Capitalization For Intermediate learners
What Is Capitalization in French?
Capitalization (les majuscules) in French is essential for clear, correct, and professional writing. While some rules are similar to English, French has its own conventions for sentences, proper nouns, titles, acronyms, and other categories.
Capitalization at the Beginning of Sentences
Always capitalize the first letter of the first word of a sentence. It applies to all types of sentences: declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, or imperative.
Il fait beau aujourd'hui.
It is sunny today.
Comment vas-tu ?
How are you?
Attention !
Watch out!
Capitalize the first letter after ., !, ?, or … if a new sentence begins.
J'aime le chocolat. Et toi, quel est ton dessert préféré ?
I like chocolate. And you, what is your favorite dessert?
Il est tard ! Rentrez vite.
It's late! Go home quickly.
In French, the word following a colon is usually not capitalized, unless it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence in formal writing.
Elle m'a dit: il viendra demain.
She told me: he will come tomorrow.
Les participants sont: Alice, Bob et Claire.
The participants are: Alice, Bob, and Claire.
Proper Nouns
Names of specific people, places, organizations, or things are always capitalized.
Marie Curie a découvert le polonium.
Marie Curie discovered polonium.
Nous irons à Lyon cet été.
We will go to Lyon this summer.
Microsoft a lancé un nouveau logiciel.
Microsoft launched a new software.
Tip!
Titles like président, docteur, maire are not capitalized unless part of the full official name.
Le président Macron…
President Macron…
Emmanuel Macron, Président de la République
Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic
Titles in French (Livres, Films, Articles, Songs, etc.)
In French, only the first word of a title is capitalized. All subsequent words are lowercase, unless they are proper nouns.
Le Petit Prince
The Little Prince
Les Misérables
The Miserables
Harry Potter et la Chambre des Secrets
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Names of people, places, or brands in a title remain capitalized, even if they are not the first word.
Le journal de Mickey
Mickey's Journal
Voyage à Paris
Trip to Paris
Les aventures de Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin
A colon in a title does not change the capitalization rule; only the first word after a colon may be capitalized if it starts a new sentence or is a proper noun.
Les fleurs du mal: poèmes choisis
The Flowers of Evil: Selected Poems
Histoire de France: le Moyen Âge
History of France: the Middle Ages
Warning!
Words like et, de, du, la, en, à are never capitalized in a title unless they are the first word.
Acronyms and Initialisms
Acronyms and initialisms are always capitalized, even in the middle of a sentence.
L'ONU joue un rôle important.
The UN plays an important role.
Le projet est financé par la UE.
The project is funded by the EU.
NASA explore l'espace.
NASA explores space.
Days, Months, and Seasons
In French, days of the week, months, and seasons are not capitalized in the middle of a sentence. Capitalize them only when they begin a sentence.
Nous partirons en juillet.
We will leave in July.
Janvier est froid.
January is cold.
En été, il fait très chaud.
In summer, it is very hot.
Geographical Names
Names of continents, countries, regions, cities, rivers, mountains, and landmarks are always capitalized.
L'Europe est vaste.
Europe is vast.
Les États-Unis sont un pays immense.
The United States is a huge country.
L'Île de Ré est magnifique.
Île de Ré is beautiful.
Nationalities, Languages, Religions, and Cultures
Names of languages, nationalities, religions, and cultural identities are lowercase in the middle of a sentence. Capitalize them only if they begin a sentence.
Il parle français et anglais.
He speaks French and English.
Elle est italienne.
She is Italian.
Les festivals célèbrent la culture japonaise.
The festivals celebrate Japanese culture.
Comments
(0)
Recommended
