German Days of the Week: Learn Die Wochentage

Below are all seven German days in order, starting with Monday. Each includes accurate pronunciation and a real-world example sentence.

Days 1 Through 4

• Montag (Monday): MOHN-tahk. Example: "Am Montag arbeite ich." (On Monday I work.)
• Dienstag (Tuesday): DEENS-tahk. Example: "Dienstag habe ich einen Termin." (Tuesday I have an appointment.)
• Mittwoch (Wednesday): MIT-vokh. Example: "Mittwoch ist die Wochenmitte." (Wednesday is midweek.)
• Donnerstag (Thursday): DOH-ners-tahk. Example: "Am Donnerstag treffen wir uns." (On Thursday we meet.)

Days 5 Through 7

• Freitag (Friday): FRY-tahk. Example: "Endlich Freitag!" (Finally Friday!)
• Samstag or Sonnabend (Saturday): ZAHMS-tahk / ZOHN-ah-bent. Example: "Samstag gehe ich einkaufen." (Saturday I go shopping.)
• Sonntag (Sunday): ZOHN-tahk. Example: "Sonntag ist Ruhetag." (Sunday is a day of rest.)

Common Related Words

• am Montag (on Monday): ahm MOHN-tahk. Example: "Wir sehen uns am Montag." (We'll see each other on Monday.)
• montags (on Mondays, every Monday): MOHN-tahks. Example: "Montags gehe ich schwimmen." (On Mondays I go swimming.)
• die Woche (the week): dee VOH-khe. Example: "Diese Woche ist anstrengend." (This week is exhausting.)
• das Wochenende (the weekend): dahs VOH-khen-en-de. Example: "Schönes Wochenende!" (Have a nice weekend!)

Time Words for Context

• heute (today): HOY-te. Example: "Heute ist Mittwoch." (Today is Wednesday.)
• morgen (tomorrow): MOHR-gen. Example: "Morgen ist Donnerstag." (Tomorrow is Thursday.)
• gestern (yesterday): GES-tern. Example: "Gestern war Dienstag." (Yesterday was Tuesday.)
• übermorgen (the day after tomorrow): OO-ber-mor-gen. Example: "Übermorgen fliege ich nach Berlin." (The day after tomorrow I fly to Berlin.)

German day names come from Germanic and Old High German roots, reflecting Norse and pagan traditions rather than Roman ones. Most are cognates with English days, making them easier to remember.

Days Named After Gods and Natural Forces

• Montag (Monday): From "Mond" (moon). Cognate with English "Monday."
• Dienstag (Tuesday): Named for Tiw or Tyr, a Germanic war god. Same origin as English "Tuesday."
• Donnerstag (Thursday): From "Donner" (thunder). Named for Thor, the Germanic god of thunder and weather.
• Freitag (Friday): Named for Freya, a Germanic goddess of love and beauty.
• Sonntag (Sunday): From "Sonne" (sun). Cognate with English "Sunday."

Wednesday: A Unique Case

Mittwoch (Wednesday) is unique among European languages. It literally means "mid-week" (Mitte + Woche). Originally called "Wodanstag" after Wodan/Odin, the medieval Catholic Church replaced it with the neutral "Mittwoch" to discourage pagan references. This practical name remains standard today.

Saturday: Two Regional Names

Samstag comes from Greek and Hebrew roots connected to the Sabbath. It's standard across most German-speaking regions. In northern Germany, you'll hear Sonnabend (sun-eve), which emphasizes the day before Sunday.

Related Time Words

• der Tag (the day): The root word embedded in every day name.
• die Nacht (the night): Germanic root shared with English "night."
• der Morgen (morning): Cognate with English "morning."
• der Nachmittag (afternoon): Literally "after-midday."
• der Abend (evening): Also appears in "Sonnabend" (Saturday).
• der Monat (month): Cognate with English "month" and "moon."
• das Jahr (year): Cognate with English "year."
• die Jahreszeit (season): Literally "year-time."

German has specific grammar rules for days of the week. Mastering these patterns produces natural-sounding German and avoids the most common learner mistakes.

Saying "On" a Specific Day

• am Montag (on Monday): This contraction means "on the + Monday." Use this for a specific Monday: "Am Freitag feiern wir." (On Friday we celebrate.)
• nächsten Montag (next Monday): Use accusative case. Example: "Wir treffen uns nächsten Montag." (We meet next Monday.)
• letzten Montag (last Monday): Also accusative. Example: "Letzten Montag war es kalt." (Last Monday it was cold.)

Repeating Actions on Days

• montags (on Mondays, every Monday): Add -s to the day to form an adverb. Example: "Freitags gehe ich aus." (On Fridays I go out.)
• täglich (daily): For every single day. Example: "Wir öffnen täglich." (We're open daily.)

Other Essential Phrases

• Welcher Tag ist heute? (What day is it today?) Simple way to ask.
• Heute ist Sonntag. (Today is Sunday.) Statement of current day.
• von Montag bis Freitag (From Monday to Friday): For ranges. Example: "Geöffnet von Montag bis Freitag." (Open Monday to Friday.)
• unter der Woche (During the week): Means weekdays, not weekend. Example: "Unter der Woche arbeite ich." (During the week I work.)
• am Wochenende (On the weekend): Example: "Am Wochenende ruhe ich mich aus." (On the weekend I rest.)
• jeden Tag (Every day): Example: "Ich laufe jeden Tag." (I run every day.)
• Werktag (Working day): Formal term for weekday. Example: "Lieferung nur an Werktagen." (Delivery only on working days.)
• Feiertag (Public holiday): Example: "Morgen ist ein Feiertag." (Tomorrow is a public holiday.)

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