Days of the Week
Italian days of the week are mostly masculine (except Sunday), are not capitalized, and use the definite article to show habit.
How It Works
1. The Names
In Italy, the week begins on lunedì (Monday). The Italian days are:
- lunedì (Monday)
- martedì (Tuesday)
- mercoledì (Wednesday)
- giovedì (Thursday)
- venerdì (Friday)
- sabato (Saturday)
- domenica (Sunday)
2. Gender and Accents
Six days are masculine. Only domenica is feminine. Note that weekdays (Mon-Fri) always end with a grave accent on the -ì, which means the stress is on the last syllable.
3. Capitalization
Unlike English, Italian days are never capitalized unless they start a sentence.
4. Specific vs. Habitual
- No Article: Refers to one specific day, usually the nearest one, coming or just past.
Vado al cinema lunedì. (I'm going to the cinema [this] Monday.) - With Definite Article: Refers to a habit or routine.
Il lunedì vado in palestra. (On Mondays/Every Monday I go to the gym.) - With 'tutti i': This is the most common way to express 'every [day]'.
Tutti i lunedì vado in palestra. (Every Monday I go to the gym.) - With 'di': You can also use the preposition di for habits.
Di sabato usciamo sempre. (On Saturdays we always go out.)
5. Plurals
Days ending in -ì are invariable (they don't change in the plural). Only the article changes: i lunedì. Note that even with tutti i, these days remain singular in form. However, sabato and domenica have regular plurals: i sabati and le domeniche.
Examples (5)
- Lunedì inizio il nuovo lavoro.
On Monday I start the new job.
Word by Word: Monday I start the new work.
No article is used here because it refers to a specific upcoming Monday.
- Il giovedì mangiamo sempre la pizza.
On Thursdays we always eat pizza.
Word by Word: The Thursday we eat always the pizza.
The definite article 'il' indicates a habitual action (every Thursday).
- La domenica mi riposo.
On Sundays I rest.
Word by Word: The Sunday myself I rest.
Domenica is feminine, so it uses the article 'la' to show a habit.
- Ci vediamo sabato sera?
Shall we see each other Saturday evening?
Word by Word: Us we see Saturday evening?
Used without an article to refer to the specific coming Saturday.
- Di venerdì il museo è gratuito.
On Fridays the museum is free.
Word by Word: Of Friday the museum is free.
The preposition 'di' is an alternative way to express a recurring habit.
Common Mistakes
Capitalizing the days of the week.
Vado a Roma Martedì.Vado a Roma martedì.In Italian, days of the week are common nouns and should not be capitalized.
Using the wrong gender for Sunday.
Il domenica vado in chiesa.La domenica vado in chiesa.Domenica is the only feminine day of the week; all others are masculine.
Using 'su' or 'in' to say 'on Monday'.
Su lunedì lavoro.Lunedì lavoro.Italian does not use a preposition like 'on' for specific days. Use the day alone or the definite article for habits.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn the days of the week, you need a basic understanding of Italian noun gender and how articles and prepositions interact with nouns to express time.
Related Patterns
- Definite Article with Days for Habitual Actions
This pattern specifically covers the use of articles to turn a day into a 'habitual' expression.
Level 2 - Invariable Nouns
Weekdays ending in -ì are invariable nouns, meaning their form doesn't change in the plural.
Level 1 - Months of the Year
Like days, months are usually not capitalized and follow specific article rules.
Level 1 - ogni + Singular Noun'Ogni' + Singular Noun
'Ogni' can be used with a day (e.g., ogni lunedì) as an alternative to using the definite article for habits.
Level 1
Sources
Practice Days of the Week in Bubblegum
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