Spanish days of the week and their origins
Read an A1 Spanish text about the seven day names, their Latin histories and the rule for lowercase letters.
De la Luna al domingo: los nombres de la semana
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A short A1 reading explains how the Spanish names from lunes to domingo developed and how to write them.
El nombre lunes viene del latín y significa "día de la Luna". Martes viene de una expresión latina para el día de Marte.
Miércoles tiene una historia similar: su nombre viene del día de Mercurio. Jueves viene del día de Júpiter. Viernes viene del día de Venus.
La palabra sábado tiene otro origen. Pasa por el latín y el griego, y su origen más antiguo significa "descanso". Domingo viene del latín y significa "día del Señor".
Hay una regla sencilla para escribir estos nombres. Normalmente escribimos los días de la semana con minúscula. Es lunes, no Lunes. Si el nombre empieza una oración, lleva mayúscula.
Ahora puedes mirar un calendario de otra manera. Los nombres de lunes a viernes recuerdan a la Luna, Marte, Mercurio, Júpiter y Venus.
¿Qué día te gusta más? ¿Qué nombre recuerdas mejor? ¿Qué haces el sábado?
About this article
What you'll learn
The seven Spanish day names, simple origin phrases, lowercase spelling and present tense forms.
A short A1 reading explains how the Spanish names from lunes to domingo developed and how to write them.
After reading
Article learning block
Phrases, words, grammar, and quick practice from this text.
Phrases for training
Add useful phrases to SRS or mark them as already known.
cuentan una historia
newtell a story
Cuentan una historia says that the words reveal a story about their past.
Use it when facts or objects reveal something interesting.
viene del latín
newcomes from Latin
Viene del latín describes the origin of a word.
Use it to talk about where a word comes from.
tiene otro origen
newhas a different origin
Tiene otro origen contrasts the history of one word with the words before it.
Use it to introduce a different source or history.
de otra manera
newin a different way
De otra manera means with a different view or method.
Use it when changing how you see or do something.
Key words
Vocabulary that carries the school-day topic.
Week
semana
week
Semana is a period of seven days.
It is essential for dates, plans and routines.
Origin
origen
origin
Origen is the point or source from which something comes.
Use it to discuss the history of words and things.
Rest
descanso
rest
Descanso is time without work or activity.
Use it for free time, breaks and sleep.
Lowercase letter
minúscula
lowercase
Minúscula names a small letter such as l in lunes.
Use it when talking about spelling and writing.
Capital letter
mayúscula
capital letter
Mayúscula names a capital letter used at the start of a sentence.
Use it when checking spelling and punctuation.
Calendar
calendario
calendar
Calendario shows days, weeks and months.
Use it to organise dates and plans.
Grammar in context
Patterns from the text worth noticing after reading.
Tiene with one subject
La semana tiene siete días.
The week has seven days.
Tiene is the present form of tener used with one thing or person.
It helps you say what a person or thing has.
Estas with a plural noun
Estas palabras también cuentan una historia.
These words also tell a story.
Estas agrees with the feminine plural noun palabras.
It helps you point to several feminine things nearby or already mentioned.
Otro before a noun
La palabra sábado tiene otro origen.
The word sábado has a different origin.
Otro comes before the masculine singular noun origen.
Use otro to add or contrast one more masculine thing.
We form in the present
Normalmente escribimos los días de la semana con minúscula.
We normally write the days of the week in lowercase.
Escribimos is the present nosotros form of escribir.
Use it to say what you and other people do.
Asking about a preference
¿Qué día te gusta más?
Which day do you like most?
Qué asks for a choice, and te gusta asks about your preference.
Use it to ask someone to choose a favourite.
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