días de la semana
/dias de la semana/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'days in a week' is expressed in Spanish as días de la semana.
This phrase is used to refer to the names of the seven days that make up one week.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, días de la semana translates to 'days of the week'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the specific set of seven days, the definite article 'los' is often used: los días de la semana (the days of the week). The singular form el día de la semana (the day of the week) is used when referring to a single day within a week.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the week is traditionally viewed as starting on lunes rather than 'Sunday', a convention reflected in how calendars are formatted.
- The word semana is a direct relative of the English word 'septenary', as both trace back to the Latin 'septimanus', meaning 'relating to the number seven'.
- Because the names of the days in Spanish are not capitalized, writing lunes with a capital 'L' is a common mistake for English learners.
Examples in context
- No recuerdo todos los días de la semana.I don't remember all the days of the week.
- ¿Cuáles son los días de la semana?What are the days of the week?
- Escribo los días de la semana en mi agenda.I write the days of the week in my planner.
Example conversation
María is helping Javier with his Spanish homework.
- María¿Puedes decirme los días de la semana, Javier?Can you tell me the days of the week, Javier?
- JavierSí, lunes, martes, miércoles…Yes, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…
- MaríaMuy bien, continúa.Very good, continue.
- JavierJueves, viernes, sábado y domingo.Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, la, semana, CC BY-SA 4.0.
