Spanish Days of the Week
What’s the difference between martes and miércoles in Spanish? If you still struggle with this answer, then you are in the right place. The seven most common words in Spanish are—you guessed it!—the days of the week. Keep scrolling to learn how to pronounce the days and use them in sentences. If a boost in memory power is what you need, we share a proven technique for you to remember new vocabulary. ¡Vamos!
Días de la semana
Firstly, there are a few differences you must know about los días de la semana in Spanish. For example, they are always lower case, unlike the days in English. In contrast to the English calendar that starts with Sunday, the week begins on Monday in Latin countries. Additionally, each day uses the masculine definite article in both the singular (el lunes) and plural (los lunes) form.
The Definite Articles: El and Los
When using the definite article el while we talk about the days of the week, it means “on”. Try out these phrases to practice the new vocabulary:
¿Vas a venir a mi casa el domingo?
Are you going to come to my house on Sunday?
Yo tengo que trabajar el lunes.
I have to work on Monday.
Él quiere ir al dentista el jueves.
He wants to go to the dentist on Thursday.
Furthermore, we can change the definite article to los and add an s to the day when we mean to say that something happens habitually. Keep in mind, if the day already ends in s then we don’t need to add another one.
Yo hago compras con mi abuela los sábados.
I shop with my grandma on Saturdays.
Ella juega a las cartas los martes.
She plays cards on Tuesdays.
Los miércoles, yo trabajo como tutor de inglés.
On Wednesdays, I work as an English tutor.
How to Memorize New Words
In order to remember the days of the week as quickly as possible, you can follow a tried-and-true memory technique. This requires a bit of creativity, but it’s well worth it! For each day, try to link the sound of the word with a crazy mental image. Surprisingly, this technique is consistent and effective. Let’s try it together…
El lunes – When you read the word, it sounds very similar to the English word “loony.” Think of a funny image of a loony-looking guy standing in front of a sign that reads “Lunes.” He is the first in a line of six other characters, which will be the other days of the week. You can even repeat in your head “Loony lunes” to reinforce both the pronunciation and the image.
Now you try!
Write your list of the next six days and write out a description of a super crazy, funny picture. Similarly, you could just draw it. Remember, the trick is in the image: the crazier it is, the easier it will be to remember. In no time, you will memorize all of the Spanish days of the week!
The Origin of the Spanish Days of the Week
The Spanish days of the week have a significant history and origin to their names. Read on to learn more:
Lunes comes from the Latin Dies lunae, meaning día de la luna. In English, this means, “Day of the Moon”.
Martes comes from the Latin Dies marte, meaning día de marte. In English, this means “Day of Mars”.
Miércoles comes from the Latin Mercurii dies, meaning día de Mercurio. In English, this means “Day of Mercury.”
Jueves comes from the Latin Jovis dies, meaning día de Júpiter. In English, this means “Day of Jupiter.”
Viernes comes from the Latin Veneris dies, meaning día de Venus. In English, it stands for “Day of Venus.”
Sábado comes from the Hebrew word Sabbat, the day of rest.
Domingo comes from the Latin Dies Dominicus, día del Señor or “Day of the Lord” in English. It is related to both the sun and the Christian reverence for Jesus, who is considered the son of God.
What’s next?
After you’ve mastered the days of the week, learn how to pronounce Spanish numbers.
The Days of Our Lives
All in all, learning the days of the week in Spanish is important for conversations and meetings with friends. It allows you to set a date with friends as well as talk about your habits and routines. Ultimately, every beginner Spanish learner should make sure they know the days of the week and how to use them! Test your skills right now with a free class at Homeschool Spanish Academy, where a certified Spanish teacher—a native speaker, no less!—is waiting to have a fun conversation with you.
Lindsay Brown
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