Days of the Week and Months in Arabic
The Arabic days of the week are a counting lesson in disguise: الأحد comes from واحد (one), الاثنين from اثنان (two), and so on to الخميس, from خمسة (five). Once a child knows the numbers, five of the seven days make sense on their own.
Months have two sets of names. Egypt, the Gulf and North Africa use يناير، فبراير… while Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq use كانون الثاني، شباط… Both are below, with the Hijri months used for Ramadan and Eid.
Days of the week
- الأحدSunday — from واحد, one · al-ahad
- الاثنينMonday — from اثنان, two · al-ithnayn
- الثلاثاءTuesday — from ثلاثة, three · ath-thulaathaa'
- الأربعاءWednesday — from أربعة, four · al-arbi'aa'
- الخميسThursday — from خمسة, five · al-khamiis
- الجمعةFriday — the day of gathering · al-jum'a
- السبتSaturday · as-sabt
The months (two names each)
- يناير — كانون الثانيJanuary · yanaayir / kaanuun ath-thaani
- فبراير — شباطFebruary · fibraayir / shubaat
- مارس — آذارMarch · maaris / aadhaar
- أبريل — نيسانApril · abriil / niisaan
- مايو — أيارMay · maayu / ayyaar
- يونيو — حزيرانJune · yuunyu / haziiraan
- يوليو — تموزJuly · yuulyu / tammuuz
- أغسطس — آبAugust · aghustus / aab
- سبتمبر — أيلولSeptember · sibtambar / ayluul
- أكتوبر — تشرين الأولOctober · uktuubar / tishriin al-awwal
- نوفمبر — تشرين الثانيNovember · nuufambar / tishriin ath-thaani
- ديسمبر — كانون الأولDecember · disambar / kaanuun al-awwal
The Hijri (Islamic) months
- محرّمMuharram — the new year · muharram
- صفرSafar · safar
- ربيع الأولRabi' al-Awwal · rabii' al-awwal
- ربيع الآخرRabi' al-Akhir · rabii' al-aakhir
- جمادى الأولىJumada al-Ula · jumaadaa al-uulaa
- جمادى الآخرةJumada al-Akhira · jumaadaa al-aakhira
- رجبRajab · rajab
- شعبانSha'ban · sha'baan
- رمضانRamadan — the month of fasting · ramadaan
- شوّالShawwal — Eid al-Fitr · shawwaal
- ذو القعدةDhu al-Qa'da · dhuu al-qa'da
- ذو الحجّةDhu al-Hijja — Hajj and Eid al-Adha · dhuu al-hijja
The four seasons
- الربيعspring · ar-rabii'
- الصيفsummer · as-sayf
- الخريفautumn · al-khariif
- الشتاءwinter · ash-shitaa'
Three ways to practise at home
- Each morning ask 'ما اليوم؟' (what day is it?) and answer together: اليوم الأحد.
- Link days to something that happens on them: الجمعة, the family lunch; السبت, the park.
- Sing the days in order every evening for a week — the order sticks long before the meaning does.
Questions parents ask
Why are the Arabic days of the week named after numbers?+
The week is counted from Sunday: الأحد is day one (واحد), الاثنين day two, الثلاثاء day three, الأربعاء day four and الخميس day five. الجمعة means the day of gathering, for the Friday prayer, and السبت is the Sabbath.
Which month names should I teach: يناير or كانون الثاني?+
The ones used where your family is from. Egypt, the Gulf, Sudan and North Africa say يناير، فبراير، مارس…; Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq say كانون الثاني، شباط، آذار… Both are correct Arabic.
What are the Hijri months?+
The twelve months of the Islamic lunar calendar, from محرّم to ذو الحجّة. Each starts with the new crescent moon, so they move about eleven days earlier every year — which is why Ramadan comes at a different time each year.
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