For students of Spanish, it is very necessary to learn the days of the week in Spanish. After all, not knowing what day your friend wants to hang out, which day your class is scheduled, or what day your boss wants an appointment at the office can make it difficult to get a lot of important activities accomplished.
Thankfully, it’s easy to learn the Spanish names of the days of la semana (the week). Learning the days of the week is fundamental to talk about the most basic tasks of each day. In this article, we will teach you what they are and how to say the days of the week in Spanish.
If you follow our suggestions and after practicing enough, you will reach a level where you’ll be able to say los días de la semana (the days of the week) as a native!
Origin Of The Names Of The Days Of The Week In Spanish
The inspiration to order the days of the week in Spanish was very close, that is what the Romans believed. Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn give names to the different days from Monday to Sunday, a fact that happened centuries ago and that now is our daily life.
And the fact is that the etymology of the days of the week in Spanish has its origin in Ancient Rome, as José Enrique Gargallo, Professor of Romance Philology at the University of Barcelona, explains:
“At that time, about two millennia ago, the Romans adopted the Hellenic tradition of naming the days of the week according to the main stars and planets that represented their divinities. These celestial bodies were: the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and the Sun”.
Although the Romans made this list, years later religion came to define the days, so Saturday would refer to the Hebrew day of the Sabbath. And Sunday became Christianized, being the ‘Domenicos Dies’, the day of God, or the day of the Lord.
How To Say Spanish Days Of The Week – ¿Qué día es hoy?
Now that we know this interesting information about the history and origin of the days of the week in Spanish, it will be much easier for us to remember the Spanish days of the week.
This way, you will know how to answer when someone asks you “¿qué día es hoy?”. Let’s take a look at the Spanish days of the week in order.
| Spanish | English |
| Lunes | Monday |
| Martes | Tuesday |
| Miércoles | Wednesday |
| Jueves | Thursday |
| Viernes | Friday |
| Sábado | Saturday |
| Domingo | Sunday |
Important Things You Need To Know About The Days Of The Week In Spanish
Days of the week in Spanish need a determiner
When composing sentences with the days of the week in the Spanish language, these must necessarily be preceded by a determiner. In 99% of the cases, this is the definite article, el, because all the days of the week in Spanish are masculine and singular words.
However, there are also other possibilities for determiners, which will be explained in the following.
Spanish days of the week are singular and masculine.
The Spanish days of the week are all masculine. You will notice that some of them end in “s”, however, all of them are also singular.
How to use the days of the week in Spanish in a sentence
1. Antes / después (before and after)
To use the words “antes” and “después” in a sentence with the days of the week in the Spanish language, we need to put the preposition “del” between “antes / después” and the day of the week. For example:
- Seguro nos vemos después del lunes.
I’m sure we’ll see you after Monday.
- Es probable que vayamos después del sábado.
We will probably go after Saturday.
- Necesito ir para allá antes del domingo.
I need to be there before Sunday.
2. Desde (since)
The Spanish word “desde” is followed by the article only when we talk about the days of the week. Therefore, you should say “desde el (day of the week)”.
However, when “desde” is used with verbs in the present tense, is read as the present perfect in English, so either the Spanish present or the Spanish present perfect can be used. Let’s see some examples:
- No veo a mi novia desde el domingo.
I haven’t seen my girlfriend since Sunday.
- Estoy yendo al gimnasio desde el lunes.
I’ve been going to the gym since Monday.
- He estado estudiando desde el sábado.
I have been studying since Saturday.
3. El / los (on)
In English, prepositions are almost always used with the days when we talk about the days of the week. By far the most common one is “on”, as in “on Thursday”.
The most natural thing for a native English speaker will therefore be to say “on” before a weekday, which is incorrect in Spanish. In Spanish is used the definite articles “el” and “los” ( literally meaning “the”) in order to mean that we are referring to a particular day or days of the week.
In continuous cases, we use the plural “los”, and in isolated cases, the singular “el”. For example:
Continuous cases
- Tengo clase los lunes.
I have classes on Mondays.
- Mi novio y yo siempre nos vemos los domingos
My boyfriend and I always see each other on Sunday.
- Los viernes salgo temprano del trabajo.
I leave work early on Fridays.
Isolated cases
- Tengo clase el lunes.
I have classes on Monday.
- Tengo una clase especial el domingo.
I have a special class on Sunday.
- Voy a ir a comer con mi mamá el lunes.
I’m going to lunch with my mom on Monday.
4. Todos los (every)
“Todo” in English means “every” and for this case, we use “todos” with “s” at the end as it indicates plural since we want to talk about something that occurs every week on a specific day.
The same structure can be followed as in the case of continuous events, and just add “todos” before “los”. Let’s look at some examples.
- Todos los miércoles vamos a clase de química.
Every Wednesday we go to chemistry class.
- Limpio la casa todos los domingos.
I clean the house every Sunday.
- Cambio las sábanas todos los sábados.
I change the sheets every Saturday.
5. Este (this)
We use “este” when we want to talk about a specific day of the week that is coming up. “Este” would translate “this” in this case. Let’s look at some examples to better understand.
- Este miércoles tengo que ir a visitar a mis abuelos.
This Wednesday I have to go visit my grandparents.
- Este domingo voy a una clase de yoga.
This Sunday I go to a yoga class.
- Este lunes empiezo un nuevo trabajo.
This Monday I start a new job.
6. El próximo / que viene (next)
In this case, “next” is not a preposition but an adjective, and it can translate “próximo” which must appear between the article and the day, so it will look something like “el próximo (día)”.
Another slightly more colloquial way of expressing “next” in Spanish is “que viene”. It literally means ” that comes”, and in a sentence, it goes directly after the day. Therefore, you should say “el (día) que viene”. For example:
- El martes que viene voy a tu casa.
Next Tuesday I’m coming to your house.
- El próximo jueves tengo clase de matemática.
Next Thursday I have a math class.
- Esto debe estar listo para el próximo martes.
This should be ready for next Tuesday.
7. El (día) pasado (the last (day))
Like “proximo”, “pasado” is also an adjective. Is a more adjective traditional in the sense that it follows directly after the noun. Thus, “el (día) pasado” means the day of the past week. For example:
- El sábado pasado fui a tomar café en la cafetería nueva de la calle.
Last Saturday I went for coffee at the new coffee shop down the street.
- El viernes pasado estuve en casa de María.
Last Friday I was at Maria’s house.
- El miércoles pasado fui a una clase de artes marciales.
Last Wednesday I went to a martial arts class.
8. Hasta – Until
“Hasta” is until and requires us to put “el” after it. Thus, if we want to talk about something that occurs until a certain day, we just say ” hasta el (día)”.
Examples:
- Voy a estar en casa de mis abuelos hasta el martes.
I will be at my grandparents’ house until Tuesday.
- Me voy a Roma hasta el jueves.
I’m going to Rome until Thursday.
- Tengo clases hasta el viernes.
I have classes until Friday.
Improve Your Spanish Starting Today
In conclusion, learning the days of the week in Spanish is crucial for communication in Spanish-speaking countries and offers an intriguing exploration of ‘la semana’ with its Greco-Roman etymology.
Mastering the days in Spanish can be achieved by practicing simple sentences like “Hoy es miércoles” (Today is Wednesday) and discussing weekly routines using phrases such as “los lunes” (on Mondays).
It’s important to remember that in most Spanish-speaking countries, the week starts on Monday, making it the first day of the week. A common week abbreviation used is “L-M-X-J-V-S-D” where each letter represents a day from Monday to Sunday.
As you become more familiar with the days in Spanish, you’ll discover the significance of days like Friday, or “viernes,” which is often associated with rest and leisure.
By understanding the importance of rest, you’ll be better equipped to discuss your plans for the weekend or suggest “Descansa mañana” (Rest tomorrow) to others.
As you continue learning the days in Spanish, practice saying “Mañana es jueves” (Tomorrow is Thursday) or “Pasado mañana es viernes” (The day after tomorrow is Friday) to enhance your conversational skills.
Incorporating phrases like “los lunes” and discussing Wednesday or “miércoles” in your daily routine will help build your confidence in speaking and understanding Spanish.
Tomorrow is the perfect time to start learning the days in Spanish, and there’s no better way to kick off your language learning journey than by consistently practicing.
Don’t wait another day; start today by trying a free 1:1 class or 7 days of free group classes to expand your knowledge of the days in Spanish and immerse yourself in the rich culture of Spanish-speaking countries.
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