The 7 Days of the Week in German: Pronunciations & Grammar Guidelines

The key to remembering German days of the week

The large secret to mastering nowadays of the week in German is incorporating them into your day by day life. Attempt labeling your calendar with the German days or mentally noting the day in German every morning. You too can apply utilizing the German days of the week in easy sentences like Am Dienstag habe ich eine Verabredung (On Tuesday, I’ve an appointment). Common utilization of those phrases helps them really feel extra acquainted, so that you don’t need to spend as lengthy desirous about which phrase to make use of.

You too can make associations between the English and German phrases for the times of the week to easy out the method of memorizing them. Try the following tips that can assist you affiliate what you already know with what you need to be taught:

• Montag (Monday): Take a look at the primary three letters Mon- in each phrases. They begin the identical means, making this one straightforward to recollect.
• Dienstag (Tuesday): Consider the German phrase Diener (servant). Think about Dienstag as a day to serve up productiveness—it’s when individuals usually get into the move of the workweek.
• Mittwoch (Wednesday): Mitt means “center,” and Woch is brief for Woche, which means “week.” Today of the week actually means “mid-week,” so you possibly can keep in mind this time period by pondering which day is in the midst of the workweek.
• Donnerstag (Thursday): Image Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Donner means “thunder” in German, and the English time period “Thursday” comes from “Thor’s Day.”
• Freitag (Friday): Think about that feeling of freedom when it’s nearly the weekend. Frei means “free” in German.
• Samstag (Saturday): Affiliate at the present time with its root German phrase samen (collectively), as Saturday is commonly used for social gatherings and household rest.
• Sonntag (Sunday): This time period actually interprets to “solar day,” because the phrase for “solar” in German is Sonne and Tag means “day.” 

Grammar guidelines for German days of the week

Utilizing the times of the week in German in your writing and conversations entails a number of grammar guidelines that show you how to construction your sentences correctly. The excellent news is these guidelines are the identical for on daily basis of the week from Montag (Monday) to Sonntag (Sunday), so that you’ll solely need to be taught one algorithm. It is because each German day of the week is taken into account a masculine noun. These grammatical guidelines have an effect on articles, adjective endings, and, sometimes, noun endings.

Understanding articles for German days of the week

Days of the week in German are all thought-about masculine nouns, so that they’ll at all times use variations of the masculine particular article der (the) and the indefinite article ein (a/an). 

• Particular articles confer with particular nouns, like speaking about der Donnerstag (the Thursday) you bought your reward within the mail. 
• Indefinite articles are used for extra normal functions, as in speaking concerning the twelfth of Could falling on einen Montag (a Monday).

The choice of which article to make use of is dependent upon whether or not you’re speaking a few particular day or a normal day, and which of the 4 German grammar circumstances the day of the week is in. 

This chart exhibits which masculine article to make use of based mostly on grammatical case:

See sentence examples of every article in motion:

• Nominative:
  • Der Montag ist mein Lieblingstag. = Monday is my favourite day.
  • Ein Dienstag ist oft stressig. = A Tuesday is commonly irritating.
• Accusative:
  • Ich hasse den Freitag. = I hate Friday.
  • Endlich habe ich einen Samstag frei. = I lastly have a Saturday off.
• Dative:
  • Ich treffe mich mit meinen Freunden an dem Samstag. = I’m assembly with my mates on Saturday.
  • Wir fahren am Wochenende zu einem Dienstag nach Berlin. = We’re touring to Berlin on a Tuesday.
• Genitive:
  • Trotz des Mittwochs bin ich produktiv. = Regardless of the Wednesday, I’m productive.
  • Wegen eines halben Tages an einem Freitag muss ich länger arbeiten. = Due to a half day on a Friday, I’ve to work late.

For plural days of the week, like while you’re speaking concerning the recurring enterprise conferences on Mondays, no article is required: Simply add an -s to the tip of the German day of the week like in English!

Adjective endings for German days of the week

Adjective endings in German are often a multitude of gender, case, and quantity. Right here’s the key: Since all days of the week are masculine, there’s a three-step strategy you possibly can take to decide on which adjective ending is correct for a given sentence. 

To pick out the proper adjective ending, ask your self the next three questions so as:

1.     Is the day of the week in any grammar case aside from nominative? If sure, simply add -en!

• Wir haben einen schönen Freitag geplant. = We deliberate a fantastic Friday.
• Ich bin mit dem kurzen Mittwoch zufrieden. = I’m proud of the quick Wednesday.

2.     If the day of the week is within the nominative case, are you speaking a few particular day of the week? In that case, add the -e ending to your adjective.

• Der lange Montag ist schwer zu überstehen. = The lengthy Monday is difficult to get by.
• Der hektische Dienstag ist immer der schlimmste. = The hectic Friday is at all times the worst.

3.     Are you referring to a normal day of the week within the nominative case? Let the adjective shine by including -er on the finish.

• Ein fauler Sonntag ist genau richtig. = A lazy Sunday is good.
• Ein spannender Mittwoch bringt oft Überraschungen. = An thrilling Wednesday usually brings surprises.

How one can use German days of the week in sentences

Now that you know the way to say every of the times of the week in German and the way they impression the grammar of the sentence, you can begin utilizing them in your day by day conversations. 

There are 4 primary methods the times of the week will come up in your day-to-day life. You’ll both discuss a selected day, a normal day, one thing taking place on a specific day, or a recurring occasion on a sure day each week.

Referring to a selected day

When referring to a selected day like der Montag (the Monday), use the particular articles der, den, dem, or des (the) based mostly which of the 4 German circumstances are used within the sentence. This additionally applies if you happen to’re mentioning a day for the primary time in a dialog.

• Der Freitag ist mein Lieblingstag. = Friday is my favourite day.

Speaking a few non-specific day

Should you’re speaking a few non-specific day like ein Mittwoch (a Wednesday), use ein (a/an) with the suitable endings based mostly on the grammatical case.

• Ein Dienstag ist immer produktiv. = A Tuesday is at all times productive.

Saying one thing is ‘on’ a selected day

Saying that one thing occurs on a specific day requires using the contraction am, which is brief for an dem (on the). Am is commonly used with the dative case.

• Am Montage habe ich frei. = I’m off on Monday.

Speaking about recurring occasions with no article

For normal, recurring occasions like “on Mondays,” there’s no want for an article. As an alternative, merely add an -s to the tip of the day such as you do in English.

• Samstags gehe ich nie ins Büro. = I by no means go to the workplace on Saturdays.

Observe the times of the week in German with Rosetta Stone

Figuring out the times of the week and the way to use them correctly is a staple of studying German. Should you’re planning to satisfy with your folks on Samstag (Saturday) or attend that particular lunch date on Mittwoch (Wednesday), getting used to the times of the week will make a giant distinction!

Rosetta Stone’s Reside Classes lengthen your studying with partaking stay language lessons about particular subjects, like fundamental vocabulary phrases and days of the week. You’ll have the chance to listen to difficult pronunciations of German phrases from a local speaker, increase your cultural data with related, real-world subjects, and reinforce your studying and writing abilities.