French word

hier

Pronunciation

IPA/jɛʁ/

Meaning

  • adverbyesterday

Example

Tu as téléphoné hier ?

Did you call yesterday?

Illustration for hier (yesterday)

More examples

J'ai vu Marie hier soir.

I saw Marie yesterday evening.

Core concept

A small calendar label attached to an event one day behind the present speaking day.

Common phrases

  • hier soir

    yesterday evening

  • hier matin

    yesterday morning

  • hier après-midi

    yesterday afternoon

Similar words

aujourd'hui: The current day.
demain: The day after today.
hier soir: The evening of the previous day.

Definition in French

S'utilise pour situer un fait au jour précédent celui où l'on parle.

Word origin

French hier developed from Latin heri through Old French, with changes in form leading to the modern word.

Usage tips

  • Hier is an adverb, so it normally appears without an article; the noun phrase la veille means the previous day.

Opposites

Word lists with this word