French Phrase
C'était quel jour, hier ?
Meaning
The speaker is asking for the specific day of the week that yesterday corresponded to, e.g., "Was yesterday Monday or Tuesday?" It’s a common way to confirm a date after a missed appointment or conversation.
When to use
Use this question when you need to recall the day of the week for a recent past event—perhaps after a busy week, when planning a meeting, or when someone mentions a past activity you missed.
✦Grammar Breakdown
C'étaitqueljour,hier?
C'était
Contraction of "c' + était" (it was). Used for past identification; "c'" stands for "cela".
quel
Interrogative adjective meaning "which/what"; agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
jour
Masculine noun meaning "day"; here it refers to the day of the week.
hier
Adverb of time meaning "yesterday"; placed after the clause in French.
Punctuation
A comma before "hier" is optional in spoken French but often kept in writing to mark a short pause.
🗨In Conversation
C'était quel jour, hier ?
What day was it yesterday?
C'était mardi.
It was Tuesday.
✕Common Mistakes
C'est quel jour, hier ?
Use "c'était" for past reference; "c'est" refers to the present.
Quel jour hier était ?
The verb should precede the interrogative phrase; the natural order is "C'était quel jour, hier ?"
Hier quel jour était ?
Placing "hier" before the question sounds awkward; keep it after the clause.
↔Alternatives
Quel jour était‑ce hier ?
What day was it yesterday?
Hier, c'était quel jour ?
Yesterday, what day was it?
Quel jour était hier ?
What day was yesterday?
Cultural Tip
In French, the past tense "c'était" is frequently used to identify a specific moment in the past, especially when the speaker wants to confirm a detail. While the literal word order can be flexible, placing "hier" after the clause (as in the original sentence) sounds natural and mirrors spoken French rhythm. Also, remember that "quel" never changes in the masculine singular form, even though the noun it modifies (jour) is masculine.