French Phrase
Non, c’est le onze septembre.
Meaning
The speaker is correcting someone, saying ‘No, it’s September 11th.’ The sentence is used to clarify the exact date when there is confusion or disagreement.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to correct a mistaken date, for example in a conversation about appointments, historical events, or travel plans.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Non,c’estleonzeseptembre.
Negation with Non
‘Non’ is the standard way to say ‘No’ in French, used alone or before a statement to contradict a previous claim.
c’est = it is / that is
‘c’est’ is a contraction of ‘ce + est’, used to identify or define something, often followed by a noun or date.
Definite article le with dates
When giving a full date, French uses the definite article ‘le’ before the day number (e.g., le 1er janvier).
Ordinal numbers for dates
In spoken French, the day of the month is expressed as an ordinal number without the suffix –er (except for ‘premier’). Here ‘onze’ is the cardinal form used for 11.
Month names are not capitalized
Unlike English, French month names are written in lowercase (septembre).
🗨In Conversation
Je pensais que la réunion était le dix septembre.
I thought the meeting was on September 10.
Non, c’est le onze septembre.
No, it’s September 11.
✕Common Mistakes
Non, c’est le 11 septembre.
While understandable, the numeral ‘11’ should be written out in full sentences for learners; use ‘onze’ instead of ‘11’.
Non, c’est le onze Septembre.
Month names are not capitalized in French.
Non c’est le onze septembre.
A comma after ‘Non’ helps the pause and mirrors natural speech.
↔Alternatives
Non, c’est le 11 septembre.
No, it’s September 11.
Non, c’est le onze du mois de septembre.
No, it’s the eleventh of September.
Non, c’est le 11/09.
No, it’s 11/09.
Cultural Tip
In France, dates are written day‑month‑year (e.g., 11/09/2024) and spoken with the day first. When mentioning historical dates like 11 September 2001, French speakers often say ‘le onze septembre deux mille un’ to avoid ambiguity. Also, be aware that ‘onze’ is pronounced with a nasal vowel, so practice the nasal /ɔ̃/ sound.