How to Say the Days of the Week in Portuguese

Introduction

Learning the days of the week is one of the fundamental building blocks of mastering any new language. In Portuguese, these essential time markers will help you schedule appointments, plan your week, discuss past events, and talk about future activities with confidence. Whether you’re preparing for a trip to Brazil, connecting with Portuguese-speaking friends, or simply expanding your linguistic horizons, understanding how to properly use the days of the week will significantly enhance your communication skills.

The Seven Days of the Week in Portuguese

The Portuguese days of the week follow a unique pattern that differs from many other Romance languages. While Spanish, French, and Italian name most of their weekdays after Roman gods, Portuguese takes a different approach rooted in Christian tradition. Let’s explore each day individually and understand the fascinating logic behind their names.

Segunda-feira (Monday)

The first working day of the week in Portuguese is segunda-feira. The word literally translates to second fair or second day. This naming convention comes from the Portuguese ecclesiastical tradition of counting the weekdays numerically, with Sunday being considered the first day of the week. Therefore, Monday becomes the second day, hence segunda-feira.

In everyday conversation, you’ll frequently hear this day mentioned in phrases like:

Na segunda-feira, eu tenho uma reunião importante.
(On Monday, I have an important meeting.)

Você trabalha na segunda-feira?
(Do you work on Monday?)

Terça-feira (Tuesday)

Tuesday in Portuguese is terça-feira, meaning third fair or third day. Following the same ecclesiastical numbering system, Tuesday is the third day of the week. This day often carries significance in Portuguese-speaking cultures, and you’ll use it regularly when discussing midweek plans.

Common expressions include:

A aula começa na terça-feira.
(The class starts on Tuesday.)

Toda terça-feira eu vou à academia.
(Every Tuesday I go to the gym.)

Quarta-feira (Wednesday)

Wednesday is quarta-feira, the fourth fair or fourth day. As the middle of the workweek, quarta-feira represents a pivotal point in the Portuguese-speaking world’s weekly rhythm. Many people refer to it as the hump day, though this isn’t a direct translation.

You might use it in sentences such as:

Na quarta-feira, vamos ao cinema.
(On Wednesday, we’re going to the movies.)

A quarta-feira sempre passa devagar.
(Wednesday always goes by slowly.)

Quinta-feira (Thursday)

Thursday in Portuguese is quinta-feira, meaning the fifth fair or fifth day. This day marks the approach of the weekend and is often associated with anticipation. In Brazil, quinta-feira has become particularly significant in social contexts, with many people starting their weekend activities on Thursday evenings.

Typical usage includes:

A festa é na quinta-feira à noite.
(The party is on Thursday night.)

Eu recebo meu salário toda quinta-feira.
(I receive my salary every Thursday.)

Sexta-feira (Friday)

Friday is sexta-feira, the sixth fair or sixth day. This is arguably the most celebrated day of the workweek across Portuguese-speaking countries. The arrival of sexta-feira signals the end of the work or school week and the beginning of leisure time. In Brazil especially, people often greet each other with special enthusiasm on Friday mornings.

Common Friday expressions include:

Finalmente é sexta-feira!
(It’s finally Friday!)

Vamos sair na sexta-feira?
(Shall we go out on Friday?)

Sábado (Saturday)

Saturday breaks the pattern with sábado. Unlike the weekdays that use feira, this word derives from the Hebrew word Shabbat, which refers to the day of rest in Jewish tradition. The influence comes through Latin sabbatum. Sábado is the primary day for errands, leisure activities, and social gatherings in Portuguese-speaking cultures.

You’ll hear expressions like:

No sábado, vou fazer compras.
(On Saturday, I’m going shopping.)

Todo sábado de manhã eu limpo a casa.
(Every Saturday morning I clean the house.)

Domingo (Sunday)

Sunday in Portuguese is domingo, derived from the Latin dies Dominica, meaning the Lord’s day. This name reflects the Christian tradition of dedicating Sunday to rest and worship. In many Portuguese-speaking communities, domingo remains a day for family gatherings, traditional meals, and relaxation.

Typical Sunday phrases include:

No domingo, almoçamos em família.
(On Sunday, we have lunch with family.)

Eu gosto de descansar no domingo.
(I like to rest on Sunday.)

Understanding the Feira System

The Portuguese weekday naming system using feira deserves deeper exploration. The word feira originally meant fair or market day, but in this context, it simply means day. This unique numbering system originated in the early days of Christianity in Portugal when the Church sought to remove pagan references from the calendar.

While most Romance languages retained the Roman god names for weekdays, Portuguese adopted this ecclesiastical counting method. This decision reflects Portugal’s deep historical connection to Christianity and demonstrates how religious traditions can shape everyday language. Today, Portuguese speakers don’t think about the religious origins when using these words; they’re simply the standard names for the days of the week.

Using Days of the Week in Sentences

Properly incorporating days of the week into your Portuguese conversations requires understanding a few grammatical patterns. The prepositions and articles you use can change the meaning of your sentence.

Talking About Specific Days

When referring to a specific day in the future or past, Portuguese speakers typically use the preposition na (contraction of em + a) for feminine days and no (contraction of em + o) for masculine days.

For the feira days (Monday through Friday), which are feminine, use na:

Vou viajar na segunda-feira.
(I’m going to travel on Monday.)

Temos uma prova na sexta-feira.
(We have a test on Friday.)

For sábado and domingo, which are masculine, use no:

Vou à praia no sábado.
(I’m going to the beach on Saturday.)

No domingo, a loja está fechada.
(On Sunday, the store is closed.)

Expressing Habitual Actions

When talking about something that happens every week on a particular day, Portuguese uses different structures. You can use toda (every) with the feminine days or todo with the masculine days:

Toda terça-feira eu tenho aula de português.
(Every Tuesday I have Portuguese class.)

Todo sábado eu acordo cedo.
(Every Saturday I wake up early.)

Alternatively, you can pluralize the days:

Às segundas-feiras, o trânsito é horrível.
(On Mondays, the traffic is horrible.)

Aos domingos, eu visito meus pais.
(On Sundays, I visit my parents.)

Asking About Days

To ask what day it is, Portuguese speakers use the phrase Que dia é hoje? (What day is today?) The response follows a simple pattern:

Hoje é quarta-feira.
(Today is Wednesday.)

You can also ask about specific days using question words:

Em que dia você vai viajar?
(What day are you going to travel?)

Qual é o melhor dia para você?
(What is the best day for you?)

Abbreviations for Days of the Week

In written Portuguese, especially in calendars, schedules, and informal notes, the days of the week are frequently abbreviated. Understanding these abbreviations will help you navigate Portuguese planners, event schedules, and digital calendars.

The standard abbreviations are:

Seg. or 2ª for segunda-feira
Ter. or 3ª for terça-feira
Qua. or 4ª for quarta-feira
Qui. or 5ª for quinta-feira
Sex. or 6ª for sexta-feira
Sáb. for sábado
Dom. for domingo

The numerical abbreviations with the ordinal indicator (2ª, 3ª, 4ª, etc.) are particularly common in Brazil and reflect the numerical origin of the weekday names. You’ll see these on bus schedules, appointment cards, and calendar apps set to Portuguese.

Cultural Context and Weekly Rhythms

Understanding the cultural significance of different days provides valuable context for Portuguese learners. In Brazil, the weekly rhythm has its own unique flavor that influences how people talk about and experience each day.

The Work Week Structure

The traditional work week in Brazil runs from segunda-feira through sexta-feira, typically from 9 AM to 6 PM, though this varies by industry and region. Many Brazilians refer to segunda-feira with the same Monday blues sentiment found in English-speaking countries. You’ll often hear people say things like:

Ah, já é segunda-feira de novo!
(Oh, it’s Monday again!)

Weekend Culture

The weekend holds special significance in Portuguese-speaking cultures. Sábado is often dedicated to completing household tasks in the morning, followed by social activities in the evening. Many businesses, especially smaller shops, are open on Saturday mornings but close in the afternoon.

Domingo traditionally centers around family. The large Sunday lunch, or almoço de domingo, is a cherished tradition in many Brazilian households. This meal often extends for hours and includes multiple generations gathering together. Consequently, many restaurants and shops close or operate on reduced hours on Sunday afternoons.

Thursday Night Culture

An interesting cultural phenomenon in Brazil is the importance of quinta-feira night. In many cities, especially among younger people, Thursday has become an unofficial start to the weekend. Bars, clubs, and restaurants often offer special promotions on Thursday nights, and social plans frequently begin on this day. This has even led to the colloquial expression esquenta (warm-up) to describe Thursday night activities.

Common Expressions and Idioms

Portuguese has developed numerous expressions and idioms involving days of the week. Learning these will make your Portuguese sound more natural and help you understand native speakers better.

Weekend Expressions

The concept of the weekend has its own vocabulary. The most common term is fim de semana, literally end of week. You’ll use this constantly when making plans:

O que você vai fazer no fim de semana?
(What are you going to do on the weekend?)

Neste fim de semana, vou descansar.
(This weekend, I’m going to rest.)

Another expression is final de semana, which means exactly the same thing but is slightly less common in everyday speech.

Time-Related Phrases

When discussing the passage of time during the week, Portuguese speakers use several useful expressions:

Dia de semana refers to weekdays (Monday through Friday):
Eu só trabalho em dia de semana.
(I only work on weekdays.)

Durante a semana means during the week:
Durante a semana, eu não tenho tempo livre.
(During the week, I don’t have free time.)

Meio da semana indicates midweek, usually Wednesday:
No meio da semana, já estou cansado.
(By midweek, I’m already tired.)

Informal Expressions

Brazilian Portuguese especially has developed casual ways of referring to days:

Segundona is an affectionate or humorous way to say Monday, adding the augmentative suffix -ona:
Que segundona difícil!
(What a difficult Monday!)

Sextou is a popular verb created from sexta-feira, used to celebrate the arrival of Friday:
Finalmente sextou!
(It’s finally Friday!)

Practical Tips for Learning and Remembering

Mastering the days of the week in Portuguese requires consistent practice and exposure. Here are effective strategies to help these words become second nature.

Pattern Recognition

Recognizing the numerical pattern in weekday names makes memorization easier. Remember that segunda means second, terça means third, quarta means fourth, quinta means fifth, and sexta means sixth. Once you understand this pattern, you only need to remember that feira follows each number, and that the week starts counting from Sunday as day one.

Daily Practice Routines

Incorporate the days into your daily routine by mentally planning your week in Portuguese. Each morning, practice saying what day it is and what you’ll do that day. For example:

Hoje é terça-feira. Vou trabalhar e depois vou à academia.
(Today is Tuesday. I’m going to work and then go to the gym.)

Creating Mental Associations

Build memory aids by associating each day with regular activities or events. If you have a Portuguese class every Wednesday, mentally connecting quarta-feira with your class will reinforce the word. The more you use these days in real contexts, the more naturally they’ll come to you.

Using Technology

Change your phone and computer calendar settings to Portuguese. Seeing segunda-feira, terça-feira, and the other days displayed on your devices every day provides constant passive reinforcement. You can also set reminders using Portuguese day names to create more exposure.

Advanced Usage and Variations

As you progress in your Portuguese studies, you’ll encounter more sophisticated ways of discussing time and scheduling that involve the days of the week.

Expressing Duration

When talking about a period that spans certain days, Portuguese uses the preposition de (from) paired with a or até (to/until):

Trabalho de segunda a sexta.
(I work from Monday to Friday.)

A loja fica aberta de terça até sábado.
(The store is open from Tuesday until Saturday.)

Discussing Past and Future Weeks

To talk about days in different weeks, Portuguese uses time markers combined with the day names:

Na próxima segunda-feira means next Monday:
Vou começar a dieta na próxima segunda-feira.
(I’m going to start the diet next Monday.)

Na segunda-feira passada means last Monday:
Na segunda-feira passada, choveu muito.
(Last Monday, it rained a lot.)

Esta semana (this week) and semana que vem (next week) are essential phrases:
Esta semana estou ocupado.
(This week I’m busy.)

Na semana que vem, vou viajar.
(Next week, I’m going to travel.)

Business and Formal Contexts

In professional settings, you might encounter more formal expressions. When scheduling meetings or appointments, Portuguese speakers often use structures like:

A reunião está marcada para quinta-feira, dia 15 de março.
(The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 15th.)

Podemos nos encontrar na quarta-feira à tarde?
(Can we meet on Wednesday afternoon?)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even advanced learners sometimes make errors when using days of the week in Portuguese. Being aware of these common pitfalls will help you speak more accurately.

Article and Preposition Confusion

One frequent mistake is using the wrong preposition or forgetting the article. Remember that you need the article when using na or no:

Incorrect: Vou viajar em segunda-feira.
Correct: Vou viajar na segunda-feira.

Gender Agreement

Don’t forget that the feira days are feminine while sábado and domingo are masculine. This affects the articles and adjectives you use:

Incorrect: No segunda-feira próximo
Correct: Na segunda-feira próxima

Pluralization Errors

When making days plural for habitual actions, both parts of compound days need to pluralize:

Incorrect: Toda segunda-feira
Correct: Todas as segundas-feiras (when emphasizing every single Monday)

However, toda segunda-feira without pluralization is also acceptable and commonly used for every Monday.

Regional Variations

While this article focuses on Brazilian Portuguese, it’s worth noting that European Portuguese uses the same day names. However, there are some minor differences in usage and pronunciation. European Portuguese speakers might use slightly different expressions or emphasize certain words differently, but the fundamental vocabulary remains identical across all Portuguese-speaking regions.

In Portugal, you might hear different colloquialisms or informal expressions, but the days themselves are universally understood throughout the Portuguese-speaking world. This makes learning these words particularly valuable, as they’ll serve you well whether you’re in Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, or any other Portuguese-speaking location.

Integrating Days Into Your Learning Journey

The days of the week serve as building blocks for more complex time expressions in Portuguese. Once you master these seven words, you’ll find it easier to discuss schedules, make plans, and understand native speakers when they talk about their routines.

As you continue your Portuguese studies, you’ll notice these words appearing constantly in conversations, written materials, songs, and media. Each encounter reinforces your knowledge and builds your confidence. The key is to actively use these words in your own speech and writing, rather than just recognizing them passively.

Try keeping a simple diary in Portuguese where you write about what you did each day, forcing yourself to use the day names naturally. Practice scheduling imaginary appointments or planning fictional trips, always incorporating the appropriate days. The more you engage with this vocabulary in meaningful contexts, the more automatic it will become.

Conclusion

The days of the week in Portuguese represent more than just vocabulary to memorize; they’re essential tools for navigating daily life and communicating effectively in Portuguese-speaking environments. From segunda-feira through domingo, each day carries its own cultural significance and usage patterns. By understanding the ecclesiastical origins of the weekday names, mastering the grammatical structures for using them, and practicing with authentic expressions, you’ll develop natural fluency in this fundamental aspect of Portuguese. Continue using these words in context, stay curious about their cultural implications, and watch as this knowledge opens doors to richer, more nuanced conversations in Portuguese.