French Phrase
C'est le 20 octobre.
Meaning
This phrase is the standard way to state the date in French. It uses the present tense of the verb 'être' (to be) combined with the definite article 'le' and the specific number and month. Note that in French, months are not capitalized unless they appear at the start of a sentence.
When to use
Use this phrase to answer questions about the current date or to specify when an event is taking place. It is appropriate for both casual conversations and professional settings.
✦Grammar Breakdown
C'estle20octobre
C'est
A contraction of 'ce' and 'est', meaning 'it is'. It is used to identify things or state facts like the date.
le
The masculine definite article. It is mandatory before the number when giving the date in French.
octobre
French months are not capitalized. Most months in French follow a similar spelling to English but with different pronunciations.
🗨In Conversation
Quelle est la date aujourd'hui ?
What is the date today?
C'est le 20 octobre.
It's October 20th.
✕Common Mistakes
C'est 20 octobre.
In French, you must always use the definite article 'le' before the number when stating the date.
C'est le vingtième octobre.
French uses cardinal numbers (2, 3, 20) for dates, not ordinal numbers, with the sole exception of the first of the month (le 1er).
↔Alternatives
On est le 20 octobre.
It's October 20th (informal).
Nous sommes le 20 octobre.
We are on October 20th (formal).
Aujourd'hui, c'est le 20 octobre.
Today is October 20th.
Cultural Tip
In the French-speaking world, dates are strictly written in the Day-Month-Year format (20/10/2023). When speaking, remember that months are masculine, though the gender is usually hidden by the article 'le' which refers to the day number.