Capitalization in French
As a general rule, French doesn't use capital letters as much as English. Let's review the main rules
regarding capitalization in French.
Beginning of Sentences and Following Punctuation
The most common use of capital letters is at the beginning of a sentence. Just like in English,
French sentences always begin with a capital letter: C'est la vie !
Proper Nouns and Titles
Names (first, middle, and last) start with a capital letter: Victor Hugo.
Geographical proper names (countries, regions, cities, rivers, mountains, seas, etc.) also start with a
capital letter: France, Alsace, Paris, la Seine, les Alpes, la Méditerranée.
When an adjective or a common noun has become a title or a nickname, they acquire a capital
letter: Alexandre le Grand (Alexander the Great) or Saint-Germain-des-Prés (a neighborhood in
Paris, literally 'Saint-Germain-in-the-Fields').
Titles and professions do NOT use capital letters: le ministre (the Minister), le prêtre (the priest), le
général (the general).
But words which characterize a title or profession DO use a capital letter: le ministre de la Santé (the
Minister of Health), le ministère de l'Intérieur (the Department of State), le secrétaire d'État aux
Transports (the Secretary of State for Transport), le président de la République (the President of the
Republic), le Premier ministre (the Prime Minister).
There's just one exception: le Président, when referring to le président de la République (the
President of the Republic).
Nationalities, Languages, Religions, and Ideologies
In French, nationalities require a capital letter if referring to the inhabitant or the people, as in a
proper noun: un Français (a Frenchman), un Américain (an American citizen), les Canadiens
(Canadians), les Belges (Belgians).
HOWEVER, languages and nationalities do NOT take capital letters in French: un livre espagnol (a
Spanish book), la cuisine chinoise (Chinese cuisine), le japonais (Japanese language), l'Union
européenne (the European Union), la République française (the French Republic).
The same is true for religious groups and ideologies: les musulmans (Muslims), les juifs (Jews), les
chrétiens (Christians), les bouddhistes (Buddhists), les communistes (Communists), les marxistes
(Marxists).
Days, Months and Seasons
Unlike in English, days, months and seasons in French do NOT have capital letters:
lundi (Monday), dimanche (Sunday), avril (April), décembre (December), le printemps (Spring).
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