Sunday
الْأَحَد
al-aḥad
From aḥad, one: the first day.
Days of the week in Arabic, with their meanings
The Arabic days of the week are mostly numbers: Sunday is al-aḥad, "the first", Monday al-ithnayn, "the second", and so on to Thursday. Friday is al-jumuʿa, the day of gathering, and Saturday as-sabt.
Today is
The seven days, starting from Sunday as the names do
Monday
الِاثْنَيْن
al-ithnayn
From ithnān, two.
Tuesday
الثُّلَاثَاء
ath-thulāthāʾ
From thalātha, three.
Wednesday
الْأَرْبِعَاء
al-arbiʿāʾ
From arbaʿa, four.
Thursday
الْخَمِيس
al-khamīs
From khamsa, five.
Friday
الْجُمُعَة
al-jumuʿa
Gathering: the day of the Friday prayer.
Saturday
السَّبْت
as-sabt
Sabt: rest, a pause.
Modern Standard Arabic, with the vowel marks. Our teachers will check the Arabic and transliteration on this page before launch.
Guide
The Arabic week, day by day
The days of the week in Arabic are al-aḥad (Sunday), al-ithnayn (Monday), ath-thulāthāʾ (Tuesday), al-arbiʿāʾ (Wednesday), al-khamīs (Thursday), al-jumuʿa (Friday) and as-sabt (Saturday). To say "on Friday" or "Friday" as a day, put yawm (day) in front: yawmu l-jumuʿa.
| Day | Arabic | Where the name comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | الْأَحَد al-aḥad | From aḥad, one: the first day. |
| Monday | الِاثْنَيْن al-ithnayn | From ithnān, two. |
| Tuesday | الثُّلَاثَاء ath-thulāthāʾ | From thalātha, three. |
| Wednesday | الْأَرْبِعَاء al-arbiʿāʾ | From arbaʿa, four. |
| Thursday | الْخَمِيس al-khamīs | From khamsa, five. |
| Friday | الْجُمُعَة al-jumuʿa | Gathering: the day of the Friday prayer. |
| Saturday | السَّبْت as-sabt | Sabt: rest, a pause. |
Why the days are numbers
Sunday to Thursday are counted: one, two, three, four, five. The count starts from Sunday, which is why al-aḥad, "the first", is Sunday and not Monday. Today the working week differs by country: in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and much of the Gulf, the weekend is Friday and Saturday, while the UAE moved its weekend to Saturday and Sunday in 2022.
Friday: al-jumuʿa
Al-jumuʿa comes from the root j-m-ʿ, to gather. It is the day Muslims gather for the Friday prayer, and a whole surah of the Quran is named after it. You will hear it said both al-jumuʿa and al-jumʿa.
Friday in the QuranIn the Quran
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا نُودِىَ لِلصَّلَوٰةِ مِن يَوْمِ ٱلْجُمُعَةِ فَٱسْعَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلْبَيْعَ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
Yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanoo izaa noodiya lis-Salaati miny yawmil Jumu'ati fas'aw ilaa zikril laahi wa zarul bai'; zaalikum khayrul lakum in kuntum ta'lamoon
O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu'ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew.
Quran 62:9, translation by Sahih International
For what to do on the day, see how to pray Jumuah and the sunnahs of Friday.
Saturday: as-sabt
Sabt means rest or a pause, and it is the word the Quran uses for the Sabbath of the Children of Israel (for example 7:163).
Useful time words
| English | Arabic |
|---|---|
| Day | يَوْم yawm |
| Today | الْيَوْم al-yawm |
| Tomorrow | غَدًا ghadan |
| Yesterday | أَمْس ams |
| Week | أُسْبُوع usbūʿ |
| Weekend | عُطْلَةُ نِهَايَةِ الْأُسْبُوع ʿuṭlatu nihāyati l-usbūʿ |
| Month | شَهْر shahr |
| Year | سَنَة sana |
The months in Arabic
Arabic has two sets of names for the twelve months of the year. Egypt, Sudan and the Gulf use names taken from the European months. Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq use older names. Both are understood. The Islamic calendar has its own twelve months, Muharram to Dhul Hijjah: see the Islamic months and their meanings.
| Month | Egypt, Sudan and the Gulf | Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| January | يَنَايِر yanāyir | كَانُونُ الثَّانِي kānūn ath-thānī |
| February | فِبْرَايِر fibrāyir | شُبَاط shubāṭ |
| March | مَارِس māris | آذَار ādhār |
| April | أَبْرِيل abrīl | نَيْسَان naysān |
| May | مَايُو māyū | أَيَّار ayyār |
| June | يُونْيُو yūnyū | حَزِيرَان ḥazīrān |
| July | يُولْيُو yūlyū | تَمُّوز tammūz |
| August | أَغُسْطُس aghusṭus | آب āb |
| September | سِبْتَمْبِر sibtambir | أَيْلُول aylūl |
| October | أُكْتُوبَر uktūbar | تِشْرِينُ الْأَوَّل tishrīn al-awwal |
| November | نُوفَمْبِر nūfambir | تِشْرِينُ الثَّانِي tishrīn ath-thānī |
| December | دِيسَمْبِر dīsambir | كَانُونُ الْأَوَّل kānūn al-awwal |
For numbers and dates, see Arabic numbers.
Questions
Good to know
What are the days of the week in Arabic?
Al-ahad (Sunday), al-ithnayn (Monday), ath-thulatha (Tuesday), al-arbi'a (Wednesday), al-khamis (Thursday), al-jumu'a (Friday) and as-sabt (Saturday).
How do you say Sunday in Arabic?
Al-ahad (الْأَحَد), from ahad, one. It is the first day of the count.
How do you say Friday in Arabic?
Al-jumu'a (الْجُمُعَة), the day of gathering, named for the Friday prayer.
How do you say Saturday in Arabic?
As-sabt (السَّبْت), meaning rest or a pause.
What is the first day of the week in Arabic?
By the names, Sunday: al-ahad means the first. Working weeks differ by country.