If there is one thing you need to know about Germans, then it’s their admiration for structure.
To have a structured life, you have to structure your day.
What comes with this is knowing how to talk about the days of the week in German.
Days of the week are something you learn pretty much at the beginning of learning a language. They are essential while making a reservation in a restaurant, scheduling an appointment, or just planning your next meeting with a friend.
Days of the Week in German
- 🇩🇪 Montag – 🇺🇸 Monday
- 🇩🇪 Dienstag – 🇺🇸 Tuesday
- 🇩🇪 Mittwoch – 🇺🇸 Wednesday
- 🇩🇪 Donnerstag – 🇺🇸 Thursday
- 🇩🇪 Freitag – 🇺🇸 Friday
- 🇩🇪 Samstag/Sonnabend – 🇺🇸Saturday
- 🇩🇪 Sonntag – 🇺🇸 Sunday
Why is the German Week so Easy to Learn
If you take a closer look, you will notice that every day except for Wednesday ends with “tag,” which means “day.”
First, we have Montag (Monday) – the only thing you have to change here is to use “tag” instead of “day,” which is a word you probably already know from “Guten Tag.”
That was easy, wasn’t it? So let’s continue with Dienstag (Tuesday). This name is connected to a Germanic God’s name Tyr. If you say “Tyr’s Day,” it sounds a bit like “Tuesday.”
These linguistic similarities are one of the points why English speakers often choose German as a second language.
“Mittwoch” (Wednesday) is the only day that does not contain the word “day” in it. But don’t worry, it’s for a reason! The word “Mittwoch” is made of two words. The first one is “Mitt,” which comes from “Mitte” and means “middle,” and the word “Woch” from “Woche,” which is “a week.” It’s nothing more than the middle of the week!
The next day is “Donnerstag” (Thursday). If you translate it literally, it means “thunder’s Day.” Just like in English “Thursday,” was named after Thor – the God of thunder.
Let’s start the weekend – it’s “Freitag” (Friday). The word “Frei” also originally comes from one of the Gods. But It’s easier to learn the word “frei” which means “free.” You can think of Friday like it’s almost a free day as it’s the beginning of the weekend.
“Samstag”(Saturday) comes from the Greek word sabbaton, which is related to Saturn. In some parts of Germany, you might hear the alternative name “Sonnabend,” which means “sun-evening.”
The Last Day of the week is “Sonntag” (Sunday). This name comes from the German word “Sonne,” which means “sun.”
You see? German Days of the week are like a walk in the park
Using Days of the Week in a Daily Context
To use these seven words confidently and accurately, you have to keep in mind these few rules:
- A week in Germany always starts with Monday (unlike the US)
- Days of the week are written almost always with a capital letter
- They are always masculine -> use the article “der” and “ein.”
- To say that something is happening on a particular day, you use the word “am” (on)
Take a look at how to use these essential words in real-life situations:
🇩🇪 Am Montag muss ich arbeiten
🇺🇸 I have to work on Monday
🇩🇪 Am Mittwoch spielt meine Lieblingsmannschaft
🇺🇸 My favorite team plays on Wednesday
🇩🇪 Dienstags gehe ich in ein Fitnessstudio
🇺🇸 I go to the gym on Tuesdays
🇩🇪 Ich gehe montags schwimmen
🇺🇸 I go swimming on Monday’s
As you can see in the example above, the other way to use a day of the week in a sentence is to add an “s” at the end of the word. If you use this form, you have to write the day with a small letter, except if it’s the beginning of a sentence.
🇩🇪 Jeden Samstag treffe ich mich mit meiner Freundin
🇺🇸 I meet my girlfriend every Saturday
🇩🇪 Mittwoch is die Mitte der Woche
🇺🇸 Wednesday is the middle of the week
🇩🇪 Am Donnerstag habe ich ein Bewerbungsgespräch
🇺🇸 I have a job interview on Thursday
🇩🇪 Er ist von Montag bis Freitag nicht erreichbar
🇺🇸 He is not avaiable from Monday to Friday
🇩🇪 Am Sonntag ist der 80. Geburtstag meiner Oma
🇺🇸 Sunday is my grandma’s 80th birthday
🇩🇪 Das Geschäft hat von 8:00 bis 16:00 Uhr geöffnet
🇺🇸 The shop is open from 8:00 a.m to 16:00 p.m.
As well as being able to say the days of the week in German, it is also helpful to know how to talk about years and times.
