Days of the Week

Level 2

mánudagur, þriðjudagur, miðvikudagur, fimmtudagur, föstudagur, laugardagur, sunnudagur. á mánudaginn = on Monday, á mánudögum = on Mondays.

How It Works

The days.

  • mánudagur (Monday)
  • þriðjudagur (Tuesday)
  • miðvikudagur (Wednesday)
  • fimmtudagur (Thursday)
  • föstudagur (Friday)
  • laugardagur (Saturday)
  • sunnudagur (Sunday)

Several names count the days: þriðjudagur is "third day", fimmtudagur "fifth day", and miðvikudagur "midweek day". laugardagur is "bathing day".

Forms. They decline like dagur: mánudagur, accusative mánudag, dative mánudegi, dative plural mánudögum.

What day is it? Hvaða dagur er í dag? – Í dag er föstudagur.

On one day. Use á + accusative, usually with the attached article (article in all cases): á mánudaginn. Context shows whether it is the last or the next Monday. To be clear, say á mánudaginn kemur (this coming Monday) or á mánudaginn var (last Monday). næsta mánudag (next Monday) and síðasta mánudag (last Monday) are also common.

Every week. Use á + dative plural: á mánudögum (on Mondays). See á sumrin/á kvöldin for the same idea with seasons and times of day.

Spelling. Days are written with a small letter, unlike English (small letters).

Examples (5)

  1. Í dag er föstudagur.

    Today is Friday.

    Word by Word: In day is Friday.

  2. Ég fer til tannlæknis á mánudaginn.

    I'm going to the dentist on Monday.

    Word by Word: I go to dentist on the-Monday.

  3. Við spilum fótbolta á miðvikudögum.

    We play football on Wednesdays.

    Word by Word: We play football on Wednesdays.

    á + dative plural means every week.

  4. Búðin er lokuð á sunnudögum.

    The shop is closed on Sundays.

    Word by Word: The-shop is closed on Sundays.

  5. Hún kom í heimsókn á laugardaginn var.

    She came to visit last Saturday.

    Word by Word: She came in visit on the-Saturday was.

    var after the day makes it clearly past.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing a day with a capital letter.

    Ég kem á Mánudaginn.
    Ég kem á mánudaginn.

    Icelandic writes days of the week with a small letter.

  • Leaving the day in the nominative after á.

    Ég kem á mánudagur.
    Ég kem á mánudaginn.

    For a single day, á takes the accusative, usually with the article: á mánudaginn.

  • Using the singular for a weekly habit.

    Ég fer alltaf í sund á þriðjudaginn.
    Ég fer alltaf í sund á þriðjudögum.

    á þriðjudaginn means one particular Tuesday. For something that happens every week, use the dative plural: á þriðjudögum.

How It Connects

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

Days of the WeekLevel 2

Learn This First

Days build on time words and the article.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

mánudagurþriðjudagurmiðvikudagurfimmtudagurföstudagurlaugardagursunnudagurá