Languages › French A Guide to Using Soir and Soirée in French Idiomatic French Expressions Containing Soir and Soirée Share Flipboard Email Print Westend61 / Getty Images French Vocabulary Pronunciation & Conversation Grammar Resources For Teachers By ThoughtCo Team Updated on August 31, 2017 The French words un soir and une soirée both mean "evening" (we explain the difference here) and are also used in many expressions. Many of the expressions including soir and soirée are idioms — phrases with meanings that can't be derived from a direct translation of the words they use. With this list of expressions using soir and soirée, you can learn how to say frequently used sayings like an evening meal, a night owl, formal wear and more. Common French Expressions With Soir à prendre matin midi et soirto be taken three times a dayau soir de sa vieto be in the evening of his lifeles cours du soirnight classesêtre du soirto be a night owlIl est arrivé un beau soir.He turned up one evening.le repas du soirevening mealune robe du soirevening gownle soir descend / tombeevening is closing inla veille au soirthe previous eveningVoulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir ?Do you want to sleep with me tonight? Common French Expressions Using Soirée bonne soiréehave a nice eveningune soiréeparty, evening performanceune soirée dansantedancela tenue de soiréeformal wear, evening dressla tenue de soirée de rigueurblack tie Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Team, ThoughtCo. "A Guide to Using Soir and Soirée in French." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/french-expressions-with-soir-and-soiree-1368717. Team, ThoughtCo. (2023, April 5). A Guide to Using Soir and Soirée in French. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/french-expressions-with-soir-and-soiree-1368717 Team, ThoughtCo. "A Guide to Using Soir and Soirée in French." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/french-expressions-with-soir-and-soiree-1368717 (accessed June 5, 2023). copy citation