The 7 Days of the Week in Italian and Different Time-Associated Phrases


Companies in Italy are recognized to typically be closed on Sundays. However, Italian shops, eating places, bars, monuments, and vacationer sights all have a giorno di riposo (relaxation day or closing day) in addition to the Sunday closing—and it adjustments relying on the area and even town! Whether or not you’re touring, finding out, or dwelling in Italy, it’s vital to know the times of the week in Italian to plan for each day life.

What are the times of the week in Italian?

Not like English, the giorni della settimana (days of the week) within the Italian language are easy nouns and needs to be capitalized solely when showing firstly of a sentence. In Italy, la settimana (the week) all the time begins on Monday and ends on Sunday. Saturday and Sunday are known as positive settimana (finish of the week), however Italians additionally use the English phrase “weekend.”

Italian DayPronunciationEnglish
lunedìloo-neh-DEEMonday
martedìmahr-teh-DEETuesday
mercoledìmehr-koh-leh-DEEWednesday
giovedìjoh-veh-DEEThursday
venerdìveh-nehr-DEEFriday
sabatoSAH-bah-tohSaturday
domenicadoh-MEH-nee-kahSunday

You’ll discover that the primary 5 days finish with an accented “ì,” which helps with grammar and pronunciation. The accented vowels “à,” “é,” “è,” “ì,” “ò,” and “ù” point out that the pressured a part of the phrase is that syllable. Saying Italian accented vowels could also be difficult, however Rosetta Stone’s TruAccent speech recognition engine will assist you to get it proper.

It’s additionally vital to notice that, In Italian, nouns ending with an accented vowel don’t have a plural kind, so the primary 5 days of the week gained’t change when used within the plural. Then again, sabato (Saturday) and domenica (Sunday) are common nouns with plural kinds: sabati and domeniche.

Methods to bear in mind the times of the week in Italian

The easiest way to recollect the names of the times in Italian is to consider their origins, which date again to the traditional Romans and their curiosity in astrology and astronomy. These names come from these of celestial our bodies, because the Romans thought that these objects dominated the start of every day.

WeekdayCelestial Physique in ItalianCelestial Physique in English
lunedìLunamoon
martedìMarteMars
mercoledìMercurioMercury
giovedìGioveJupiter
venerdìVenereVenus

The week begins from lunedì, the day of the Moon and the closest celestial physique to Earth. Then, it strikes to martedì (the day of Mars), mercoledì (the day of Mercury), and so forth. Nonetheless, the Italian phrase for Saturday, sabato, comes from the Latin sabbatum (day of the Sabbath, or day of relaxation), and the Italian phrase for Sunday, domenica, originated from the Latin dies Domini (day of the Lord).

Celestial our bodies apart, you may as well memorize the Italian days of the week by creating associations with phrases in your native language. For instance, the start of the phrase lunedì feels like “lunar” in English, so you’ll be able to keep in mind that Monday in Italian is the “lunar day.”

Abbreviations for the times of the week in Italian

If you wish to study Italian and discuss with native audio system, you must know the right way to abbreviate phrases. Italian vocabulary options quite a lot of lengthy nouns that Italians prefer to shorten for the sake of practicality.

Within the case of weekdays, you will discover two kinds of abbreviations: the official one, primarily used within the written kind like timetables and visiting or opening hours, and the colloquial one, used solely in SMS messages and on a regular basis conversations.

DayOfficial AbbreviationColloquial Abbreviation
lunedìlun.lune
martedìmar.marte
mercoledìmer.mercole
giovedìgio.giove
venerdìven.vene
sabatosab.
domenicadom.dome

Grammar guidelines for Italian days of the week

Utilizing the Italian days of the week in your writing and conversations requires understanding some Italian grammar guidelines that apply to all seven days.

Use articles when the motion is repeated each week on the identical day

Whenever you discuss an motion that takes place each week on the identical day, it is best to use an article earlier than the identify of the day. Six out of seven days of the week in Italian are masculine nouns, in order that they use the article il. Domenica is the one female day of the week, and it makes use of the article la.

  • Il giovedì vado in palestra. = On Thursdays, I’m going to the gymnasium.
  • Ci vediamo la domenica? = Are we going to satisfy on Sundays?
  • Parto il martedì e torno il venerdì. = I depart each Tuesday and are available again each Friday.

Nonetheless, this isn’t the one choice you could have. Italian dialects vastly affect the language folks converse in numerous areas and even cities of Italy. For that reason, you could hear Italians utilizing the prepositions di and a as a substitute of the articles il and la to precise an motion that repeats each week on the identical day.

  • La domenica vado a fare la spesa. = On Sundays, I’m going grocery procuring.
  • Di domenica vado a fare la spesa. = On Sundays, I’m going grocery procuring.
  • Alla domenica vado a fare la spesa. = On Sundays, I’m going grocery procuring.

All of those choices are right and comprehensible all through Italy, so you’ll be able to select the one you want essentially the most. When utilizing the prepositions, keep in mind that di doesn’t change, whereas a follows the foundations of Italian articulated prepositions and combines with the article, turning into al (for masculine nouns) and alla (for female nouns).

Utilizing the article earlier than the identify of the day when the motion is repeated each week on the identical day remains to be the commonest selection.

Use articles when the day of the week is preceded by the adjectives scorso and prossimo

You also needs to use the article earlier than the day identify when the Italian day of the week is preceded by the adjective scorso (final) or prossimo (subsequent).

  • Ci vediamo il prossimo sabato? = See you subsequent Saturday?
  • Lo scorso lunedì siamo stati al mare. = Final Monday we went to the seaside.

Nonetheless, no article is required if the adjective comes after the day’s identify:

  • Ci vediamo sabato prossimo? = See you subsequent Saturday?
  • Lunedì scorso siamo stati al mare. = Final Monday we went to the seaside.

Each constructions are right; you’ll be able to select the one you like.

Methods to use the adjectives tutti and ogni earlier than the times of the week for repeated actions

The adjectives tutti/tutte (each) and ogni (every) are sometimes used earlier than the names of the times in Italian to convey the identical which means expressed by the article: an motion that repeats commonly on the identical day of the week.

The indefinite adjective tutto (each) should be adopted by the article, the plural type of the noun, and it should agree in gender with the day of the week it precedes. So, it turns into tutti earlier than the masculine days and tutte earlier than the female domeniche (Sundays).

  • Vado in piscina tutti i martedì. = I’m going to the swimming pool each Tuesday.
  • Tutte le domeniche andiamo al ristorante. = Each Sunday we go to the restaurant.

Regardless of being a synonym of tutti/tutte, the indefinite adjective ogni (every) doesn’t agree in gender and quantity with the noun it modifies and requires utilizing the singular type of the day with out the article.

  • Vado in piscina ogni martedì. = I’m going to the swimming pool each Tuesday.
  • Ogni domenica andiamo al ristorante. = Each Sunday we go to the restaurant.

Don’t use articles or prepositions when a single motion takes place solely on a specific day

In Italian, while you wish to discuss your plans on a specific day or describe future actions that don’t repeat, you don’t have to make use of any articles or prepositions earlier than the day names.

  • Giovedì vado in palestra. = On Thursday I’m going to the gymnasium.
  • Ci vediamo domenica? = See you on Sunday?
  • Parto martedì e torno venerdì. = I’m leaving on Tuesday and coming again on Friday.

The identical applies to actions that came about previously on a specific day.

  • Ci siamo visti sabato. = We met on Saturday.
  • Mercoledì siamo andati al cinema. = On Wednesday we went to the flicks.

If you wish to be extra particular with dates, you’ll be able to add the Italian quantity of the calendar day after the day of the week. This development sounds a bit official, and in some circumstances, it may additionally embody the month.

  • La riunione si terrà lunedì 18. = The assembly shall be held on Monday 18th.
  • Il pageant è iniziato venerdì 15 ottobre. = The pageant began on Friday, October fifteenth.

Different phrases for days and instances in Italian

When talking together with your Italian buddies and colleagues, you gained’t all the time bear in mind the precise day one thing occurred or give particulars in your plans. Typically, you’ll wish to maintain it easy and use different expressions as a substitute.

ItalianPronunciationEnglish
oggiOHD-jeeat this time
domanidoh-MAH-neetomorrow
dopodomanidoh-poh doh-MAH-neethe day after tomorrow
ieriYEH-reeyesterday
l’altro ieril AHL-troh YEH-reethe day earlier than yesterday
fra/tra due giornifrah/trah DOO-eh JOHR-neein two days
tre giorni fatreh JOHR-nee fahthree days in the past
nel positive settimananel FEE-neh set-tee-MAH-nahover the weekend
questa settimanaKWEHS-tah seht-tee-MAH-nahthis week
la prossima settimanalah PROHS-see-mah set-tee-MAH-nahsubsequent week
la settimana scorsalah set-tee-MAH-nah SKOR-sahfinal week

Italian phrases for the time of day

Then again, if you wish to be extra particular with the a part of the day when an occasion has, is, or will occur, you’ll be able to add these helpful Italian phrases and expressions after the day:

ItalianPronunciationEnglish
mattinamah-TEEN-ahmorning
a pranzoah prahn-tsohlunchtime
pomeriggiopoh-meh-REED-johafternoon
a cenaah cheh-nahdinnertime
seraSEH-rahnight
notteNOHT-tehevening

Apart from lunchtime and dinnertime, you don’t want so as to add every other prepositions when utilizing these phrases.

  • Il martedì mattina vado a lezione. = I’m going to class on Tuesdays within the morning.
  • Ci vediamo sabato sera? = See you on Saturday night?
  • La festa è iniziata venerdì pomeriggio. = The celebration began on Friday within the afternoon.

In Italy, lunchtime is round midday, pomeriggio (afternoon) begins round 2 p.m., and night is from 6 p.m. to round 10 p.m., when the evening begins.

Grasp the times of the week in Italian with Rosetta Stone

When you select to go to Italy and make new buddies within the nation, it’s vital you already know the names of the times of the week in Italian and learn to use them appropriately with or with out articles and prepositions to keep away from misunderstandings.

Boosting your expertise to debate your plans and habits while you study the right way to converse Italian will assist you to make new buddies and take part in on a regular basis conversations.

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