Days of the Week in Hebrew

The days of the week in Hebrew (ימי השבוע, yemei ha'shavu'a) follow a numerical naming system influenced by Biblical tradition. Unlike many Western languages that name days after gods or celestial bodies, Hebrew weekday names are primarily numerical, except for Shabbat (Saturday), the seventh day.

In Hebrew, the week begins with Sunday (יום ראשון, Yom Rishon, meaning "first day") and continues through the numerical sequence until Friday (יום שישי, Yom Shishi, meaning "sixth day"). The seventh day, Shabbat (שבת), is the only day that doesn't follow the numerical pattern and holds special religious significance in Judaism as the day of rest.

This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about days of the week in Hebrew, including proper script with nikkud (vowel markers), pronunciation, cultural and religious significance, and practical usage in modern Hebrew.

Hebrew pronunciation can be challenging for non-native speakers, especially with sounds that don't exist in English. Here's a detailed pronunciation guide for each day of the week:

Key Pronunciation Points

• The word "Yom" (יום) meaning "day" is pronounced "yohm" with a long "o" sound.
• The "ch" sound in "Chamishi" is pronounced like the "ch" in the Scottish "loch" or German "Bach" - a guttural sound from the back of the throat, not like the "ch" in "church."
• The apostrophe in transliterations (like in Revi'i) indicates a glottal stop, which is a slight catch in your throat.
• Stress is typically on the last syllable in Hebrew words, with some exceptions.

Breakdown by Day

• יום ראשון (Yom Rishon): yohm ree-SHOHN. The "sh" is like in English "shoe."
• יום שני (Yom Sheni): yohm shey-NEE. The "sh" is like in English "shoe."
• יום שלישי (Yom Shlishi): yohm shlee-SHEE. The "sh" is like in English "shoe."
• יום רביעי (Yom Revi'i): yohm reh-vee-EE. The "r" is slightly rolled.
• יום חמישי (Yom Chamishi): yohm kha-mee-SHEE. The "ch" is a guttural sound made from the back of the throat.
• יום שישי (Yom Shishi): yohm shee-SHEE. The "sh" is like in English "shoe."
• שבת (Shabbat): shah-BAHT. The "sh" is like in English "shoe," and the emphasis is on the second syllable.

Numerical System

Six of the seven days in Hebrew follow a numerical pattern, with each weekday named according to its position in the week:

• יום ראשון (Yom Rishon) - "first day" (Sunday)
• יום שני (Yom Sheni) - "second day" (Monday)
• יום שלישי (Yom Shlishi) - "third day" (Tuesday)
• יום רביעי (Yom Revi'i) - "fourth day" (Wednesday)
• יום חמישי (Yom Chamishi) - "fifth day" (Thursday)
• יום שישי (Yom Shishi) - "sixth day" (Friday)

This numerical system has Biblical origins, as described in Genesis during the creation narrative: "And there was evening and there was morning, first day... second day..." etc.

The Exception: Shabbat

The seventh day, שבת (Shabbat), breaks this numerical pattern. Instead of being called "Yom Shevi'i" (seventh day), it's given a unique name that carries deep religious and cultural significance. The word "Shabbat" comes from the Hebrew root שבת (Sh-B-T), meaning "to cease" or "to rest," reflecting God's rest after the six days of creation according to the Biblical account.

Abbreviated Forms

In informal contexts, especially in modern Israeli Hebrew, you might encounter abbreviated forms of the days:

• יום א׳ (Yom Alef) - Sunday
• יום ב׳ (Yom Bet) - Monday
• יום ג׳ (Yom Gimel) - Tuesday
• יום ד׳ (Yom Dalet) - Wednesday
• יום ה׳ (Yom Heh) - Thursday
• יום ו׳ (Yom Vav) - Friday
• שבת (Shabbat) - Saturday

These abbreviations use the letters of the Hebrew alphabet as numbers (alef = 1, bet = 2, etc.), a system known as Gematria.

Shabbat: The Day of Rest

Shabbat (שבת, Saturday) holds profound religious significance in Judaism. Beginning at sunset on Friday and ending after nightfall on Saturday, Shabbat is a day of rest, spiritual reflection, and abstention from work, adhering to Biblical commandments. The concept of Shabbat is so central to Jewish identity that it's mentioned in the Ten Commandments:

זָכוֹר אֶת-יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת, לְקַדְּשׁוֹ.

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." (Exodus 20:8)

In traditional Jewish families, extensive preparations are made before Shabbat, including cooking food (as cooking is prohibited on Shabbat itself), cleaning the house, and preparing festive meals. The day begins with lighting candles before sunset on Friday and includes prayer services, festive meals, and family time.

Yom Shishi: Preparation Day

Friday (יום שישי, Yom Shishi) is often called "Erev Shabbat" (ערב שבת), meaning "Shabbat Eve." It's a day of preparation for the upcoming Shabbat. In Israel, Friday is a shorter workday, with many businesses closing early to allow time for Shabbat preparations.

Havdalah: The End of Shabbat

The conclusion of Shabbat is marked by a ceremony called Havdalah (הבדלה, "separation"), which includes blessings over wine, spices, and a special braided candle. This ritual marks the separation between the sacred time of Shabbat and the ordinary time of the weekdays.

The Week in Modern Israel

In modern Israel, the workweek typically runs from Sunday to Thursday, with Friday being a shortened workday and Saturday (Shabbat) being the official day of rest. This differs from the Monday to Friday workweek common in Western countries.

Common Phrases and Expressions

Here are some useful phrases for talking about days of the week in Hebrew:

• איזה יום היום? (Eizeh yom ha'yom?) - "What day is today?"
• היום יום ראשון. (Ha'yom yom rishon.) - "Today is Sunday."
• מחר יום שני. (Machar yom sheni.) - "Tomorrow is Monday."
• אתמול היה יום שבת. (Etmol haya yom Shabbat.) - "Yesterday was Saturday."

Talking About Weekly Events

To describe something that happens on a certain day regularly, use the following structure:

• כל יום ראשון (Kol yom rishon) - "Every Sunday"
• בימי שני (Be'yemei sheni) - "On Mondays"
• ביום שלישי (Ba'yom shlishi) - "On Tuesday"

Right-to-Left Writing

Hebrew is written from right to left, which also applies to dates and days of the week. When writing bilingual text that includes both Hebrew and English, the Hebrew portions will flow from right to left while the English portions will flow from left to right.

Capitalization in Hebrew

Unlike English, Hebrew does not have separate uppercase and lowercase letters. Additionally, days of the week are not capitalized in Hebrew, as the language does not follow the same capitalization rules as English. The first word of a sentence is not capitalized, nor are proper nouns, including days and months.

Numerical Pattern

The most effective way to remember Hebrew days of the week is to understand their numerical pattern. If you know the Hebrew numbers from 1 to 6, you can easily remember the days:

• ראשון (Rishon) - from the word "first" (Sunday)
• שני (Sheni) - from the word "second" (Monday)
• שלישי (Shlishi) - from the word "third" (Tuesday)
• רביעי (Revi'i) - from the word "fourth" (Wednesday)
• חמישי (Chamishi) - from the word "fifth" (Thursday)
• שישי (Shishi) - from the word "sixth" (Friday)

And then there's שבת (Shabbat), which is distinctive and easy to remember as the special seventh day.

Association with Hebrew Letters

Another helpful memory aid is to associate the days with their corresponding Hebrew letters used in abbreviations:

• Sunday - א (Alef), the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet
• Monday - ב (Bet), the second letter
• Tuesday - ג (Gimel), the third letter
• Wednesday - ד (Dalet), the fourth letter
• Thursday - ה (Heh), the fifth letter
• Friday - ו (Vav), the sixth letter

Mnemonic Story

Create a visual story to connect the days: The first day (Rishon) of creation started everything, on the second day (Sheni) the waters were separated, on the third day (Shlishi) plants appeared, on the fourth day (Revi'i) the stars were created, on the fifth day (Chamishi) fish and birds appeared, on the sixth day (Shishi) animals and humans were created, and on the seventh day, God rested - Shabbat.