Spanish Days of the week
Learning the days of the week in Spanish is essential for effective communication in various contexts, whether you’re scheduling meetings, making plans, or talking about your routine. Knowing these words, along with how to use them correctly in sentences, will improve your fluency and confidence in speaking Spanish.
1. The Days of the Week
Below is a list of the days of the week in Spanish with their English equivalents:
Lunes (Monday)
Martes (Tuesday)
Miércoles (Wednesday)
Jueves (Thursday)
Viernes (Friday)
Sábado (Saturday)
Domingo (Sunday)
Cultural Note:
In many Spanish-speaking countries, Monday (lunes) is considered the first day of the week, especially in formal settings like calendars and work schedules. This contrasts with the view in some English-speaking countries where Sunday (domingo) is often regarded as the first day of the week. Understanding this difference can help you navigate conversations about weekly planning.
2. Pronunciation Guide
Pronouncing the days of the week correctly is important for making yourself understood. Here’s a quick pronunciation guide:
Lunes: /loo-nes/
Martes: /mar-tes/
Miércoles: /mee-er-co-les/
Jueves: /hwe-ves/
Viernes: /vee-er-nes/
Sábado: /sa-ba-do/
Domingo: /do-meen-go/
Tip:
The letter "J" in jueves is pronounced as an aspirated /h/ sound, similar to the English "h" in "house." In miércoles, the stress falls on the first syllable (MIE-), and the "é" has an accent, indicating where the stress should be placed. Practicing these pronunciations will help you sound more natural when speaking.
3. Capitalization and Usage
One key difference between English and Spanish is that the days of the week are not capitalized in Spanish, except at the beginning of a sentence. This contrasts with English, where the days of the week are always capitalized regardless of their position in the sentence.
Examples:
English: I will visit on Tuesday.
Spanish: Visitaré el martes.
Tip:
In formal written Spanish, if you start a sentence with a day of the week, then it’s capitalized. For example, "Lunes es mi día favorito" (Monday is my favorite day). Otherwise, keep them in lowercase.
4. Plural Form of Days
To form the plural of the days of the week in Spanish, you generally just add an -s to the singular form. However, there are exceptions for sábado (Saturday) and domingo (Sunday), which become sábados and domingos in the plural.
Lunes (Monday) -> Lunes (Mondays)
Martes (Tuesday) -> Martes (Tuesdays)
Miércoles (Wednesday) -> Miércoles (Wednesdays)
Jueves (Thursday) -> Jueves (Thursdays)
Viernes (Friday) -> Viernes (Fridays)
Sábado (Saturday) -> Sábados (Saturdays)
Domingo (Sunday) -> Domingos (Sundays)
Tip:
When talking about something that happens regularly on a certain day, you use the plural form of the day, as in "Los domingos voy al parque" (On Sundays, I go to the park).
5. Using Days of the Week in Sentences
Knowing how to correctly incorporate the days of the week into sentences is crucial for everyday communication. Here are examples of how you can use them:
Hoy es lunes. (Today is Monday.)
Tenemos una reunión el miércoles. (We have a meeting on Wednesday.)
Voy al cine los viernes. (I go to the movies on Fridays.)
El sábado salimos a cenar. (On Saturday, we go out for dinner.)
Los domingos descanso. (On Sundays, I rest.)
Notice how you use "el" before the day when referring to a single instance (e.g., "el miércoles" for "on Wednesday") and "los" when talking about a repeated action on that day (e.g., "los viernes" for "on Fridays").
6. Prepositions with Days of the Week
In Spanish, the preposition "el" is used when referring to events happening on specific days in the singular, and "los" is used for repeated events happening on the same day in the plural.
Examples:
El sábado (On Saturday) – Referring to a specific Saturday.
Los domingos (On Sundays) – Referring to Sundays in general or regularly occurring Sundays.
This usage is important when you are scheduling events or discussing routines.
Other Time-related Prepositions:
Hasta el lunes (See you on Monday).
Desde el martes (Starting from Tuesday).
Para el jueves (By Thursday).
Understanding these prepositions helps when talking about deadlines, appointments, and plans.
7. Expressions and Idioms with Days of the Week
The days of the week frequently appear in Spanish expressions and idioms, often reflecting cultural habits or sentiments associated with certain days. These idioms provide a fun way to integrate the days of the week into your everyday speech.
Common Expressions:
¡Gracias a Dios es viernes! (Thank God it's Friday!)
Equivalent to the English "TGIF," this expression reflects the joy of reaching the end of the workweek.
Hasta el lunes. (See you on Monday.)
A simple and common way to say goodbye when you’ll see someone after the weekend.
No tengo cuerpo de lunes. (I don't have a Monday body.)
This informal phrase refers to feeling sluggish or tired, particularly at the start of the week.
De lunes a viernes. (From Monday to Friday.)
This phrase is used to refer to something that happens during the workweek.
Sábado sabadete, camisa nueva y polvete.
This playful expression suggests Saturday is a day for new things, often associated with dressing well and romantic encounters.
8. Days of the Week in Daily Life
In everyday life, knowing the days of the week is critical for understanding schedules, attending classes, meetings, and making plans. For example:
Tengo clases de español los miércoles y viernes. (I have Spanish classes on Wednesdays and Fridays.)
La fiesta es el sábado por la noche. (The party is on Saturday night.)
El lunes es feriado. (Monday is a holiday.)
When discussing work or school schedules, it’s helpful to practice using the days of the week to express which days you have specific tasks, classes, or commitments.
Practice Exercises
To help you solidify your understanding of the days of the week in Spanish, here are a few exercises:
Translate these sentences into Spanish:
I will see you on Wednesday.
We go to the gym on Fridays.
The meeting is on Tuesday.
Fill in the blanks:
Hoy es ____. (Today is Monday.)
Nos vemos el ____. (See you on Thursday.)
Ellos descansan los ____. (They rest on Sundays.)
Create sentences using the following:
El jueves
Los sábados
Hasta el lunes
By practicing these exercises, you’ll become more comfortable with using the days of the week in a variety of contexts, helping you become more fluent in Spanish.
Mastering the days of the week in Spanish will significantly enhance your ability to communicate, especially in everyday scenarios like planning events, discussing schedules, or expressing routines. Keep practicing, and soon using these words will feel second nature!
Also visit our Spanish Short Stories page, where you'll find engaging stories tailored to various skill levels, helping you boost vocabulary and comprehension in a fun, immersive way.
