# FR: c'était (le) lundi quand/où/que



## macdevster

C'était lundi quand j'ai reçu l'invitation.

OR

C'était lundi où j'ai reçu l'invitation.


I know that où is a relative pronoun that sometimes means "when" but in the case above, it just doesn't seem right to me.  Or is it a matter of informality, e.g., in spoken language, can one use "quand" in the place of the relative pronoun "où"?  Or am I just all mixed up?

Merci d'avance!


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## LMorland

macdevster said:


> Or is it a matter of informality, e.g., in spoken language, can one use "quand" in the place of the relative pronoun "où"?  Or am I just all mixed up?


Good evening, macdevster,

Are you wanting to know the correct answer for oral speech?  I believe so, but I just want to give you a chance to specify for sure.

My opinion is that I agree with you: this is _not _an instance where "où" is acceptable.  Soon a native speaker should come along to tell us _oui _or _non_ et _pourquoi pas._


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## macdevster

For oral speech or for a brief written note to a friend.  I'm curious, though, if one often uses QUAND in place of OÙ in oral speech, though.  When I teach relative pronouns and we go over this, it always sounds a bit off to me, but I'm not a native speaker so....


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## Benoît abroad

Here are my proposals:

Lundi, quand j'ai reçu l'invitation, ....
and
C'était le lundi où j'ai reçu l'invitation....


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## DearPrudence

My suggestion would have been
*"C'était lundi que j'ai reçu l'invitation" *(pas mardi ou mercredi. Non, lundi !) 

Désolée, je suppose que ça n'aide pas 
Sinon, j'aurais dit comme Benoît Abroad.


Benoît abroad said:


> Lundi, quand j'ai reçu l'invitation, ....
> and
> C'était le lundi où j'ai reçu l'invitation....


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## geostan

Remember that où translates "when" as a relative pronoun, introducing an adjective clause. Quand would be the choice if it is introducing an adverb clause. 

Cheers!


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## macdevster

Hmmmm.....

OK, then I'm still not sure which is correct, because I'm not sure if the second clause is adjectival or adverbial.  Here they are again:

C'était lundi quand j'ai reçu l'invitation.
OR
C'était lundi où j'ai reçu l'invitation.


Merci encore.


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## Forero

When "when" means "on which" or "at which time(s)", you use "où", as in "le lundi où".  Otherwise you use "quand".


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## yvandas

In the original context, I would definetely use "quand".  Où relates to lieu/locations, I believe.


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## geostan

macdevster said:


> C'était lundi quand j'ai reçu l'invitation.
> OR
> C'était lundi où j'ai reçu l'invitation.



In this case, it is quand.

Cheers!


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## giannid

geostan said:


> Remember that où translates "when" as a relative pronoun, introducing an adjective clause. Quand would be the choice if it is introducing an adverb clause.


That sounds good to me.

We use _quand_ in your example because _lundi _is referring to time like 7h. Therefore _C'était lundi quand j'ai reçu l'invitation_, _quand j'ai reçu_... is an adverbial clause.

If you said, _C'était le lundi où j'ai réçu l'invitation_.   où.... starts an adjective clause describing a Monday in particular.


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## Nil-the-Frogg

The use of imparfait sounds weird to me, to begin with. I would have said: "C'est lundi *que *j'ai reçu l'invitation." Or definitely simpler: "J'ai reçu l'invitation lundi."

Otherwise, giannid is right about the use of "où". Example: "Je me souviens très bien de cet accident, c'était le lundi où j'ai reçu l'invitation."


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## yvandas

I agree with what you are proposing and it is correct.  However, I believe that it is getting too far from what macdevester was asking for in the first place.  Unless the originator of the question asks for variants, I believe that we should refrain from proposing text that may only confuse the issue.  My two cents...


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## DearPrudence

I don't think it's confusing.
As far as I'm concerned, none of these suggestions are correct.





macdevster said:


> C'était lundi quand j'ai reçu l'invitation.
> OR
> C'était lundi où j'ai reçu l'invitation.


Hence the need to offer something else... (which is correct this time) 

Only my 0.5 cent


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