Days of the Week in German
Learning the days of the week in German (die Wochentage) is quite intuitive for English speakers, as both languages share Germanic roots. You will notice many similarities in how the days sound and are structured.
Quick Answer Table
| English | German | Pronunciation | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Montag | mohn-tahk | |
| Tuesday | Dienstag | deen-stahk | |
| Wednesday | Mittwoch | mit-vohkh | |
| Thursday | Donnerstag | don-ers-tahk | |
| Friday | Freitag | fry-tahk | |
| Saturday | Samstag | zahm-stahk | |
| Sunday | Sonntag | zon-tahk |
Pronunciation Guide & Usage
Unlike Romance languages, German capitalizes all nouns, including the days of the week. When you want to say "on Monday," you use the preposition "am" (a contraction of an + dem): "am Montag".
If you want to express that something happens regularly on a specific day, you add an "s" to the end of the day and make it lowercase (because it becomes an adverb). For example, "montags" means "on Mondays" or "every Monday".
Cultural Notes & Origins
The German days of the week are named after Germanic and Norse gods, which is why they sound so similar to English:
- Montag: Day of the Moon.
- Dienstag: Named after Tyr (or Tiw), the god of war and single combat.
- Mittwoch: Literally "mid-week". It replaced the older name Wodanstag (Odin's day) due to Christian influence.
- Donnerstag: Day of Donar (Thor), the god of thunder.
- Freitag: Day of Frigg or Freya, the goddess of love and beauty.
- Samstag: Derived from the Sabbath.
- Sonntag: Day of the Sun.
In Germany, Sunday (Sonntag) is strictly observed as a day of rest (Ruhetag). Almost all shops and supermarkets are closed by law. If you are wondering how many days in a week you can go shopping in Germany, it is generally only six!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are days of the week capitalized in German?
Yes! In German, all nouns are capitalized, and since days of the week are nouns, they must always start with a capital letter.
Why doesn't Wednesday end in "tag"?
Mittwoch literally translates to "mid-week". It is the only day of the week in German that does not end with the word "tag" (day).
Is there another word for Saturday in German?
Yes, in some northern and eastern parts of Germany, you might hear "Sonnabend" (literally "Sunday eve") instead of Samstag.
What gender are the days of the week in German?
All days of the week in German are masculine, so they take the article "der" (e.g., der Montag).
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