Audrey adore le mercredi/les mercredis

David S.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Audrey adore le mercredi/les mercredis

I was marked wrong for "Audrey adore les mercredis". It wanted "Audrey adore le mercredi". But it appears from the web that both are used, even if the singlar version is more popular.

"J'aime le mercredi" has 232,000 hits

"J'aime les mercredis" has 43,300 hits

So shouldn't this lesson cover the duality and shouldn't the quiz question accept both answers?

Asked 6 years ago
CécileNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Hi David and Alan,

Although in some cases you can say 'les + jour de la semaine', it will be in cases like the ones you mention, to like, to hate. If you use préférer, it will be for instance, 

Je préfère le jeudi au lundi. (I prefer Thursdays to Mondays.)

The point of the lesson was to avoid classic mistakes for On + Day of the week and to encourage students to use, le mercredile weekend etc...

To use both in the lesson would serve to confuse rather than to help.

You will find exceptions to all the rules you encounter and this is one of them.

Hope this helps!

AurélieNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Bonjour à tous !

From my native point of view, using les is not really correct when making a general statement. 
@David, following your remark on Google occurrences (note that the ratio was 1 to 4 in favour of le), I had a look at cases with les, and they're mostly different contexts such as:

- using either "ces mercredis-là",
complements "les mercredis où je reste à la maison",
or possessive adjectives "nos mercredis à la plage".
In such cases, you will use the plural as you're referring to a certain number of Wednesdays but not *all* of them in a general manner.

As for the song, I listened to it and apart from the title phrase, she actually uses the singular in the lyrics "le dimanche", confirming my impression of poetic license here :)

I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !

Alan G.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
I wonder about this too. There's a famous song: Je hais les dimanches.
David S.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Ok, so it would be inappropriate to chnage the lesson. But why was I marked wrong if the answer is valid French?
Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Because that wasn't the point of the lesson. 

-- Chris. 

David S.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
But the question is encountered outside the lesson - perhaps weeks later. At this stage the lesson is not the focus - the goal is to use French correctly.

Audrey adore le mercredi/les mercredis

I was marked wrong for "Audrey adore les mercredis". It wanted "Audrey adore le mercredi". But it appears from the web that both are used, even if the singlar version is more popular.

"J'aime le mercredi" has 232,000 hits

"J'aime les mercredis" has 43,300 hits

So shouldn't this lesson cover the duality and shouldn't the quiz question accept both answers?

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