How to spell Monday in English. Days of the week in English: abbreviated and full versions

Instructions

First of all, determine which way to memorize is easiest for you: auditory, visual, associative, etc. If audio recording is your preferred method, you can record the names of the days of the week on a voice recorder or download a ready-made recording. Listening will take 2-3 minutes a day and will not distract from other matters. You can turn on the recording on the way to the metro, while doing household chores, walking the dog, etc. This is a simple and convenient method that is now available to almost everyone.

If you are a visual person and the best way for you is to see and remember, follow it. You can use a beautiful and bright picture, the main thing is that the picture does not distract from the main content. Or draw and write the days of the week yourself. In one case or another, hang the sheet in a visible place - on the wall at work, at home, or in another convenient place where your gaze often falls. It also won’t take much time - a few minutes a day, and gradually the words will be imprinted in your consciousness.

Also, many people have good motor memory. This method takes a little longer, but is one of the most effective. Write the names of the days of the week in your language at least once a day. If you also say them out loud, the impact will go in several directions at once, and it will be easiest to remember.

All these methods are suitable for memorizing any words and phrases in English. But there are methods suitable for memorizing the days of the week - by numerals and by the origin of words. In the first case, assign numerals to the days of the week. For example: Monday as mono - first, single, Tuesday - two - two or second, Friday - five - fifth, Saturday - six - sixth, Sunday - seven - seventh. True, there are nuances in this method. For Wednesday and Thursday it is impossible to choose numerals that are consonant with them. You can use analogous words, but since... Everyone has their own associations, there are no universal methods.

And you can also remember where the names of the days of the week in English came from. The official version is that the days of the week come from the names of the planets. Previously, time was measured by the positions of celestial bodies. One of the units of time was the month, which was about 29 days. Such a month included four phases of approximately 7 days each. At that time, seven planets were known, which received their names from the revered gods. In English culture, under the influence of the Romans, the following names were formed: Monday - Moon - “moon”, Tuesday - Tiu - “Tiu”, Wednesday - Woden - “One”, Thursday - Thor - “Thor”, Friday - Freya - “Freya”, Saturday - Saturn - “Saturn”, Sunday - Sun - “Sun”.

In this lesson we will study how the days of the week are in English, reinforce the material with the help of examples, and also consider the correct use in speech.

Days of the week

  • Sunday - Sunday.
  • Monday - Monday.
  • Tuesday - Tuesday.
  • Wednesday - Wednesday.
  • Thursday - Thursday.
  • Friday - Friday.
  • Saturday - Saturday.

Please note: the English week starts on Sunday, however, this does not mean that this day is a working day. Saturday and Sunday for residents of England, the USA and Canada are exactly the same as ours - weekends, it’s just that our calendar week begins with work Monday, and for them it begins and ends with weekends.

You have already read the full form, now let's look at the abbreviation of the days of the week in English so that we can easily recognize them in calendars. However, remember that in writing or speech, as in our native language, they are pronounced in full. So, abbreviations.

  • Sun. – Sun.
  • Mon. – Mon.
  • Tues. – Tue.
  • Wed. – Wed.
  • Thurs. - Thu.
  • Fri. – Fri.
  • Sat. – Sat.

Seven days of the week

Use in speech

We've looked at what the days of the week are in English, now we need to learn how to use them correctly in a sentence.

Prepositions

  • In Russian, we use the preposition “in” with the days of the week; in English, its analogue is the preposition “on”.

    I must go to school on Monday. – I have to go to school on Monday.

    I will have a meeting on Tuesday. – I will have a meeting on Tuesday.

    I will celebrate my Birthday on Saturday. – I will celebrate my birthday on Saturday.

  • When we mean every day (every day) and in Russian we say, for example, “on Mondays,” then such an expression will also have the preposition on when translated.

    I love watching this program on Sundays. – I love watching this program on Sundays.

    I always call him on Mondays. – I always call him on Mondays.

    I go out to eat on Wednesdays. – I go to a restaurant on Wednesdays.

Please note: the names of days are always written with a capital letter, and articles are not used with them.

Workdays and weekends

Working days of the week, i.e. Monday - Friday are called weekdays, and weekends are called weekend. The English word “weekend” came into the Russian language and became quite widespread.

On the weekend and at the weekend are two variants of Russian “on the weekend”, the only difference is that the first variant is more characteristic of the speech of the USA and Canada, and the second - of the UK. However, through American films, not only their culture, but also their manner of speaking seeps into different parts of the planet. And now you can hear from many young people in England on the weekend.

Weekday and weekend also have a plural form. Take a look at the examples.

My working schedule varies and sometimes I can have a rest on weekdays. – My work schedule changes and sometimes I can rest on weekdays.

I always wake up early on weekdays. – On weekdays I always wake up early.

I always visit my grandma on weekends. – I always visit my grandmother on weekends.

On Saturday - on Saturday

History of days of the week

To better remember the names, let's go a little deeper into history and look at the English days of the week in order, along with the origin of their names.

  • Sunday – literally means “Sun’s day”, this name is a translation from Latin. In Western and Northern Germanic mythology, the sun is the incarnation of the goddess Sunna.
  • Monday – Monday from Old English means “Moon’s day”. The roots of this name also go back to Latin. In North Germanic philology, Moon is the incarnation of the god Mani.
  • Tuesday - also comes from Old English and means Tiw's day. Tiw was a one-armed god who was associated with law and heroic glory. He was always depicted as a one-armed old man.
  • Wednesday – this day is dedicated to the Germanic god Wodan (Wotan, Odin). This is a tall, thin old man, wrapped in a black cloak. His exploits are so greatly exaggerated that they are hard to believe. Legend also says that in order to acquire knowledge, he gave one eye as a sacrifice. In honor of him, the fourth day of the week (we have the third) was named Wodan day (Wotan’s day), which later transformed into its modern form.
  • Thursday - in modern English, the deity to whom this day is dedicated is known as Thor. He was considered a descendant of two other gods - his father was Odin, and his mother was Frigga. Being the eldest son, he received a lot of respect. Thor commanded thunder. The name Thor's day gradually grew into Thursday.
  • Friday - this day was dedicated to the Anglo-Saxon goddess Frige (or Frigga). She was the wife of Odin, and she was most revered by the Danish, Saxon and other northern pagans. The modern name for Friday in English comes from the phrase Frige’s day.
  • Saturday is the only day of the week whose name did not come from Germanic roots, but retained the name in English that came from the Romans. Saturday was dedicated to the Roman god Saturn – Saturn’s day.

Exercises

Reinforce the words you have learned - translate the following sentences into Russian.

I always sleep till noon on Sundays.

I often work till late hours on Fridays.

I will visit my parents on Tuesday evening.

I will have a lot of work since next Wednesday.

We always meet with our friends on Saturday evenings.

He will call me on Friday.

They will wait for you on Thursday.

She always looks worried on Monday mornings.

Please note: when we say “on Mondays”, the name itself takes on a plural form – on Mondays. If we are talking about a more specific time - on Monday mornings or evenings, then the name of the day of the week is used in the singular, and in the plural only the time of day - on Monday mornings, on Monday evenings.

Once you have learned the days of the week in English, you can reinforce the pronunciation with this video:

Friends, you can’t even imagine how interesting the topic about the days of the week in English is! Do you know how Monday is connected with the moon and the Greek goddess Selene? Why is Friday the day of Venus? In this article we will tell you how the days of the week in English got their names. And also how they are connected to the pantheon. For those who are in the process of learning the language, we have prepared English days of the week with translation and some tips on how to remember them. And for you, English experts, a reminder of what prepositions and in combination with what words the days of the week are used.

History of the names of the days of the week in English

The names we are used to her weeks in English come from the astronomical names of the planesno, which in turn are from the Old Norse and Roman gods. The question arises: “Why is this so?”

Back in Babylon, and this is, for a moment, in the third millennium BC, scientists associated changes in the time of day, and, accordingly, days, with the phases of the moon. The initial time unit was the lunar month, that is, 29 days (counting from one full moon to the next). During this period, the moon goes through four distinct phases: new moon, first quarter, full moon and last quarter. Each of them lasts 7 days. And so it happened that our seven-day week originated precisely from the lunar phases. And even then, astronomers knew about the existence of seven planets, which they named in honor of the revered gods.

Let's move on to the most interesting part: deciphering the names and writing them. So…

How to write days of the week in English and their abbreviations in English

  • Monday – Monday[‘mʌndei], abbr. Mon. Moon day is the day of the moon, associated with the goddesses of night time: the Greek Selene and the Roman Moon.
  • Tuesday – Tuesday[‘tju:zdei], abbr. Tue. The day is named after Tiw, the Scandinavian god of war and the sky, ruled by the planet Mars.
  • Wednesday – Wednesday[‘wenzdei], abbr. Wed. Woden’s day is the day of Odin (the Scandinavian god of war and victory). The day is ruled by the planet Mercury.
  • Thursday – Thursday[ˈθɜːzdei], abbr. Thu. Named after Thor, the Scandinavian god of thunder and lightning. The day is ruled by Jupiter.
  • Friday – Friday[‘fraidei], abbr. Fri. A wonderful and beloved day of the week, which is associated with the planet Venus and the Anglo-Saxon goddess of love Freyja.
  • Saturday – Saturday[‘sætədei], abbr. Sat. This is the day of Saturn (the planet) and, accordingly, the ancient Roman god Saturn and the Greek Kronos - the gods of sowing, agriculture and harvest.
  • Sunday – Sunday[‘sʌndei], abbr. Sun. The Day of the Sun is identified with the sun gods: the Greek Helios and the Roman Sol.

By the way, you know that in most of the United States, Japan and Canada, the first calendar day of the week is Sunday. But in most countries in Europe, in part of Asia and in some other countries, Monday is considered the first day.

Days of the week in English: use correctly

Remember: regardless of which part of the sentence the name of the day of the week is in - at the beginning, in the middle or at the end - it is written with a capital letter. These are, in fact, the proper names of the gods.

For example:

  • On Monday my brother plays football.
  • I was there last Saturday and saw him.
  • We have English classes on Wednesday.

Have you noticed that the preposition is used with the days of the week on?!

But when talking about the past or future, or using words all, any, each, every, next, last, one, this days of the week in English do not require a preposition.

For example: next Friday, this Sunday etc.

Here's an excuse in used only with parts of the day: in the morning - in the morning, in the afternoon - in the afternoon, in the evening - in the evening, but at night - at night.

How to remember English days of the week?


In English, you can learn the days of the week in different ways.

Poem or song about the days of the week

The first is to memorize the simplest poem. You can hum it too)

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday too.

Thursday, Friday just for you.

Saturday, Sunday that's the end.

Now let’s say those days again!

The second option is suitable for creative people: writing a poem about the days of the week yourself. Or, in the end, a story about how each day goes.

On Mondays I go to the gym.

On Tuesdays I go to the market.

On Wednesdays I go to play tennis.

On Thursdays I go to Native English School.

On Fridays I meet with my friends.

On Saturdays I go shopping

On Sundays I clean my apartment.

Also try to remember established expressions.

Idioms with days of the week in English

Monday feeling– a feeling expressing reluctance to work;

From here till next Tuesday– means “very long”;

Wednesday girl– an inconspicuous girl, a “gray mouse”;

Thursday drunk– “drunk Thursday” (when, without waiting for Friday, you start “celebrating” the end of the week on Thursday)

Black Friday– “Black” Friday: 1) a day when financial or other failures occur, 2) a day of incredible sales;

Saturday night special– heavily discounted product – cheap, Saturday sale price;

A month of Sundays– a very long time.

Now you know how the days of the week are written and used in English. Repeat, memorize, practice their pronunciation and use more often! Our methodology will allow you to remember a lot of useful and interesting information and gain the necessary knowledge. Come to English lessons at Native English School - the best school with native speakers in Kyiv!

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

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 evolved 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.

Modern English has seven days of the week. Days of the week in English are always capitalized, regardless of their position in the sentence. It is worth noting that in England, the USA, Canada and many other countries, the days of the week begin on Sunday.