Days of the Week (Días de la Semana) in Spanish — Beginner-Friendly Guide

The days of the week are some of the first words every Spanish learner picks up—and for good reason. They show up in schedules, texts, travel plans, appointments, and absolutely every conversation about “mañana.” By the end of this guide, you’ll know all seven days with accurate pronunciation, how to use them in real sentences, why Spanish doesn’t capitalize them, and a few subtle grammar points that make you sound like you’ve been speaking Spanish since last martes.

Welcome to the Yak Yacker calendar—less stressful than your real one, more fun than it should be.

Quick Primer

Three essentials before we start:

Spanish days of the week are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence.
All days except sábado and domingo end in -s but do not change in plural form.
Spanish often uses articles with days (el lunes, los martes) to mean “on Monday” or “on Tuesdays.”

With that, your Spanish week is ready to roll.

The Days of the Week in Spanish

Here are all seven days with IPA and English meanings.

Noticing the pattern? Most weekdays end in -es. Your tongue might rebel at miércoles, but after a few tries, it becomes your friend. Mostly.

How To Say “On Monday,” “On Tuesdays,” and More

Spanish uses articles to talk about days:

el + day = on that specific day
- El lunes tengo una reunión.
  /el ˈlu.nes ˈteŋ.go ˈu.na re.uˈnjon/
  I have a meeting on Monday.
los + day = every (weekly repetition)
- Los miércoles estudio español.
  /los ˈmjeɾ.ko.les esˈtu.ðjo espaˈɲol/
  I study Spanish on Wednesdays.

Important: The plural form does not change except for sábado → sábados and domingo → domingos.

Example:
Los sábados salgo con amigos.
/los ˈsa.βa.ðos ˈsal.ɣo kon aˈmi.ɣos/
I go out with friends on Saturdays.

Useful Phrases With Days of the Week

These combinations appear constantly in speech, calendars, and messages.

Example Sentences Learners Actually Need

Usage Notes & Common Mistakes

Beginners often forget the article el or los when talking about days. In Spanish, simply saying lunes doesn’t mean “on Monday”—it’s just the word Monday. Use el lunes or los lunes depending on whether you mean one Monday or every Monday.

Another common mistake is capitalizing days. Spanish keeps them lowercase, along with months and seasons.

Finally, note the stress in miércoles /ˈmjeɾ.ko.les/ and sábado /ˈsa.βa.ðo/. Misplacing stress can make the words hard for native speakers to catch—even if the rest is perfect.

Region Notes

Spain:
You’ll hear clear pronunciation of jueves with the classic Spanish j /x/ sound (a bit like clearing your throat politely). Spain also uses los fines de semana exactly like Latin America to mean “weekends.”

Mexico:
Mexican Spanish tends to pronounce weekdays softly and clearly—great for learners. Many casual conversations use el lunes, el martes even when speaking in the future.

Argentina & Uruguay:
The ll and y in words like miércoles may sound like “sh.” Example: miér-sho-les. Perfectly normal there.

Caribbean:
Speakers may drop or soften final s: viernes → vierne’. Don’t imitate this as a beginner, but be aware when listening.

Mini Dialogues

Dialogue 1

¿Qué vas a hacer el sábado?
/ke βas a aˈseɾ el ˈsa.βa.ðo/
What are you going to do on Saturday?

Voy al cine con unos amigos.
/boj al ˈsi.ne kon ˈu.nos aˈmi.ɣos/
I’m going to the movies with some friends.

Dialogue 2

¿Tienes clase los martes?
/ˈtje.nes ˈkla.se los ˈmaɾ.tes/
Do you have class on Tuesdays?

Sí, por la tarde.
/si poɾ la ˈtaɾ.ðe/
Yes, in the afternoon.

Dialogue 3

El viernes pasado viajé a México.
/el ˈbjeɾ.nes paˈsa.ðo βjaˈxe a ˈme.xi.ko/
Last Friday I traveled to Mexico.

¡Qué bien! ¿Y este viernes?
/ke ˈbjen i ˈes.te ˈbjeɾ.nes/
Nice! And this Friday?

Quick Reference

Five-Minute Practice Plan

Say all seven days aloud twice, focusing on stress in miércoles and sábado.
Create three real sentences about your week using el and los.
Record yourself saying a mini schedule: El lunes…, el martes…, el miércoles….
Shadow Dialogue 1 for pronunciation flow.
Write one question and one answer using a time-of-day phrase (el jueves por la mañana).
Choose one tough word (probably miércoles) and repeat it in short bursts until effortless.

Yak-Style Closing Spark

Now you can plan your week, set appointments, cancel plans, and impress every Spanish speaker who asks “¿Qué haces el sábado?” Days of the week may be simple, but mastering them makes your Spanish feel instantly more natural—like you’re living the language, not just memorizing it.