KalamDays of the Week in Arabic
The days of the week in Arabic are الأحد (al-aḥad, Sunday), الاثنين (al-ithnayn, Monday), الثلاثاء (ath-thulāthā', Tuesday), الأربعاء (al-arbiʿā', Wednesday), الخميس (al-khamīs, Thursday), الجمعة (al-jumuʿa, Friday) and السبت (as-sabt, Saturday). The week starts on Sunday, and the first five days are simply numbered one to five.
Literally: “the days of the week”
Days of the Week across the Arab world
Arabic changes from country to country. Here's what you'll actually hear.
Days are often preceded by يوم (yawm), "day": yawm al-aḥad, "Sunday."
Egyptian shortens several days: Wednesday is il-arbaʿ, and Friday is ig-gumʿa with a hard g.
Levantineالأحد، التنين، التلاتاil-aḥad, it-tanēn, it-talātaWednesday is il-arbʿa and Friday is ij-jumʿa.
Gulfالأحد، الاثنين، الثلاثاءil-aḥad, il-ithnēn, ith-thalāthaClose to MSA, keeping the th sound but dropping the final hamza.
Darijaنهار الحدnhār l-ḥeddMoroccans use نهار (nhār) for "day": nhār t-tnīn, Monday; nhār s-sebt, Saturday.
Days of the Week in Arabic
Other ways to say days of the week
How to say it right
The sounds English speakers find tricky, and how to get them right.
Practise with feedbackth in ath-thulāthā' is the th of "think." Egyptians and Levantines replace it with t, which is why you hear it-talāt and it-talāta.
al- blends into sun letters: ath-thulāthā' and as-sabt, but al-aḥad, al-ithnayn and al-khamīs keep a clear l.
al-arbiʿā' and al-jumuʿa contain ʿ, a squeeze in the throat. If it's hard at first, a short pause is better than leaving it out.
Egyptians pronounce ج as a hard g, so Friday is ig-gumʿa, not ij-jumʿa.
Example sentences
Shall we meet next Thursday?
EgyptianTomorrow is Friday, there's no work.
LevantineTomorrow is Sunday, the first day of the work week.
GulfI'm going to Marrakesh on Saturday.
DarijaToday is Monday.
Standard (MSA)Using it like a local
Five of the seven day names are just numbers: al-aḥad (one), al-ithnayn (two), ath-thulāthā' (three), al-arbiʿā' (four) and al-khamīs (five). If you know Arabic numbers, you already know most of the week. Friday, al-jumuʿa, means "the gathering," after the weekly congregational prayer, and Surah 62 of the Quran is named Al-Jumuʿa.
Weekends differ by country. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar take Friday and Saturday off, so Sunday is the first workday. The UAE moved to a Saturday and Sunday weekend in 2022, and Morocco, Tunisia and Lebanon also rest on Saturday and Sunday. Ask "what day is your weekend?" before scheduling a call.
Thursday night, the start of the weekend in much of the region, is the classic night for weddings and family visits. Many Muslims also fast voluntarily on Mondays and Thursdays, following the Prophet's practice.
Days of the Week: common questions
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What is the first day of the week in Arabic?
Sunday, الأحد (al-aḥad), which literally means "the one" or "day one." Arabic calendars start the week on Sunday, and the following days are named two, three, four and five.
How do you say today, tomorrow and yesterday in Arabic?
In MSA: اليوم (al-yawm), غداً (ghadan) and أمس (ams). In Egyptian: النهارده (innahārda), بكرة (bukra) and امبارح (imbāriḥ). In Levantine: اليوم (il-yōm), بكرا (bukra) and مبارح (mbāriḥ).
Why is Friday called al-jumuʿa?
الجمعة (al-jumuʿa) comes from the root j-m-ʿ, "to gather." Friday is the day Muslims gather for the congregational midday prayer, ṣalāt al-jumuʿa, so the day is named "the gathering."
How do you say "next week" and "weekend" in Arabic?
Next week is الأسبوع الجاي (il-usbūʿ ig-gayy in Egyptian, il-usbūʿ ij-jāy in Levantine), or الأسبوع القادم (al-usbūʿ al-qādim) in MSA. Weekend is عطلة نهاية الأسبوع (ʿuṭlat nihāyat al-usbūʿ), though most people just say الويكند (il-wīkend).
What is the day after tomorrow in Arabic?
In Egyptian and Levantine Arabic it's بعد بكرة (baʿd bukra), literally "after tomorrow." In MSA it's بعد غد (baʿda ghad). The day before yesterday is أول امبارح (awwil imbāriḥ) in Egyptian.
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