Days Of The Week
German days of the week are masculine (der) and use 'am' (on) for specific days or '-s' for recurring events.
How It Works
In German, the days of the week are foundational vocabulary. Here are the key rules:
1. Gender: Every day of the week is masculine. You use the article der (e.g., der Montag).
2. Prepositions: To express 'on [Day]', German uses the contracted preposition am (which is an + dem). For example: am Freitag (on Friday).
3. Frequency: To say you do something every week on a specific day (e.g., 'on Mondays'), you turn the day into a lowercase adverb and add an -s. For example: montags.
4. The 'Mid-week' Exception: While most days end in -tag (day), Wednesday is Mittwoch (literally 'mid-week'). Despite the word Woche (week) being feminine, Mittwoch remains masculine.
5. Regional Variation: Saturday is usually Samstag, but in Northern and Eastern Germany, you will often hear Sonnabend.
Examples (5)
- Am Montag habe ich frei.
On Monday I have the day off.
Word by Word: On Monday have I free.
This shows the standard use of 'am' for a specific day.
- Ich arbeite von Montag bis Donnerstag.
I work from Monday to Thursday.
Word by Word: I work from Monday until Thursday.
When using 'von... bis' (from... to), you do not need an article or preposition before the days.
- Sonntags sind die Geschäfte geschlossen.
On Sundays, the shops are closed.
Word by Word: Sundays are the shops closed.
The lowercase 'sonntags' indicates a recurring event (every Sunday).
- Der Mittwoch ist mein Lieblingstag.
Wednesday is my favorite day.
Word by Word: The Wednesday is my favorite-day.
This demonstrates that days are masculine nouns using 'der'.
- Wir sehen uns am Samstagabend.
We will see each other on Saturday evening.
Word by Word: We see us on Saturday-evening.
Compound nouns like 'Samstagabend' take the gender of the last part (Abend), which is also masculine.
Common Mistakes
Using 'auf' or 'in' instead of 'am'.
Ich komme in Montag.Ich komme am Montag.English speakers often try to translate 'on' or 'in' literally. In German, 'am' is the usual word for 'on' with a day of the week.
Capitalizing the adverbial form (recurring days).
Ich gehe Montags zum Sport.Ich gehe montags zum Sport.When you add '-s' to mean 'every Monday', the word becomes an adverb. In German, only nouns are capitalized; adverbs must be lowercase.
Confusing Dienstag (Tuesday) and Donnerstag (Thursday).
Heute ist Donnerstag (when it is actually Tuesday).Heute ist Dienstag.These two are often confused. Remember that 'Donner' means 'thunder' (like Thor's day/Thursday) to help distinguish them.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn the days of the week, you need to understand that they are masculine nouns and follow standard German capitalization rules.
Related Patterns
- Noun Gender
All days of the week follow the rule that time units (days, months, seasons) are almost always masculine.
Level 1 - Contracted Preposition-Article Forms
'Am' is a contraction of 'an dem', which is essential for using days in sentences.
Level 2 - Telling Time
Days of the week are often used alongside clock time to schedule appointments.
Level 1 - Months
Like days, months are also masculine and use the preposition 'im' (in dem).
Level 1 - Nouns Are Capitalized
Days are nouns and must be capitalized, unless they are used as adverbs (ending in -s).
Level 1
Practice Days Of The Week in Bubblegum
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