Weekdays, Daytime & Months in German
How do you say the days of the week, the months and the seasons in German, and which article do they take? In this lesson Luzi goes through the seven weekdays, the six times of the day, the twelve months and the four seasons, and gives you one easy gender rule that covers almost all of them.
The 7 Weekdays (Die Wochentage)
| German | Meaning / tip |
|---|---|
| der Montag | Monday |
| der Dienstag | Tuesday. Tag means “day”. |
| der Mittwoch | Wednesday. Die Mitte is the middle and die Woche is the week, so it is the middle of the week. |
| der Donnerstag | Thursday |
| der Freitag | Friday. A memory trick from the video: frei means “free”, so think of the “almost weekend” day. |
| der Samstag | Saturday |
| der Sonntag | Sunday. You can find die Sonne (the sun) in the word. |
Gender tip: all weekdays are masculine: der Montag, der Mittwoch, der Donnerstag, der Sonntag. Saturday and Sunday together are das Wochenende (the weekend). It is das and not der, because das Ende (the end) is neuter.
The 6 Times of the Day (Die Tageszeiten)
| German | Meaning |
|---|---|
| der Morgen | morning (early, when you wake up and the sun comes up) |
| der Vormittag | late morning, before noon (vor means “before”) |
| der Mittag | noon |
| der Nachmittag | afternoon, after noon (nach means “after”) |
| der Abend | evening |
| die Nacht | night |
Gender tip: all of them are masculine, with one exception: die Nacht is feminine. Remember: der Morgen, der Vormittag, der Abend, but die Nacht.
The 12 Months (Die Monate)
| Month | German | Month | German |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | der Januar | July | der Juli |
| February | der Februar | August | der August |
| March | der März | September | der September |
| April | der April | October | der Oktober |
| May | der Mai | November | der November |
| June | der Juni | December | der Dezember |
Gender tip: good news, all months are masculine: der Januar, der März, der November, der Dezember.
The 4 Seasons (Die Jahreszeiten)
| German | Meaning |
|---|---|
| der FrĂĽhling | spring (when the flowers come out) |
| der Sommer | summer |
| der Herbst | autumn, fall |
| der Winter | winter. The picture in the video shows ein Schneemann (a snowman). Der Schnee is the snow. |
Gender tip: all four seasons are masculine as well: der FrĂĽhling, der Sommer, der Herbst, der Winter.
Quick Summary: The Gender Rule
- Weekdays: der (but das Wochenende)
- Times of day: der (but die Nacht)
- Months: der
- Seasons: der
Bonus: Lieblings- (Favourite)
The word Lieblings- is very useful. Put it in front of any noun and it means “favourite”: der Lieblingsfilm (favourite film), das Lieblingsbuch (favourite book), der Lieblingsmonat (favourite month), der Lieblingstag (favourite day).
Question of the Day
Was ist dein Lieblingstag? (What is your favourite day?) Answer in a full sentence, for example Mein Lieblingstag ist der Samstag. If you can, add why.
What to Learn Next
Use your new words with numbers in German numbers 1 to 20, with the clock in how to tell the time in German, and with dates in German dates and ordinal numbers. For more seasonal vocabulary, watch German weather vocabulary and small talk and the top 20 German Christmas words.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the days of the week in German?
Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch, Donnerstag, Freitag, Samstag, Sonntag. All seven are masculine (der Montag). Saturday and Sunday together are das Wochenende.
What are the months in German?
Januar, Februar, März, April, Mai, Juni, Juli, August, September, Oktober, November, Dezember. All of them are masculine.
What are the times of the day in German?
Der Morgen, der Vormittag, der Mittag, der Nachmittag, der Abend and die Nacht. Only die Nacht is feminine.
What are the four seasons in German?
Der FrĂĽhling (spring), der Sommer (summer), der Herbst (autumn) and der Winter (winter). All are masculine.
Why is it das Wochenende and not der Wochenende?
Because the gender comes from the last part of the compound word. Das Ende is neuter, so it is das Wochenende, even though the weekdays are masculine.
Calendar words are the foundation for dates, appointments and small talk. You will meet them again and again in our A1 German online course, which gives you videos, worksheets and a place to ask questions as you learn.
