Days of the Week in Turkish
The Turkish week is a linguistic time capsule: Persian numbers (Çarşamba “4th”, Perşembe “5th”), Arabic religion (Cuma, the day of gathering for prayer), and Turkish market-day logic (Pazar “bazaar”, Pazartesi “after the bazaar”, Cumartesi “after Cuma”). The week starts on Monday.
The Seven Days of the Week in Turkish
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation | Literal meaning | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Pazartesi | pah-zahr-teh-SEE | the day after the bazaar (Sunday) | Pzt |
| Tuesday | Salı | sah-LUH | third (day) | Sal |
| Wednesday | Çarşamba | char-shahm-BAH | fourth day (after Saturday) | Çar |
| Thursday | Perşembe | pehr-shem-BEH | fifth day (after Saturday) | Per |
| Friday | Cuma | joo-MAH | (day of) gathering | Cum |
| Saturday | Cumartesi | joo-mahr-teh-SEE | the day after Cuma (Friday) | Cmt |
| Sunday | Pazar | pah-ZAHR | bazaar / market (day) | Paz |
Click any day for a full guide with example sentences, cultural notes and FAQs.
How to Pronounce Turkish Days of the Week
- Turkish ı (no dot) is a deep “uh” sound — different from dotted i, which sounds like English “ee”.
- c sounds like English “j” (Cuma = “JOO-mah”), while ç is “ch” and ş is “sh”.
- Stress generally falls lightly on the last syllable.
How to Use Days of the Week in Turkish
Turkish usually adds günü (“its day”) after the day name: pazartesi günü = on Monday. “Every Monday” is her pazartesi. There are no grammatical genders or articles to worry about.
In running Turkish text, day names are lowercase: “pazartesi günü görüşürüz”. They're capitalized when part of a specific full date — “15 Haziran 2026 Pazartesi” — which is why you'll see both forms online.
What Each Turkish Day Name Means
Monday – Pazartesi
Pazar (“market/bazaar”, also Sunday) + ertesi (“the day after”): Monday is literally “the day after market day”. Pure Turkish logic — no gods, no numbers.
Tuesday – Salı
Generally traced to a Semitic word for “third” (compare Arabic thalātha, Hebrew shlishi) — Tuesday as the third day of a Sunday-first count. It's the shortest and most mysterious Turkish day name.
Wednesday – Çarşamba
From Persian čahāršanbe: čahār (“four”) + šanbe (“day/Sabbath”) — the fourth day counting from Saturday. Turkish borrowed the Persian numbered days for mid-week.
Thursday – Perşembe
From Persian panjšanbe: panj (“five”) + šanbe (“day”) — the fifth day from Saturday. Like Çarşamba, a direct Persian import into Turkish.
Friday – Cuma
From Arabic jumuʿa, “gathering” — the congregational Friday prayer. The same word names Friday across the Muslim world, from Arabic الجمعة to Persian jom'e.
Saturday – Cumartesi
Cuma + ertesi (“the day after”): Saturday is literally “the day after Friday” — built exactly like Pazartesi (“the day after Sunday market”). Two of Turkey's seven days are defined by what they follow.
Sunday – Pazar
From Persian bāzār — the same word that gave English “bazaar”. Sunday was the big weekly market day, so the market simply became the day's name.
Cultural Notes
Pazartesi sendromu — “Monday syndrome” — is the Turkish name for the back-to-work blues, complete with its own hashtag every week. The Turkish week and all Turkish calendars start on Monday.
Mind the undotted ı: Salı is “sah-LUH”, not “SAH-lee”. Many Turkish neighborhoods hold their weekly street market on a fixed day — salı pazarı (Tuesday market) is a common one.
Ç is “ch” and ş is “sh”: char-shahm-BAH. Çarşamba is also a town in northern Turkey and a famous Istanbul street market — market days and day names intertwine everywhere in Turkish.
The proverb “Perşembenin gelişi çarşambadan bellidir” — “you can tell how Thursday will go from Wednesday” — is Turkey's way of saying the writing is on the wall. Thursday evening traditionally opens the weekend mood.
“Hayırlı cumalar!” (blessed Friday!) floods Turkish social media every week — the standard Friday greeting. Friday midday prayer fills mosques, but unlike Arab countries, Turkey's official weekend has been Saturday–Sunday since 1935.
Cumartesi opens the Turkish weekend: kahvaltı (the legendary long Turkish breakfast) with friends is the classic Saturday plan. Spot the pattern with Pazartesi and you'll never forget either word.
Pazar still means both “Sunday” and “market” — the weekly pazar (open-air market) is a Turkish institution, though it sets up on different days in different neighborhoods. Sunday closes the Turkish weekend.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the days of the week in Turkish?
The seven days of the week in Turkish are: Pazartesi (Monday), Salı (Tuesday), Çarşamba (Wednesday), Perşembe (Thursday), Cuma (Friday), Cumartesi (Saturday), Pazar (Sunday).
Are days of the week capitalized in Turkish?
In running Turkish text, day names are lowercase: “pazartesi günü görüşürüz”. They're capitalized when part of a specific full date — “15 Haziran 2026 Pazartesi” — which is why you'll see both forms online.
What day does the week start on in Turkish-speaking countries?
The week starts on Monday in Turkey, and Turkish calendars are laid out Monday through Sunday.
How do you say “What day is it today?” in Turkish?
“Bugün günlerden ne?” The answer: “Bugün pazartesi” (Today is Monday).
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