Days of the Week in German: Complete Guide With Pronunciation and Origins

The Short Answer

The seven days of the week in German are Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch, Donnerstag, Freitag, Samstag, and Sonntag. Unlike in Romance languages (Spanish, French, Italian), German weekday names come primarily from Norse mythology rather than Roman planetary gods. And because all nouns are capitalized in German, days of the week are always written with a capital letter.

German is spoken by approximately 134 million speakers worldwide, making it the most spoken native language in the European Union, according to Ethnologue's 2024 data. It is the official language of Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein, and one of the official languages of Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

"The Germanic weekday names reveal the moment when Norse mythology met Roman astronomy, a cultural translation that preserved the planetary structure while replacing Mediterranean gods with northern ones."

(Friedrich Kluge, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache)

This guide covers every day of the week with pronunciation, etymology, grammar, and cultural context for German-speaking countries.

All 7 Days at a Glance

Notice the pattern: six of the seven days end in -tag (the German word for "day"), while Mittwoch stands alone as the exception.

Norse Gods and Planetary Parallels: The Story Behind Each Day

German weekday names follow the same Roman planetary framework as English and the Romance languages, but with an important difference: where Latin languages kept the Roman gods, Germanic languages substituted their own Norse and Germanic deities. Understanding these substitutions reveals the deep connections between the two systems.

Montag

Montag comes from the Old High German Mānetag (Moon's day), a direct translation of the Latin Lunae dies. The modern German word for moon is Mond, making the connection transparent. Both English "Monday" and German Montag share this lunar origin.

The moon was the same celestial body across both mythological systems, which is why this is the one day that required no god-swapping between Roman and Germanic traditions.

Dienstag

Dienstag derives from the Old High German Ziostag, the day of Ziu (the southern Germanic name for the Norse god Tyr). Tyr was the god of war, law, and heroic glory, the Germanic equivalent of Mars. English "Tuesday" comes from the same god through the Old English form "Tiwesdæg" (Tiw's day).

The modern spelling Dienstag has been folk-etymologized to look like it contains Dienst (service), but the historical root is the god Ziu/Tyr.

Mittwoch

Mittwoch is the most unusual day name in German. It literally means "midweek" (Mitte = middle, Woche = week) and is the only German weekday that does not reference a deity. The original Germanic name was Wotanstag (Woden's/Odin's day), paralleling English "Wednesday" (Woden's day).

The Christian church actively replaced Wotanstag with the neutral Mittwoch to eliminate the pagan reference. This was part of a broader effort across Germanic-speaking regions to de-paganize the calendar. English and the Scandinavian languages resisted this change, keeping their Odin-derived names.

This also reveals how the week was conceptualized: Wednesday is the middle of a Monday-to-Sunday week, confirming that the Monday-first convention has deep historical roots in Germanic culture.

Donnerstag

Donnerstag means "Thunder's day," from Donner (thunder), referring to the Norse god Thor (known as Donar in Germanic mythology). Thor/Donar was the god of thunder, strength, and storms, the Germanic equivalent of Jupiter. English "Thursday" comes from the same god: "Thor's day."

The German word for thunder, Donner, is used in everyday German: Donnerwetter! (literally "thunder weather!") is a mild exclamation of surprise, similar to "Good heavens!"

Freitag

Freitag comes from the Norse goddess Freyja (or Frigg), the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. She was the Germanic equivalent of Venus. English "Friday" shares the identical origin.

There is scholarly debate about whether Freitag honors Freyja or Frigg (Odin's wife), as both goddesses have overlapping attributes. Regardless, the connection to love and beauty parallels Venus perfectly.

Samstag

Samstag comes from the Old High German Sambaztag, derived from the Hebrew Shabbat via the Greek Sabbaton and Latin Sabbatum. This is the same root as Spanish sábado and French samedi.

However, German has a second word for Saturday: Sonnabend (literally "Sunday eve" or "the evening before Sunday"). Sonnabend is used primarily in northern and eastern Germany, while Samstag dominates in southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Both are standard German, but Samstag is the form used in official and media contexts.

Sonntag

Sonntag means "Sun's day," from Sonne (sun). Unlike the Romance languages, which replaced the pagan dies Solis with the Christian dies Dominicus (Lord's day), German (like English) kept the original pagan solar reference.

Sunday in Germany is a legally protected rest day. The Sonntagsruhe (Sunday rest) is even referenced in the German constitution (Basic Law, Article 139). Most retail shops are closed on Sundays, and noise regulations are stricter. Mowing your lawn or drilling holes on a Sunday can earn you a complaint from neighbors or even a fine.

Grammar: How to Use Days in Sentences

German has clear, structured rules for days of the week that are essential for correct usage.

Always Capitalized

Because German capitalizes all nouns, days of the week are always capitalized: Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch, etc. This is the opposite of Spanish, French, and Italian, but the same convention as English.

"On Monday" = Am Montag

To say "on" a specific day, German uses the preposition an combined with the dative article dem, contracted to am:

• Ich komme am Montag. (I'm coming on Monday.)
• Am Freitag habe ich frei. (On Friday I'm off.)

For habitual/recurring actions, add -s to the day name (lowercase when used as an adverb):

• Montags gehe ich schwimmen. (On Mondays I go swimming.)
• Freitags bestellen wir Pizza. (On Fridays we order pizza.)

Gender: All Masculine

All seven days are masculine (der). This never changes:

• der Montag, der Dienstag, der Mittwoch, der Donnerstag, der Freitag, der Samstag, der Sonntag

In the dative case (after am): am Montag, am Dienstag, etc.

Time Expressions

The Week Structure: Monday First

Germany, Austria, and Switzerland all start the week on Monday, following the ISO 8601 standard. The German word for "week" is Woche (feminine: die Woche), and the standard expressions are:

• Workweek: von Montag bis Freitag (from Monday to Friday)
• Workdays: Werktage (literally "work days," Monday through Friday, sometimes including Saturday morning)
• Weekend: das Wochenende (the weekend)
• Midweek: Mittwoch literally encodes this concept

The standard German workweek is typically 38-40 hours spread across five days. Germany is known for its strong work-life separation: when the workday ends, it ends.

Useful Phrases With Days of the Week

Months of the Year: A Quick Companion Reference

Days and months frequently appear together. Here are the 12 months in German, always capitalized, all masculine.

German dates use the format: number + period + month. For example, der 25. Dezember (December 25th). In Austria, Jänner is used instead of Januar, and Feber occasionally replaces Februar.

Cultural Notes: How Days Shape Life in German-Speaking Countries

Sonntagsruhe: The Sacred Sunday

The Sonntagsruhe (Sunday rest) is one of the most distinctive features of German culture. Shops are closed. Noise levels must be kept low. Even washing your car or hanging laundry outside can draw complaints in some neighborhoods. This tradition has constitutional protection and reflects a deep cultural value placed on rest and family time.

Exceptions include bakeries (which may open for a few morning hours), gas stations, restaurants, and shops in major train stations and airports.

Samstag vs. Sonnabend: The North-South Divide

The existence of two standard words for Saturday is one of German's most well-known regional splits. If you hear Sonnabend, you are likely in or speaking with someone from northern Germany (Hamburg, Berlin, Dresden). If you hear Samstag, the speaker is likely from southern Germany (Munich, Stuttgart), Austria, or Switzerland.

Austrian and Swiss Variations

While the days themselves are identical across German-speaking countries, cultural rhythms differ. Austrian businesses often close earlier on Saturdays. Swiss German speakers use dialect forms in speech (Mäntig for Montag, Ziischtig for Dienstag) while writing standard German. In Switzerland, Sunday rest laws are even stricter than in Germany.

Practice With Real German Content

Learning vocabulary from a table is efficient, but hearing Montag and Freitag in natural German speech is what builds real fluency. German films, series, and news broadcasts are filled with scheduling and day-of-the-week references.

Wordy lets you watch German movies and shows with interactive subtitles. Tap any word to instantly see its meaning, pronunciation, gender, and case. Instead of memorizing isolated words, you absorb vocabulary from authentic German conversations.

For more German learning resources, explore our blog for guides on everything from greetings to the best movies for learning German. Visit our German learning page to start practicing today.