Days of the Week

Level 1

The days are Maandag, Dinsdag, Woensdag, Donderdag, Vrydag, Saterdag and Sondag, always with a capital letter.

How It Works

The seven days.

  • Maandag (Monday)
  • Dinsdag (Tuesday)
  • Woensdag (Wednesday)
  • Donderdag (Thursday)
  • Vrydag (Friday)
  • Saterdag (Saturday)
  • Sondag (Sunday)

Capital letters. Day names always start with a capital letter, as in English. Dutch writes them in small letters, but Afrikaans does not.

Spelling. Friday is Vrydag with a y (see y and ei). The final g is the throaty sound in goed.

On Friday. Use op or the day by itself. Both are common: Ons gaan op Saterdag strand toe, Ek sal nie Maandag by die huis wees nie.

Every week. The plural adds -e: Maandae, Sondae. Op Sondae gaan ons kerk toe means on Sundays, every week.

Parts of the day. A day name joins a part of the day as one word: Vrydagaand (Friday evening), Sondagoggend (Sunday morning). See compound nouns.

Useful words. vandag (today), môre (tomorrow), gister (yesterday), die naweek (the weekend).

Examples (6)

  1. Vandag is Maandag.

    Today is Monday.

    Word by Word: Today is Monday.

  2. Ons gaan op Saterdag strand toe.

    We are going to the beach on Saturday.

    Word by Word: We go on Saturday beach to.

  3. Die winkel is op Sondag toe.

    The shop is closed on Sunday.

    Word by Word: The shop is on Sunday closed.

  4. Ek werk van Maandag tot Vrydag.

    I work from Monday to Friday.

    Word by Word: I work from Monday till Friday.

  5. Watter dag is dit vandag? — Dit is Woensdag.

    What day is it today? — It is Wednesday.

    Word by Word: Which day is it today? — It is Wednesday.

  6. Sien jou Donderdagaand!

    See you on Thursday evening!

    Word by Word: See you Thursday-evening!

    The day and the part of the day make one word.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing a day name with a small letter.

    Ek sien jou op vrydag.
    Ek sien jou op Vrydag.

    Day names always start with a capital letter in Afrikaans.

  • Using the Dutch spelling with ij.

    Ons kom Vrijdag.
    Ons kom Vrydag.

    Afrikaans writes y where Dutch writes ij: Vrydag.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Days of the WeekLevel 1

Learn This First

Days of the week are usually said with op.

Words in This Pattern

MaandagDinsdagWoensdagDonderdagVrydagSaterdagSondag