✕Common Mistakes
Aujourd'hui, c'est le premier Mai.
Months are not capitalized in French; write 'mai' in lowercase.
Aujourd'hui, c'est le premier du mai.
The preposition 'du' is not used here; the correct construction is 'le premier mai'.
Aujourd'hui, c'est le premier du mois.
This changes the meaning to 'the first of the month' without specifying which month.
↔Alternatives
Nous sommes le premier mai.
We are the first of May.
C'est le 1er mai.
It's the 1st of May.
Aujourd'hui, c'est le 1er mai.
Today, it's the 1st of May.
Cultural Tip
May 1st is Fête du Travail (Labour Day) in France. It is customary to give a sprig of lily of the valley (muguet) as a token of good luck. Remember that French month names are never capitalized, unlike English, so write 'mai' in lowercase.