In this article we will find out what they are called days of the week in English. And we learn not only the name, but also the origin of the names of the days of the week in English.
The names of the days of the week in English come from the names of the Roman gods. In ancient times, the Romans used Saturday as the first day of the week. The ascension of the Sun to the rank of deity and fanatical worship of him moved Sunday from the second to the seventh day of the week.
let's consider origin of the days of the week in English.
Sunday - Sunday.
The name of this day of the week comes from the Latin expression dies solis - sunny day (the name of a pagan Roman holiday). It was also called by its Latin name Dominica - day of God. The Romance languages (Spanish, French, Italian), which descended from Old Latin, retained this root (dom-) in the name of a given day of the week.
Monday - Monday.
The name of this day of the week in English comes from the Anglo-Saxon word monandaeg - "lunar day". The second day of the week was dedicated to the moon goddess.
Tuesday - Tuesday.
This day of the week in English was named after the Norse god Tyr. The Romans named this day in honor of the god of war, Mars.
Wednesday - Wednesday.
The origin of the name of this day of the week dates back to the Roman Empire, the original name was dies Mercurii in honor of the god Mercury.
Thursday - Thursday.
The next day of the week is Thursday, and it is named after the Norse god Thor. In Norwegian this day of the week is called Torsdag. The Romans called this day of the week - dies Jovis - "Day of Jupiter", the most important god in their mythology.
Friday - Friday.
The penultimate day of the week in English is Friday. This day of the week was named after the Norwegian queen Frigg. The Romans dedicated this name to the goddess Venus.
Saturday - Saturday
The name of this day of the week glorified the god of ancient Roman mythology, Saturn.
People who come to England or an English-speaking country are often surprised by things that are quite simple for its inhabitants and cannot get used to some of the rules and features. For example, to the traditional English calendar. But what features can a seemingly ordinary thing have? It turns out that they exist. They will be discussed in this article. Enjoy reading!
The calendar in English seems unusual at first glance. The unusual first day of the week is striking - Sunday. But this does not mean that the work week begins on this day. It’s just common among the British to divide the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) into the beginning of the week and the end - this creates the illusion of uniformity.
And also, which happens quite rarely, if a person works on Saturday, then he has one day off at the beginning of the week. On Sunday, it is customary to go with relatives to nature (in the summer and spring months) or to visit relatives (in autumn and winter).
Features of writing days and months
The British are sensitive to the names of their days of the week. This confirms, for example, the following fact: absolutely all days and months, unlike us, are written with a capital letter.
Since the Germanic, Scandinavian and English peoples are closely related, this was reflected in the names of the days of the week and months. They are mainly dedicated to various mythical gods, such as Thor or Odin.
A week in English with transcription looks like this:
- Sunday [‘sΛndei - “Sa’nday”] - Sunday. Literally translated as “sun’s day.”
- Monday [‘mΛndei - “Ma’nday”] - Monday. Literally translated as “moon’s day.”
- Tuesday [‘tju:zdi - “Tuesday”] - Tuesday. Literal translation: “Tiw’s day.” Tiv is a one-armed god in English legends. He was depicted as an old man - a symbol of law and justice, as well as military valor.
- Wednesday [‘wenzdei - “We’nzdei”] - Wednesday. This day is also dedicated to God, but now to a Germanic one - Wotan. We usually call this god Odin. This is a thin old man whose exploits are so exaggerated that they are difficult to believe. For example, there is a legend that he gave one eye for the sake of knowledge, for which he was honored to be called the fourth day of the week. "Wotan's day" - Odin's day.
- Thursday [‘θə:zdei - “Fyo’zdey”] - Thursday. This day is dedicated to the famous Scandinavian god - Thor. His father was Odin, the ruler of all gods, and his mother was Frigga. "Thor's day" - Thor's day. Over time, the name of the day of the week changed and became what we are used to seeing it - Thursday.
- Friday [‘fraidei - “Fra’idei”] - Friday. This is the day of the Scandinavian goddess Frigga. Literally: “Frige’s day.”
- Saturday [‘sætədei - “Se’teday”] - Saturday. Perhaps the only day dedicated to non-ancient Germanic gods. This is the day of Saturn - the ancient Roman god. "Saturn's day".
The history of the origin of the various English days of the week explains a lot about the obligatory capital letter in the English calendar. After all, almost all these days belong to various gods, and the ancestors of the English revered and respected them. And a capital letter is one of the signs of respect. Even with abbreviations (we will discuss them later), the names of the days are written with a capital letter.
Names of the months in English
The various months in English are also always written with a capital letter, since these are words derived from proper names (mostly belonging to the gods). They are borrowed mainly from the Latin language. Also, English months begin in March - the first month of spring. It is believed that it is during this month that Mother Nature renews herself. And the winter months, on the contrary, are the aging and fading of the year.
There are no other serious features in the months of the English calendar, except perhaps in their pronunciation.
Months in English with transcription
- March [ me:tf - “Me’tz (last sound: something between “z” and “s”)” ] - March. In honor of "Marcelius" (Mars) - the famous god of war.
- April [‘eipr(ə)l - “April”] - April is named after the Greek goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite (Aphrelis).
- May [mei - “May”] - May. This name of the month is derived from the name of the god Maya, the goddess of fertility.
- June [dju:n - “June”] - June. The month is named after the goddess Juna, but in Russian her name sounds like “Hera”. She acted as the patroness of all widows and marriages.
- July [dju’lai - “Ju’lay”] - July. At the height of summer, the great Holy Roman Emperor was born. The month is named after Julius Caesar, born in 46 BC. e.
- August [a:’gΛst - “Augest”] - August. This month is named after Augustus Octavian, thanks to whose efforts the formation of the Gregorian calendar was completed.
- September [sep’tembə - “Septe’mbe”] - September. From lat. the words “septem” are seven.
- October [ok’təubə - “O’ktoube”] - October. From lat. the words "octo" are eight.
- November [nəu’vembə - “Nou’vembe”] - November. From lat. the words “novem” are nine.
- December [di’sembə - “Di’sembe”] - December. From lat. the words “decem” are ten.
- January [‘djænju(ə)ri - “Je’neweri”] - January. In honor of Janus - the Roman god of gates and the patron of people from uninvited guests.
- February [‘febru(ə)ri - “Fe’brueri” ] - February. This month was named after the holiday “Februa”, which is translated from Latin as “purification”.
Year in English
There are some minor peculiarities in the pronunciation of the four-digit year in English. So, for example, they say the first two numbers first, and then the remaining ones (separately). For example, the year 1758 sounds like seventeen and fifty eight.
Abbreviations for the names of days of weeks and months
In English calendars, names are rarely written in full (especially in online analogues), since they are too cumbersome for the tabular type of calendars (this is their main type, the most common). There are two types of name abbreviations: two-character and three-character. The latter imply a period after the abbreviation; two-character ones do not require it.
Two-character abbreviations for the names of days of the week and months
With this type of abbreviation, the first two letters of the name are used. This is very convenient in the sense that just by starting to read a word, you can immediately remember its complete analogue.
Days of the week in English abbreviated:
Months in English abbreviated:
| Name of the month | Abbreviation |
| March | Ma |
| April | Ap |
| May | May* |
| June | June* |
| July | Jul* |
| August | Au |
| September | Se |
| October | Oc |
| November | No |
| December | De |
| January | Ja |
| February | Fe |
*Some months are very similar and cannot be reduced to two characters. Either three characters or the full name of the month can be used (for example, June).
Three-character abbreviations for the names of days of the week and months
This type of abbreviation is common not only in calendars, but in various diaries with dates or in official documents (due to one possible interpretation of the abbreviation).
The characters used in common do not have to be in order in a complete word, but this is the most commonly used option. A dot is placed after the name of the month or week on the calendar.
Table of three-character abbreviations:
| Name of the month | Abbreviation |
| March | Mar. |
| April | Apr. |
| May | May. |
| June | Jun. |
| July | Jul. |
| August | Aug. |
| September | Sep. |
| October | Oct. |
| November | Nov. |
| December | Dec. |
| January | Jan. |
| February | Feb. |
There are also four-character abbreviations, but they are not so common and are similar in composition to the above.
Conclusion
Among the British, to us, residents of Russia and the CIS countries, much seems unusual and strange in their culture and. But, if you look at it, everything is extremely clear and simple for them. For example, the rule of writing the names of the days of the weeks and months seems a little strange until you realize that these are derived words from the names of Greek and Roman gods.
If you understand the features and delve into them, it will become much easier and more interesting.
Days of the week in English are one of the first important topics that entry-level students study. In addition to the daily need to use the days of the week in English, these names can be found in stories, anecdotes, fairy tales, films, cartoons, poems and songs. The material presented in the article helps to better remember the days of the week in English and practice correct pronunciation.
Days of the week in English:
Sunday[‘sʌndeɪ], [-dɪ] Sunday
Monday[‘mʌndeɪˌ ‘mʌndɪ] Monday
Tuesday[‘t(j)uːzdɪ ], [‘ʧuː-] Tuesday
Wednesday[‘wenzdeɪ] Wednesday
Thursday[‘θɜːzdeɪ] Thursday
Friday[‘fraɪdeɪ], [-dɪ] Friday
Saturday[‘sætədeɪ] [ʹsætədı] Saturday
How to remember the days of the week in English?
1. Get to know the history and origin of the days of the week - the names of the days of the week are derived from the names of the planets.
2. Learn this song:
3. Install the menu in English on your phone. Thus, when taking notes or looking at a calendar, you will involuntarily notice abbreviations of the days of the week or their full names.
4. Write a short story about what you usually do on Monday, Tuesday, etc. Find something special. For example: On Monday I go to the gym.
Important!
1. Sunday is considered the first day of the week in countries such as England, Canada, the USA and others. Wherein Monday - Friday- these are working days ( workday [‘wɜːkdeɪ] weekday; working day or weekday [‘wiːkdeɪ] weekday), Saturday and Sunday - weekend [ˌwiːk’end] days off, weekend.
2. Days of the week in English are used with a preposition on:
on Sunday- on Sunday
on Monday- on Monday
on Tuesday- on Tuesday
on Wednesday- on Wednesday
on Thursday- on Thursday
on Friday- on Friday
on Saturday- on Saturday
at the weekend — on weekends
3. Days of the week in English are always written with a capital letter, since they refer to proper names
Days of the week in English. Short form.
Sunday - Su - Sun
Monday - M, Mo, Mon
Tuesday - Tu, Tue, Tues
Wednesday - We - Wed
Thursday—Th -Thu
Friday - F, Fr, Fri.
Saturday - Sa - Sat
Days of the week in English. Useful phrases.
1. when two Sundays come / meet together - after the rain on Thursday, never (“when two Sundays meet”)
2. Black Monday- first day of classes after the holidays
3. to come every Tuesday- come every Tuesday
4. Holy/Spy Wednesday- Holy Wednesday (during Holy Week)
5. Holy Thursday— Holy Thursday, Maundy Thursday (in Holy Week)
6. girl Friday[͵gə:lʹfraıdı] secretary, office worker who helps the boss
she’s his girl Friday - she is his right hand
7. by Saturday- by Saturday
The first thing they teach in foreign language courses is the ability to talk about themselves. And for beginners it is not a problem to come up with a banal sentence: “ My name is Kolya, I am learning English" Difficulties arise with the use of more common expressions, where in addition to what you are doing, you also need to indicate when, where or with whom. And today, having learned the days of the week in English with pronunciation, we will learn to use them as a simple addition and as independent sentences denoting a date.
Words that name the days of the week in English belong to the everyday vocabulary of the language, because the need to designate a specific day arises quite often. Before moving on to learning the words themselves, let’s note a few interesting and important cases of their use in the English-speaking environment.
- All countries use the traditional seven-day week system, but countries such as Canada, the United States and Israel count the new week from Sunday. At the same time, workdays still begin on Monday and end on Friday. This point is important to consider if you are planning to visit a country with a similar calendar.
- The designation of a specific date begins with the day of the week: Friday, August 18, 2017. By the way, abbreviations are not made exactly as in Russian. In order to shorten the name of the day, simply take the first two or three letters of the word: Mo./Mon., Su./Sun., We./Wed, etc. In some calendars, the day of the week is even designated by the first letter.
- Grammatically, English days of the week are proper names and are always capitalized. This rule also applies to abbreviated forms.
Remember these features, as they are important for developing competent English speech. Now let’s find out how to pronounce the names of the days correctly.
Days of the week in English with pronunciation, transcription and Russian translation
In order to make it easier to learn the names, we will analyze each word separately and using the example of everyday situations. To practice correct pronunciation, use the transcription provided.
Common names
You can designate all the days of the week at once using a phrasal construction daysoftheweek/deɪz əv ðə wiːk/. Saturday and Sunday also have a general meaning; they can be called weekend/wiːkɛnd/.
Monday
The first day of the working week, also known as Monday, will sound in English Monday. Since the English language is rapidly developing, today, along with the traditional transcription /mʌndeɪ/, the pronunciation /mʌndi/ is increasingly used.
Tuesday
Tuesday is indicated by the word Tuesday. The name is pronounced /tjuːzdeɪ/ or /tjuːzdi/. Be careful, it is often confused with something similar in spelling Thursday, which denotes Thursday!
Wednesday
Wednesday– this is what Wednesday is called in English. It has two transcriptions, like the words that were pronounced above: /wenzdeɪ/ or /wenzdi/.
Thursday
So we have come to studying the word Thursday, which was mentioned when introducing Tuesday. To never confuse them, you need to reliably remember the correct spelling and sound of each word. So, in English this day of the week is written Thursday and is pronounced /θə:zdeɪ/, or /θə:zdi/.
Friday
The last day of the working week in Russian is Friday, and in English Friday. The word has the same types of transcriptions that we studied while introducing other days: /fraideɪ/ and /fraidi/.
Saturday
Sabbath in English is called Saturday, and has the transcription /sætədeɪ/ and /sætədi/.
Sunday
Last day off, i.e. Sunday, in English called Sunday. Let's learn his pronunciation: /sΛndei/, /sΛndi/.
So, we learned how the days of the week are indicated in English, got acquainted with their pronunciation, translation and application in practice. All that remains is to learn how to easily and quickly memorize the vocabulary of the lesson.
Learn the days of the week in 5 minutes
In order to quickly master the material or explain it in an accessible form to the child, we will resort to the method of associations. All days of the week can be compared with already familiar words that will be consonant with their pronunciation. Or choose a musical tune and sing the names of the days of the week to the children.
Associations and consonances
| Phrase | Pronunciation | Translation |
| Monday is a moon's day. | /Monday from Moon's Day/ | Monday is a lunar day. |
| Tuesday is a two’s day. | /Tuesday from ace day/ | Tuesday is a day for two. |
| Wednesday is a wedding’s day. | /Wednesday from Wedding Day/ | Wednesday is the wedding day. |
| Thursday is my birthday. | /Tuesday from May Day/ | Thursday is my birthday. |
| Friday is a fly-day. | /Friday from e fly day/ | Friday is flight day. |
| On Saturday I sleep all day. | /On Saturday I slip ol day/ | On Saturday I sleep all day long. |
| Sunday is a sunny day. | /Sunday from e sunny day/ | Sunday is a sunny day. |
Song to learn
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday too.
Wednesday, Thursday just for you.
Friday, Saturday that's the end.
Now let’s say those days again!
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday!
- Monday - Monday
- Tuesday - Tuesday
- Wednesday - Wednesday
- Thursday - Szday
- Friday - Friday
- Saturday - Saturday
- Sunday - Sunday.
In order to know the correct pronunciation of certain English words, you should learn to read their transcription. But if the child cannot figure it out, then you can listen to the pronunciation of words with him online. Here's an example where you can do it without any problems.
But I believe that the new pronunciation will soon reach us and we will have to replace such a native ending day with di
In Russian, the days of the week are read like this:
Monday - mandi-Monday
Tuesday - Tuesday-Tuesday
Wednesday- Wednesday-Wednesday
Thursday - here- Thursday
Friday - Friday- Friday
Saturday - satedi-Saturday
Sunday - Sunday-Sunday
Although the English language seems simple to many people, in terms of pronunciation it is not so simple, and therefore they came up with a transcription for the words. This is because words in this language are most often pronounced differently from how they are written.
Here is a table where everything is as clear and accessible as possible:
I would like to remind you that the pronunciations of English words are different and it depends on where and by whom the English language is used. So in the USA it will be one pronunciation, in India - another, in Australia - a third, and in the homeland of the language - England - completely different. This doesn't include different accents and dialects. Therefore, the most correct decision is to find a good teacher. As for the immediate solution, of course you can use an online translator to listen to the pronunciation, but even on Google it is not a fact that it will be accurate and correct. If we consider purely English pronunciation, then Monday sounds Monday, with an emphasis on the first syllable and a not quite clear, softened D. In general, I suggest finding a translation program with several English ones, listen to the options, compare them, and then everything will become visible and clear.
The pronunciation of many words differs between American English and British English proper.
Words denoting the days of the week should be pronounced in Russian (in Russian) as follows:
Monday (Monday) is pronounced like this - Monday;
Tuesday (Tuesday) is pronounced like this - Tuesday;
Wednesday (Wednesday) - Wednesday;
Thursday (Thursday) - Sunday;
Friday - Friday;
Saturday - Saturday;
And finally, Sunday should be pronounced like this - Sunday.
Below are the days of the week in English and Russian writing. The English transcription is also indicated, and below is the Russian one, which is consonant with the pronunciation.
If you also want to hear the voice pronunciation, then I suggest you go to this site and opposite each English transcription on the right side, click on the bell. The main thing is to make sure that your headphones are connected to your computer or your speakers are turned on.
When children learn English, teachers usually tell them that the transcription, for example, Monday is Monday, however, fluent English speakers or native speakers say Mandi. For a child, it’s still worth learning first because they all teach Monday, Tuesday (Tuesday), Wednesday (Wednesday), it’s difficult to reproduce - Tuesday (Thursday), Friday (Friday), Saturday (Saturday), Sunday (Sunday).
Previously, the days of the week were all pronounced in English with the ending -ey, but now they are pronounced with the ending -i, and teachers (at least in colleges where they study English) correct you if you pronounce them in the old manner, although this is not an error.