Days of the Week in German: Names, Pronunciation, Origins & Usage

If you’re learning German at A1–A2 level, the days of the week in German are some of the most useful vocabulary you’ll ever learn. You need them to talk about your timetable, arrange appointments, discuss your weekly routines, and make travel plans. They also pop up constantly in beginner listening and reading texts, in school or work contexts, and in everyday conversation.

This comprehensive article will cover:

• All German days of the week (Montag–Sonntag) with pronunciation and English equivalents

• How to use them in sentences (prepositions, word order, grammar tips)

• Their origins and meanings (short cultural/etymological notes)

• Useful example sentences for everyday life

• Memory tips to help you remember them

• Links to related posts and Olesen Tuition’s German courses, so learners can practise them properly

1. Overview: German Days of the Week (with Pronunciation & Abbreviations)

Here’s a quick overview of the days of the week in German with English translations, phonetic hints, and common abbreviations you’ll see in timetables and calendars:

German	Pronunciation (approx.)	English	Common Abbreviation
Montag	MOHN-tag	Monday	Mo.
Dienstag	DEENS-tag	Tuesday	Di.
Mittwoch	MITT-vokh (ch as in Bach)	Wednesday	Mi.
Donnerstag	DON-ner-stag	Thursday	Do.
Freitag	FRY-tag (like fry)	Friday	Fr.
Samstag	ZAMS-tag	Saturday	Sa.
Sonntag	ZON-tag	Sunday	So.

Capitalisation reminder: All days of the week are nouns in German, so they are always capitalised: Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch, etc.

2. How to Use Days of the Week in German Sentences

Knowing the words is one thing; using them correctly in sentences is what really matters. Here are the key patterns learners need from A1 upwards.

a) Saying “on Monday”, “on Tuesday”, etc. – am + Day

The most common way to say “on [day]” in German is with am + day:

• am Montag – on Monday

• am Dienstag – on Tuesday

• am Freitagabend – on Friday evening

Example sentences:

• Am Montag habe ich Deutschunterricht.→ On Monday, I have German class.

• Wir treffen uns am Donnerstag um acht Uhr.→ We are meeting on Thursday at eight o’clock.

• Am Sonntag bleibe ich gern zu Hause.→ On Sundays, I like staying at home.

Grammar tip: am is a contraction of an dem (at the). It’s always followed by the day in the dative case, but you don’t need an article in front of the day itself: am Montag, not ✗am der Montag.

b) Talking about every Monday / repeated actions

To say “every Monday” you can use jeden + day (accusative), or just the bare day + context:

• jeden Montag – every Monday

• montags – on Mondays / every Monday (adverb form)

Examples:

• Jeden Dienstag gehe ich schwimmen.→ Every Tuesday I go swimming.

• Ich arbeite montags von neun bis fünf.→ I work on Mondays from nine till five.

The -s adverb form (montags, dienstags, freitags) is very common in spoken German.

c) Expressing this week, next week, last week

Combine days with diese / nächste / letzte Woche:

• diese Woche – this week

• nächste Woche – next week

• letzte Woche – last week

Examples:

• Nächste Woche am Mittwoch habe ich keine Zeit.→ Next week on Wednesday, I don’t have time.

• Letzte Woche am Freitag war ich krank.→ Last week on Frida,y I was ill.

d) Weekdays, weekend and “during the week”

Useful expressions around days:

• die Wochentage – weekdays (Monday–Friday)

• das Wochenende – the weekend (Saturday + Sunday)

• unter der Woche – during the week

Examples:

• Unter der Woche stehe ich früh auf, aber am Wochenende schlafe ich aus.→ During the week I get up early, but at the weekend I sleep in.

• Die meisten Geschäfte sind am Sonntag geschlossen.→ Most shops are closed on Sundays.

From A1–A2 level, combining these expressions with your days gives you everything you need to talk about your schedule – something we practise a lot in Olesen Tuition’s beginner German courses and online classes.

3. Origins of the German Days of the Week (Kurz & spannend)

Your original post nicely traced each day back to its Old High German and mythological roots. Here’s a slightly expanded, SEO-friendly version with short usage examples.

1. Montag – Monday

German: Montag Origin: From Old High German mânandag – literally “Moon’s day”. Like English “Monday”, it refers to the moon and goes back to ancient Germanic calendar traditions, where the moon had a central role.

Example usage:

• Montag ist der erste Tag meiner Arbeitswoche.→ Monday is the first day of my working week.

• Viele Leute finden den Montag anstrengend.→ Many people find Monday exhausting.

2. Dienstag – Tuesday

German: Dienstag Origin: Related to Old High German ziostag, meaning “Tiw’s day” – Tiw (or Tyr) was a Germanic god of war and the sky, similar to the Norse god Tyr. This parallels English “Tuesday” (Tiw’s day).

Example usage:

• Dienstag habe ich immer einen langen Tag an der Uni.→ On Tuesdays, I always have a long day at university.

• Wir treffen uns am Dienstag zum Kaffee.→ We’re meeting for coffee on Tuesday.

3. Mittwoch – Wednesday

German: Mittwoch Origin: Literally “mid-week” (Old High German mittawehha). Unlike English “Wednesday”, which still refers to the god Woden (Odin), German opted for a more practical name: Mittwoch is the day in the middle of the week between Monday and Friday.

Example usage:

• Mittwoch ist für mich der stressigste Tag.→ Wednesday is the most stressful day for me.

• Wir sehen uns am Mittwochabend im Kino.→ We’ll see each other at the cinema on Wednesday evening.

4. Donnerstag – Thursday

German: Donnerstag Origin: From Old High German thonaresdâg – “Thor’s day”. Donner means “thunder” in modern German, and the day is associated with the thunder god Thor, just like English “Thursday” comes from Thor.

Example usage:

• Donnerstag habe ich meinen längsten Arbeitstag.→ Thursday is my longest working day.

• Am Donnerstagabend spiele ich Fußball.→ On Thursday evenings, I play football.

5. Freitag – Friday

German: FreitagOrigin: From Old High German frîatag – “day of Frija/Freyja”, a Germanic/Norse goddess associated with love, beauty and fertility. English “Friday” also comes from this deity.

Example usage:

• Freitag ist mein Lieblingstag, weil das Wochenende beginnt.→ Friday is my favourite day because the weekend begins.

• Am Freitag gehen wir oft aus essen.→ On Fridays, we often go out to eat.

6. Samstag – Saturday

German: Samstag (and regional: Sonnabend in parts of northern Germany)Origin: Likely from Old High German sambaztac, related to “Sabbath” (Sabbat), the day of rest. In some regions, especially in the north and east, Sonnabend (“Sun-evening”) is used instead of Samstag. Both mean Saturday.

Example usage:

• Am Samstag gehe ich einkaufen.→ On Saturday I go shopping.

• Samstagabend treffe ich mich mit Freunden.→ On Saturday evening I meet up with friends.

7. Sonntag – Sunday

German: Sonntag Origin: Literally “Sun’s day” – like English “Sunday”. The name goes back to the Old High German sununtag and reflects the tradition of dedicating this day to the sun.

Example usage:

• Sonntag ist in Deutschland oft ein ruhiger Familientag.→ Sunday in Germany is often a quiet family day.

• Viele Geschäfte bleiben am Sonntag geschlossen.→ Many shops remain closed on Sunday.

Knowing these origins not only makes the vocabulary more memorable – it’s also a lovely way to connect language with mythology and cultural history, something we often emphasise in Olesen Tuition’s intermediate and advanced classes.

4. Common Expressions with the Days of the Week

To make this post more practical, here are some everyday phrases you’ll actually say:

• Am Montag / Dienstag / ... – On Monday / Tuesday / ...Am Montag habe ich frei. – I have Monday off.

• Montags / dienstags / freitags – On Mondays / on Tuesdays / on Fridays (regularly) Ich gehe freitags ins Fitnessstudio. – I go to the gym on Fridays.

• Diesen / nächsten / letzten + Tag – This / next / last [day] Diesen Donnerstag habe ich einen Termin. – I have an appointment this Thursday.Letzten Sonntag war das Wetter schön. – The weather was nice last Sunday.

• unter der Woche – during the week. Unter der Woche arbeite ich viel, aber am Wochenende entspanne ich mich. – During the week I work a lot, but at the weekend I relax.

• am Wochenende – at the weekend Was machst du am Wochenende? – What are you doing at the weekend?

• die ganze Woche – the whole week Ich war die ganze Woche unterwegs. – I was away the whole week.

These patterns are exactly what we practise in our A1–A2 courses and online lessons, especially in topics like daily routines, hobbies, arranging appointments and talking about timetables.

5. Memory Tips for the German Days of the Week

If you’re teaching or learning, here are some quick memory hooks:

• Montag – think “M” for Moon → Monday

• Dienstag – sounds a bit like “Dienst” (service) – imagine you have to serve on Tuesday

• Mittwoch – literally mid-week, very logical

• Donnerstag – “Donner” = thunder → Thor’s day / Thursday

• Freitag – sounds like Friday, both linked to the goddess of love

• Samstag – think Sabbath / Saturday

• Sonntag – Sun + day – easy parallel to Sunday

You can also write a mini diary in German and note one sentence every day, starting with the day:

• Montag: Ich trinke Kaffee.

• Dienstag: Ich gehe joggen.

• Mittwoch: Ich lerne Deutsch.

This is the kind of low-pressure writing exercise we often use in Olesen Tuition’s beginners’ classes and on our German language blog “Auf Deutsch, bitte!” – it reinforces vocabulary and word order in a meaningful context.

6. Where to Go Next: Practise Days of the Week with Olesen Tuition

Once learners know Montag–Sonntag confidently, they’re ready to talk about:

• Daily routines (When do you get up? When do you work?)

• Hobbies (Which days do you play sport or make music?)

• Appointments (Arranging meetings, lessons, doctor’s appointments)

• Travel plans (Which day are you arriving / leaving?)

On the Olesen Tuition German language blog you already have excellent beginner posts that tie in perfectly with the days-of-the-week topic, for example:

• How to introduce yourself and talk about your daily routine in German

• How to arrange appointments in German (using am Montag um…)

• How to talk about hobbies (which days you do what)

• How to order a meal in German – great for planning a dinner am Freitagabend

For learners who want structured practice and expert feedback, Olesen Tuition offers:

• Beginner German A1–A2 classes in London and online – where you’ll learn the days of the week, how to use am Montag / montags, and build sentences about your week from the very first weeks of the course.

• Online German lessons – ideal if you want personalised help with pronunciation, speaking practice, and conversation about your weekly schedule.

• Intensive German courses – perfect if you want to move quickly from “I know the words” to “I can talk fluently about my routines and plans in German.”

You can also dive deeper into vocabulary and grammar on the German language blog, where you’ll find hundreds of posts on topics like greetings, goodbyes, ordering meals, hobbies, and appointments – all of which use the days of the week heavily.

Fazit (Conclusion):

The days of the week in German are more than just seven words; they’re a gateway into talking about your life – your work, your free time, your travel plans, and your goals. By learning their forms, pronunciation, grammar patterns, and origins, you give yourself a strong foundation for real communication.

If you’d like to practise saying Montag–Sonntag naturally in sentences and conversations, come and join us at Olesen Tuition – in person in London or online. Together we’ll make sure that by nächsten Montag you’re already using them with confidence. 🌍📅🗣️

Viel Erfolg beim Deutschlernen – and einen schönen Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch…!