diēs Iovis
feminine, masculine
Thursday in Latin is expressed as diēs Iovis. Wiktionary also lists diēs Jovis and fēria quinta.
Meaning: day of the week (noun)
Ways to say it
| Latin | Note |
|---|---|
| diēs Iovis | feminine, masculine |
| diēs Jovis | feminine, masculine |
| fēria quinta | feminine |
The term refers to the day of the week. You can name the day either by its association with a deity or by its numerical position in the week.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase diēs Iovis literally means day of Jupiter, where diēs is day and Iovis is the genitive form of the god Jupiter.
Which one should you use?
diēs Iovis refers to the day by its association with the god Jupiter, while fēria quinta refers to it numerically as the fifth day.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say on Thursday, use the ablative case diē Iovis instead of the nominative diēs Iovis. When using the numerical form to mean on Thursday, both words must be in the ablative case: fēriā quintā.
Did you know?
- The name Iovis comes from the same ancient root as the Greek god's name Zeus, a root that meant 'bright sky'.
- The Latin naming convention for the days of the week was based on the seven 'wandering stars' of ancient astronomy, with diēs Iovis corresponding to the planet Jupiter.
- The name of the god Iuppiter is actually a combination of two words, meaning 'sky father', which explains why his name is so closely tied to the heavens.
Examples in context
- Ad forum diē Iovis ibimus.We will go to the forum on Thursday.
Example conversation
Gaius and Claudia are planning a meeting.
- GaiusQuando nōs vidēmus?When are we meeting?
- ClaudiaDiē Iovis nōs vidēbimus.We will meet on Thursday.
- GaiusIta, diēs Iovis est bonus.Yes, Thursday is good.
- ClaudiaBene, tunc nōs vidēbimus.Fine, we will see each other then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “Thursday” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Iovis, Jovis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
