The 7 Days of the Week in Italian and Other Time-Related Words

It’s also important to note that, In Italian, nouns ending with an accented vowel don’t have a plural form, so the first five days of the week won’t change when used in the plural. On the other hand, sabato (Saturday) and domenica (Sunday) are regular nouns with plural forms: sabati and domeniche.

How to remember the days of the week in Italian

The best way to remember the names of the days in Italian is to think of their origins, which date back to the ancient Romans and their interest in astrology and astronomy. These names come from those of celestial bodies, as the Romans thought that these objects ruled the beginning of each day.

The week starts from lunedì, the day of the Moon and the closest celestial body to Earth. Then, it moves to martedì (the day of Mars), mercoledì (the day of Mercury), and so on. However, the Italian word for Saturday, sabato, comes from the Latin sabbatum (day of the Sabbath, or day of rest), and the Italian word for Sunday, domenica, originated from the Latin dies Domini (day of the Lord).

Celestial bodies aside, you can also memorize the Italian days of the week by creating associations with words in your native language. For example, the beginning of the word lunedì sounds like “lunar” in English, so you can remember that Monday in Italian is the “lunar day.”

Abbreviations for the days of the week in Italian

If you want to learn Italian and talk with native speakers, you have to know how to abbreviate words. Italian vocabulary features a lot of long nouns that Italians like to shorten for the sake of practicality.

In the case of weekdays, you can find two types of abbreviations: the official one, mainly used in the written form like timetables and visiting or opening hours, and the colloquial one, used only in SMS messages and everyday conversations.

Grammar rules for Italian days of the week

Using the Italian days of the week in your writing and conversations requires knowing some Italian grammar rules that apply to all seven days.

Use articles when the action is repeated every week on the same day

When you talk about an action that takes place every week on the same day, you should use an article before the name of the day. Six out of seven days of the week in Italian are masculine nouns, so they use the article il. Domenica is the only feminine day of the week, and it uses the article la.

• Il giovedì vado in palestra. = On Thursdays, I go to the gym.
• Ci vediamo la domenica? = Are we going to meet on Sundays?
• Parto il martedì e torno il venerdì. = I leave every Tuesday and come back every Friday.

However, this is not the only option you have. Italian dialects greatly influence the language people speak in different regions and even cities of Italy. For this reason, you may hear Italians using the prepositions di and a instead of the articles il and la to express an action that repeats every week on the same day.

• La domenica vado a fare la spesa. = On Sundays, I go grocery shopping.
• Di domenica vado a fare la spesa. = On Sundays, I go grocery shopping.
• Alla domenica vado a fare la spesa. = On Sundays, I go grocery shopping.

All of these options are correct and understandable throughout Italy, so you can choose the one you like the most. When using the prepositions, remember that di doesn’t change, while a follows the rules of Italian articulated prepositions and combines with the article, turning into al (for masculine nouns) and alla (for feminine nouns).

Using the article before the name of the day when the action is repeated every week on the same day is still the most common choice.

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

You should also use the article before the day name when the Italian day of the week is preceded by the adjective scorso (last) or prossimo (next).

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

However, no article is needed if the adjective comes after the day’s name:

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

Both constructions are correct; you can choose the one you prefer.

How to use the adjectives tutti and ogni before the days of the week for repeated actions

The adjectives tutti/tutte (every) and ogni (each) are often used before the names of the days in Italian to convey the same meaning expressed by the article: an action that repeats regularly on the same day of the week.

The indefinite adjective tutto (every) must be followed by the article, the plural form of the noun, and it must agree in gender with the day of the week it precedes. So, it becomes tutti before the masculine days and tutte before the feminine domeniche (Sundays).

• Vado in piscina tutti i martedì. = I go to the swimming pool every Tuesday.
• Tutte le domeniche andiamo al ristorante. = Every Sunday we go to the restaurant.

Despite being a synonym of tutti/tutte, the indefinite adjective ogni (each) doesn’t agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies and requires using the singular form of the day without the article.

• Vado in piscina ogni martedì. = I go to the swimming pool every Tuesday.
• Ogni domenica andiamo al ristorante. = Every Sunday we go to the restaurant.

Don’t use articles or prepositions when a single action takes place only on a particular day

In Italian, when you want to talk about your plans on a particular day or describe future actions that don’t repeat, you don’t have to use any articles or prepositions before the day names.

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

The same applies to actions that took place in the past on a particular day.

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

If you want to be more specific with dates, you can add the Italian number of the calendar day after the day of the week. This construction sounds a bit official, and in some cases, it might also include the month.

• La riunione si terrà lunedì 18. = The meeting will be held on Monday 18th.
• Il festival è iniziato venerdì 15 ottobre. = The festival started on Friday, October 15th.

Other words for days and times in Italian

When speaking with your Italian friends and colleagues, you won’t always remember the exact day something happened or give details on your plans. Sometimes, you’ll want to keep it simple and use other expressions instead.

Italian words for the time of day

On the other hand, if you want to be more specific with the part of the day when an event has, is, or will happen, you can add these useful Italian words and expressions after the day:

Besides lunchtime and dinnertime, you don’t need to add any other prepositions when using these terms.

• Il martedì mattina vado a lezione. = I go to class on Tuesdays in the morning.
• Ci vediamo sabato sera? = See you on Saturday evening?
• La festa è iniziata venerdì pomeriggio. = The party started on Friday in the afternoon.

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

Master the days of the week in Italian with Rosetta Stone

If you choose to visit Italy and make new friends in the country, it’s important you know the names of the days of the week in Italian and learn how to use them correctly with or without articles and prepositions to avoid misunderstandings.

Boosting your skills to discuss your plans and habits when you learn how to speak Italian will help you make new friends and participate in everyday conversations.