veille

eve, day before

noun VEH-yuh Less Common

Also means

wakefulness, vigil

Usage Note

Veille most commonly means 'the day before' (la veille de Noël = Christmas Eve, la veille de l'examen = the day before the exam). It also covers the idea of staying awake or keeping watch, as in veille technologique ('tech watch/monitoring'). Do not confuse it with vieille ('old woman/old'), which sounds nearly identical.

Examples

"La veille de son départ, elle fit ses valises."

Natural Translation

The day before her departure, she packed her bags.

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