How to Describe Your Daily Routine in French: Present Tense and Time Expressions
Learn to say what you do every day in French using the present tense and time expressions like 'à 7 heures', 'puis', and 'ensuite'.
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In this lesson, you will learn how to describe a typical day in French, from waking up to going to work. We focus on regular activities using the present tense and common time expressions. You will practice saying sentences like 'Je me réveille à 7 heures, puis je vais au travail.' This is different from talking about weekend plans, which often uses the near future or specific future tenses. Here, we stick to habitual actions.
By the end, you can…
- say what time I wake up and go to work in French.
- use time expressions like 'à 7 heures', 'puis', and 'ensuite' to sequence my day.
- conjugate common reflexive verbs like 'se réveiller' and 'se lever' in the present tense.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Je me réveille à 7 heures.
I wake up at 7 o'clock.
zhuh muh ray-vay-yuh ah set uhr
Use this to state your wake-up time. 'Se réveiller' is reflexive; the 'me' changes with the subject.
Je me lève à 7 heures et quart.
I get up at quarter past 7.
zhuh muh lev ah set uhr eh kar
'Se lever' means to get out of bed. 'Et quart' means 'and a quarter'.
Je prends mon petit-déjeuner.
I have breakfast.
zhuh prahn mon puh-tee day-zhuh-nay
In France, 'petit-déjeuner' is breakfast. In Quebec, 'déjeuner' means breakfast.
Ensuite, je vais au travail.
Then I go to work.
ahn-sweet, zhuh vay oh trah-vye
'Ensuite' means 'then' or 'next'. 'Au travail' means 'to work' or 'to the office'.
Je commence à travailler à 9 heures.
I start working at 9 o'clock.
zhuh koh-mahns ah trah-vah-yay ah nuf uhr
Use 'commencer à' + infinitive to say when you start an activity.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To describe your daily routine, use the present tense of reflexive verbs for morning actions and regular -er verbs for work. For example: 'Je me réveille à 7 heures' (I wake up at 7), 'Je me lave' (I wash), 'Je m'habille' (I get dressed), 'Je vais au travail' (I go to work). Time expressions like 'à 7 heures', 'à 8 heures et demie' (at 8:30), 'vers 9 heures' (around 9) come after the verb or at the end. Sequence words like 'puis' (then), 'ensuite' (next), 'après' (after) connect actions: 'Je me réveille, puis je me lève.'
When to use it
Use this present tense and time expressions when talking about habits or routines: what you do every day, usually, or on weekdays. For example: 'Le matin, je me réveille à 7 heures.' (In the morning, I wake up at 7.) To talk about weekend plans or future activities, French often uses the near future: 'Je vais aller au cinéma samedi.' (I'm going to go to the cinema on Saturday.) So keep the present for regular activities and use 'aller + infinitive' for specific future plans.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
À quelle heure tu te réveilles ?
What time do you wake up?ah kel uhr too tuh ray-vay-yuhJe me réveille à 7 heures, puis je me lève à 7 heures et quart.
I wake up at 7, then I get up at quarter past 7.zhuh muh ray-vay-yuh ah set uhr, pwee zhuh muh lev ah set uhr eh karEt après, tu fais quoi ?
And after that, what do you do?eh ah-pray, too feh kwahJe prends mon petit-déjeuner, ensuite je vais au travail à 8 heures et demie.
I have breakfast, then I go to work at 8:30.zhuh prahn mon puh-tee day-zhuh-nay, ahn-sweet zhuh vay oh trah-vye ah weet uhr eh duh-meeA little context goes a long way
In France, 'petit-déjeuner' is breakfast, 'déjeuner' is lunch, and 'dîner' is dinner. In Quebec, 'déjeuner' means breakfast, 'dîner' means lunch, and 'souper' means dinner. Be aware of these regional differences when talking about meals.
One thing to watch for
Saying 'Je réveille à 7 heures' instead of 'Je me réveille à 7 heures'.
Try this instead: 'Se réveiller' is reflexive, so you need the reflexive pronoun 'me' before the verb. The correct form is 'Je me réveille à 7 heures.' Without 'me', it means 'I wake someone up'.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I get up at 7:30' in French?
Show a sample answer
Je me lève à 7 heures et demie.
'Se lever' is reflexive, so use 'me' for 'je'. '7:30' is '7 heures et demie'.
2Translate: 'Then I go to work.'
Show a sample answer
Ensuite, je vais au travail.
'Ensuite' means 'then' or 'next'. 'Je vais au travail' means 'I go to work'.
3What is the difference between 'Je me réveille' and 'Je réveille'?
Show a sample answer
'Je me réveille' means 'I wake up' (myself), while 'Je réveille' means 'I wake (someone else) up'.
The reflexive pronoun 'me' indicates the action is done to oneself. Without it, the verb is transitive and needs an object.
Use the present tense and reflexive verbs to describe your daily routine in French. Remember to include the reflexive pronoun for morning actions, and use time expressions like 'à 7 heures' and sequence words like 'puis' and 'ensuite'.
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