Days of the Week in Italian

The days of the week in Italian (i giorni della settimana) have Latin origins and clearly reflect the Roman planetary tradition. Like other Romance languages, Italian day names are derived from Latin terms that honor Roman gods and celestial bodies.

Italian weekday names have a distinctive feature: five days (lunedì through venerdì) end with an accented -ì, while the weekend days (sabato and domenica) follow a different pattern. This structure makes Italian days relatively easy to learn and remember once you understand the pattern.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore everything you need to know about the Italian days of the week, from pronunciation and etymology to cultural context and practical usage.

In Italian, days of the week are not capitalized unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence. This follows the general pattern of Romance languages and differs from English capitalization rules.

Examples of Correct Capitalization

• Correct: "Il lunedì vado in palestra." (On Monday I go to the gym.)
• Correct: "Lunedì è il primo giorno della settimana." (Monday is the first day of the week.)
• Incorrect: "Il Lunedì vado in palestra." (Incorrect capitalization)

Are Days of the Week Capitalized in Italian?

No, unlike in English where days of the week are always capitalized as proper nouns, Italian days of the week are considered common nouns and are not capitalized in most contexts. This follows the general Italian convention where only proper names, titles, and the first word of sentences are capitalized.

Italian days of the week have clear Latin origins that connect to Roman gods and planets:

Planetary and Roman God Origins

• lunedì: From Latin "Lunae dies," meaning "day of Luna" (Moon goddess)
• martedì: From Latin "Martis dies," meaning "day of Mars" (god of war)
• mercoledì: From Latin "Mercurii dies," meaning "day of Mercury" (messenger god)
• giovedì: From Latin "Jovis dies," meaning "day of Jupiter" (king of the gods)
• venerdì: From Latin "Veneris dies," meaning "day of Venus" (goddess of love)
• sabato: From Latin "sabbatum," derived from Hebrew "shabbat" (day of rest)
• domenica: From Latin "dominica dies," meaning "day of the Lord"

Notice how five of the seven days (lunedì through venerdì) directly correspond to Roman planetary gods, while sabato and domenica reflect Judeo-Christian influence. This pattern is common across Romance languages.

Days with Articles

In Italian, days of the week are typically used with the definite article "il" when referring to a specific instance of a day:

• "Il lunedì vado al cinema." (On Monday I go to the cinema.)
• "Il martedì studio italiano." (On Tuesday I study Italian.)

When expressing something that happens every week on a particular day, you can use the days without the article:

• "Lunedì vado sempre in palestra." (On Mondays I always go to the gym.)
• Alternative: "Ogni lunedì vado in palestra." (Every Monday I go to the gym.)

Common Phrases with Days

• "Che giorno è oggi?" (What day is today?)
• "Oggi è venerdì." (Today is Friday.)
• "Che giorno era ieri?" (What day was yesterday?)
• "Che giorno sarà domani?" (What day will tomorrow be?)
• "lunedì mattina" (Monday morning)
• "martedì pomeriggio" (Tuesday afternoon)
• "mercoledì sera" (Wednesday evening)

Abbreviations

In calendars, schedules, and notes, Italian days of the week are sometimes abbreviated as follows:

• lun - lunedì
• mar - martedì
• mer - mercoledì
• gio - giovedì
• ven - venerdì
• sab - sabato
• dom - domenica

Italian pronunciation is relatively consistent and phonetic once you know the basic rules. Here are some key points to help you pronounce the days of the week correctly:

Stress Patterns

• For lunedì, martedì, mercoledì, giovedì, and venerdì, the stress falls on the final syllable, as indicated by the accent mark.
• For sabato, the stress falls on the first syllable (SA-ba-to).
• For domenica, the stress falls on the second syllable (do-ME-ni-ca).

Vowel Sounds

Italian vowels are pronounced clearly and consistently:

• a as in "father" (sabato)
• e as in "let" (venerdì)
• i as in "machine" (lunedì)
• o as in "more" (domenica)
• u as in "rule" (lunedì)

Consonant Sounds

Most consonants are similar to English, with a few key differences:

• The c in "mercoledì" and "domenica" is pronounced like "k"
• The g in "giovedì" is pronounced like the "g" in "general"
• The r is slightly rolled
• Double consonants like the "tt" in "sabato" are pronounced longer than single consonants

In Italian culture, certain days of the week carry distinctive rhythms and traditions that reflect the Italian lifestyle:

Business and Social Customs

• Riposo: Many Italian businesses still observe the traditional afternoon break, particularly in smaller towns and southern regions. This means shops might close from approximately 1:00-4:00 PM, especially on weekdays.
• Weekend Culture: The Italian weekend typically begins Friday evening. "Venerdì sera" (Friday evening) is often considered the start of weekend social activities.

Regional Market Days

In many Italian towns and cities, specific days of the week are designated as market days (giorni di mercato):

• These vary by location, but knowing the local market day is important for residents.
• Markets usually operate in the morning until early afternoon and offer fresh produce, clothing, household items, and more.

Religious Traditions

• Venerdì (Friday): Traditionally a day of abstinence from meat in Catholic tradition, though this practice has diminished.
• Domenica (Sunday): Still observed as a day of rest and family gathering in many Italian households. The Sunday lunch (il pranzo della domenica) is an important family tradition that can last several hours.

Pattern Recognition

Notice that the weekdays in Italian (Monday through Friday) all end with the accented "-dì" suffix. This consistent pattern makes them easier to recognize as days of the week. The weekend days (sabato and domenica) break this pattern and have different endings.

Connection to Other Romance Languages

If you know Spanish, French, or Portuguese, you'll notice similarities in the days of the week. For example:

• Italian: lunedì, martedì, mercoledì, giovedì, venerdì
• Spanish: lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves, viernes
• French: lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi

Planetary Connections

Remember the planetary connections to help with memorization:

• lunedì: Luna = Moon
• martedì: Marte = Mars
• mercoledì: Mercurio = Mercury
• giovedì: Giove = Jupiter
• venerdì: Venere = Venus

Italian Days of the Week Song

A popular children's song for learning the Italian days of the week follows a simple tune:

Lunedì, martedì, mercoledì, giovedì,
Venerdì, sabato, domenica.
Sono i sette giorni della settimana,
Sono i sette giorni che passan per me.

(Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
These are the seven days of the week,
These are the seven days that pass for me.)