Language/Icelandic/Vocabulary/Days-of-the-Week

Icelandic Vocabulary - Days of the Week

Hi Icelandic learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will dive into the vocabulary of the days of the week in [Language/Icelandic|Icelandic]. The days of the week are an essential part of any language as they allow us to schedule our days, plan events, and talk about our routines. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to master the Icelandic vocabulary of the days of the week. Let's get started!

Days of the Week

In Icelandic, the days of the week have a unique structure as they are named after the gods and goddesses of Norse mythology. The Icelandic language has preserved many words from Old Norse, and the days of the week reflect this tradition.

Here is the list of the days of the Week in Icelandic:

Icelandic	Pronunciation	English
Mánudagur	['man.ʏ.taˌkʏr]	Monday
Þriðjudagur	['θrɪð.jʏ.taˌkʏr]	Tuesday
Miðvikudagur	['mɪð.vɪ.kʏ.taˌkʏr]	Wednesday
Fimmtudagur	['fɪm.tʏ.taˌkʏr]	Thursday
Föstudagur	['fœs.tʏ.taˌkʏr]	Friday
Laugardagur	['løiˌgar.tʏr]	Saturday
Sunnudagur	['sʏn.ʏ.taˌkʏr]	Sunday

Now, let's take a closer look at each day:

Mánudagur

Mánudagur comes from the Old Norse “mánadagr” meaning “moon day.” In Norse mythology, Mánadagr was named after the god Máni, who was believed to be the personification of the moon.

Example sentence:

• Person 1: "Ég fer í dans á Mánudögum." ("I go dancing on Mondays.")
• Person 2: "Hljómar gaman, hvaða hljómsveit leikur á Mánudögum?" ("Sounds fun, which band plays on Mondays?")

Þriðjudagur

Þriðjudagur means “third day” in Icelandic. It was named after the Germanic god Thor, who was known as the god of thunder and war.

Example sentence:

• Person 1: "Ég er mjög upptekinn á Þriðjudögum." ("I am very busy on Tuesdays.")
• Person 2: "Af hverju?" ("Why?")
• Person 1: "Ég hef spáverðlaun þann dag." ("I have a prediction market that day.")

Miðvikudagur

Miðvikudagur, meaning “middle of the week,” represents the mid-way point and is also called “hálfmáni,” meaning “half-moon.”

Example sentence:

• Person 1: "Ég vinn alltaf um Þriðjudaga og Miðvikudaga." ("I always work on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.")
• Person 2: "Er það ekki erfitt?" ("Isn't that hard?")
• Person 1: "Já, en ég fæ hamingjusamari helgi. 😊" ("Yes, but I get a happier weekend. 😊")

Fimmtudagur

Fimmtudagur means “fifth day” and was named after the god Tyr, who was believed to be the god of war and justice.

Example sentence:

• Person 1: "Á hverjum degi kynnast þið nýjum fólki?" ("What day do you introduce yourself to new people?")
• Person 2: "Venjulega á Fimmtudögum." ("Usually on Thursdays.")

Föstudagur

Föstudagur was named after Frigg, the goddess of love and fertility in Norse mythology.

Example sentence:

• Person 1: "Á hverjum degi eru stærstu handauppreisnir?" ("What day are the biggest protests?")
• Person 2: "Aukalega á Föstudögum." ("Also on Fridays.")

Laugardagur

Laugardagur means “washing day” in Icelandic and is also called Saturday. It was believed that bathing in natural hot springs was therapeutic, and therefore people used to take their weekly baths on this day.

Example sentence:

• Person 1: "Hvert ætli við förum á Laugardegi?" ("Where do we go on Saturday?")
• Person 2: "Ég hef heyrt, að það sé lifandi tónlist á Austurbæjarbíó." ("I heard that there is live music at Austurbæjarbíó.")

Sunnudagur

Sunnudagur means “sun day” and was named after the sun goddess, Sunna.

Example sentence:

• Person 1: "Það er alveg nóg á Sunnudögum að liggja í rúminu og horfa á myndir." ("There is enough on Sundays to lie in bed and watch movies.")
• Person 2: "Þú hefur rétt fyrir þér. 😊" ("You're right. 😊")

Conclusion

Now you know all the days of the week in Icelandic and some cultural background on how they got their names. Don't forget to practice with your Icelandic-speaking friends or find native speakers and ask them any questions. To improve your [Language/Icelandic|Icelandic] [Language/Icelandic/Vocabulary|Vocabulary], you can also use the Polyglot Club website.

We hope you enjoyed this lesson! Takk fyrir (Thanks for) studying with us today! 😊

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➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Congratulations on finishing this lesson! Explore these related pages to keep learning: Clothes & Health.

Other Lessons

• Fruits and Vegetables
• Information about origins
• Education
• Emergency phrases
• Feelings and Emotions
• Express Surprise
• Basic phrases: I don't understand something
• Food
• Basic Icelandic Phrases
• Common words and Greetings

Sources

• Icelandic Days of the Week - ielanguages.com
• Icelandic lessons: Days of the week
• Days of the Week in Icelandic | Weekdays in Icelandic | Happy Days ...