If you want to talk about plans, appointments, or work in Hebrew, the days of the week are essential.

The good news is that the Hebrew weekday names are very logical: most of them are numbered from first day through sixth day.

If you're just starting out, you may also want to read the Complete Beginner Guide to Hebrew.

The Days of the Week in Hebrew

A few things to notice:

• יום means “day.”
• The weekday names from Sunday to Friday are built from numbers.
• שבת is different. It is the Hebrew word for Saturday and the Jewish day of rest.

If you want to understand the number pattern better, see Numbers in Hebrew.

How to Remember Them

A simple way to remember the weekdays is to think of them as a sequence:

• יום ראשון — first day
• יום שני — second day
• יום שלישי — third day
• יום רביעי — fourth day
• יום חמישי — fifth day
• יום שישי — sixth day
• שבת — Saturday

So instead of memorizing seven unrelated names, you only need to remember the counting pattern.

Pronunciation Notes

A few sounds may be new if you're reading Hebrew for the first time:

• ח in חמישי (Chamishi) is a throaty sound that does not exist in English.
• ש in שני, שלישי, and שישי is pronounced like sh.
• שבת is usually pronounced Shabbat.

If you want more help with the sounds, see Hebrew Alphabet Chart + Pronunciation and Hebrew Vowels (Nikud).

Common Real-Life Usage

In Hebrew, you often say ביום + the day name when talking about something happening on a certain day.

Examples:

• נתראה ביום שני
  Nitra'eh b'yom sheni
  See you on Monday.

• יש לי פגישה ביום רביעי
  Yesh li pgisha b'yom revi'i
  I have a meeting on Wednesday.

• בשבת אני נח
  B'Shabbat ani nach
  On Saturday I rest.

If you want more everyday vocabulary, you may also like Essential Hebrew Phrases.

Quick Practice

Try saying the week out loud in order:

Yom Rishon → Yom Sheni → Yom Shlishi → Yom Revi'i → Yom Chamishi → Yom Shishi → Shabbat

Repeating the sequence a few times is usually enough to make the pattern stick.

For more useful vocabulary, see 100 Common Hebrew Words.