Days of the Week in Arabic
Learning the days of the week in Arabic (أيام الأسبوع) is highly logical if you already know basic Arabic numbers. The Arabic calendar week starts on Sunday, and the names for Sunday through Thursday are directly derived from the numbers one through five.
Quick Answer Table
| English | Arabic | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | الاثنين | |
| Tuesday | الثلاثاء | |
| Wednesday | الأربعاء | |
| Thursday | الخميس | |
| Friday | الجمعة | |
| Saturday | السبت | |
| Sunday | الأحد |
Pronunciation Guide & Usage
Arabic is written and read from right to left. When pronouncing the days of the week, you will notice they all begin with "Al-" (ال), which is the definite article meaning "the".
When using these days in a sentence, you typically use the word "yawm" (يوم), meaning "day", before the name of the day. For example, to say "on Sunday," you would say "fi yawm al-ahad" (في يوم الأحد).
Cultural Notes & Origins
The Arabic days of the week are deeply tied to numerical order and religious significance:
- الأحد (Al-Ahad): Sunday. Derived from "wahid" (one) — the first day.
- الاثنين (Al-Ithnayn): Monday. Derived from "ithnan" (two) — the second day.
- الثلاثاء (Ath-Thulathaa'): Tuesday. Derived from "thalatha" (three) — the third day.
- الأربعاء (Al-Arbi'aa'): Wednesday. Derived from "arba'a" (four) — the fourth day.
- الخميس (Al-Khamees): Thursday. Derived from "khamsa" (five) — the fifth day.
- الجمعة (Al-Jumu'ah): Friday. This breaks the number pattern. It means "the gathering" or "the assembly," referring to the mandatory Friday congregational prayers in Islam.
- السبت (As-Sabt): Saturday. Derived from the concept of Sabbath or rest.
Because Friday is the holy day in Islam, the weekend in most Arabic-speaking countries falls on Friday and Saturday. If you are wondering how many days in a week people work in the Middle East, it is still five days, but the work week runs from Sunday to Thursday.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the first day of the week in Arabic countries?
In most Arabic-speaking countries, the official work week begins on Sunday (الأحد).
Why do Arabic days sound like numbers?
The days from Sunday to Thursday are derived directly from the Arabic numbers one through five.
What is the Arabic weekend?
The weekend in most Middle Eastern countries is Friday and Saturday, as Friday is the holy day of congregational prayer.
Are days of the week capitalized in Arabic?
The Arabic script does not have capital or lowercase letters, so capitalization does not apply.
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