Days of the Week in Levantine Arabic
Ustazah Alaa · June 28, 2025 · 6 min read
Quick Answer
The days of the week in Levantine Arabic are الأحد (el-aḥad, Sunday), التنين (el-tnēn, Monday), التلاتا (el-tlēte, Tuesday), الأربعا (el-arbaʿa, Wednesday), الخميس (el-khamīs, Thursday), الجمعة (el-jumʿa, Friday) and السبت (el-sabt, Saturday). To say "on Friday", you can simply say يوم الجمعة (yōm el-jumʿa).
Introduction
If you are learning Arabic in Malaysia, the days of the week are a gentle place to start. You will use them all the time: to plan a class, to make an appointment, or to say what you did yesterday.
There is also good news for Malay speakers. Malay borrowed its day names from Arabic centuries ago, so words like Isnin, Khamis and Jumaat will already feel familiar. You are closer to Arabic than you think.
This guide uses Levantine Arabic, the spoken dialect of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan. It is the Arabic people actually use in daily conversation, in dramas and on social media. You will learn the seven days, how to say "on a day", the most useful time expressions, and a short dialogue to practise.
What Are the Days of the Week in Levantine Arabic?
| Day | Arabic | Pronunciation | Malay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | الأحد | el-aḥad | Ahad |
| Monday | التنين | el-tnēn | Isnin |
| Tuesday | التلاتا | el-tlēte | Selasa |
| Wednesday | الأربعا | el-arbaʿa | Rabu |
| Thursday | الخميس | el-khamīs | Khamis |
| Friday | الجمعة | el-jumʿa | Jumaat |
| Saturday | السبت | el-sabt | Sabtu |
يوم الجمعة yōm el-jumʿa "on Friday"
How Do You Say "On Monday" or "On Friday"?
Put the word يوم (yōm, day) before the name of the day. It works the same way for every day.
| Arabic phrase | Pronunciation | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| يوم الجمعة | yōm el-jumʿa | on Friday |
| يوم التنين | yōm el-tnēn | on Monday |
| يوم السبت | yōm el-sabt | on Saturday |
You can also drop يوم in casual speech and just say the day, as in الجمعة عندي صف. (el-jumʿa ʿindī ṣaff, "On Friday I have class").
Is It the Same in Modern Standard Arabic?
Not quite. Three of the day names change between the dialect and the formal language:
| Day | Levantine | Modern Standard Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | التنين (el-tnēn) | الاثنين (al-ithnayn) |
| Tuesday | التلاتا (el-tlēte) | الثلاثاء (ath-thulāthā') |
| Wednesday | الأربعا (el-arbaʿa) | الأربعاء (al-arbiʿā') |
The other four days are almost identical in both. If you learn the Levantine forms first, you will still recognise the formal ones when you read or listen to the news.
How Do You Say Today, Tomorrow and Yesterday?
These words appear in almost every conversation:
| Arabic | Pronunciation | English | Malay |
|---|---|---|---|
| اليوم | el-yōm | today | hari ini |
| مبارح | mbāreḥ | yesterday | semalam |
| أول مبارح | awwal mbāreḥ | the day before yesterday | kelmarin |
| بكرا | bukra | tomorrow | esok |
| بعد بكرا | baʿd bukra | the day after tomorrow | lusa |
How Do You Say "This Week", "Last Week" and "Next Week"?
| Arabic | Pronunciation | English | Malay |
|---|---|---|---|
| هالأسبوع | hal-usbūʿ | this week | minggu ini |
| الأسبوع الفايت | el-usbūʿ el-fāyet | last week | minggu lalu |
| الأسبوع الجاي | el-usbūʿ el-jāy | next week | minggu depan |
The same words work with a day name:
| Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| الجمعة الفايتة | el-jumʿa el-fāyte | last Friday |
| الأحد الجاي | el-aḥad el-jāy | next Sunday |
How Do You Say "Every Day" or "Every Friday"?
Use كل (kell, every) before the word:
| Arabic | Pronunciation | English | Malay |
|---|---|---|---|
| كل يوم | kell yōm | every day | setiap hari |
| كل أسبوع | kell usbūʿ | every week | setiap minggu |
| كل جمعة | kell jumʿa | every Friday | setiap Jumaat |
| كل أحد | kell aḥad | every Sunday | setiap Ahad |
Short Dialogue
- سارة: شو بتعمل يوم الجمعة؟ (What are you doing on Friday?)
- أحمد: يوم الجمعة عندي صف عربي. وإنتِ؟ (On Friday I have Arabic class. And you?)
- سارة: أنا فاضية بكرا. بكرا السبت. (I am free tomorrow. Tomorrow is Saturday.)
Quick Quiz
- How do you say "Wednesday" in Levantine Arabic?
- What does bukra mean?
- How do you say "on Friday"?
- Complete the phrase: كل ___ (every day)
Answers: 1. الأربعا (el-arbaʿa). 2. Tomorrow. 3. يوم الجمعة (yōm el-jumʿa). 4. يوم (yōm).
Did You Know?
The Malay names for the days of the week come from Arabic. Isnin comes from al-ithnayn (Monday), Selasa from ath-thulāthā' (Tuesday), Rabu from al-arbiʿā' (Wednesday), Khamis from al-khamīs (Thursday), Jumaat from al-jumʿa (Friday), Sabtu from as-sabt (Saturday) and Ahad from al-aḥad (Sunday). In the Arabic names, the days are simply counted: Sunday is "the first", Monday "the second", and so on. Friday, al-jumʿa, means "the gathering".
Summary
- Levantine Arabic days: الأحد، التنين، التلاتا، الأربعا، الخميس، الجمعة، السبت.
- Say يوم before a day to mean "on" that day.
- بكرا is tomorrow and مبارح is yesterday.
- كل before a word means "every".
- Three day names differ from Modern Standard Arabic, but the rest are almost the same.
- Malay day names come from Arabic, so you already know more than you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Days of the Week in Levantine Arabic?
They are الأحد (Sunday), التنين (Monday), التلاتا (Tuesday), الأربعا (Wednesday), الخميس (Thursday), الجمعة (Friday) and السبت (Saturday).
Are the Days Different in Modern Standard Arabic?
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are different: الاثنين, الثلاثاء and الأربعاء. The other days are almost the same.
How Do You Say "On Friday" in Arabic?
Say يوم الجمعة (yōm el-jumʿa).
Why Do Malay Day Names Sound Like Arabic?
Malay borrowed its day names from Arabic. Jumaat comes from al-jumʿa and Khamis from al-khamīs.
Which Countries Speak Levantine Arabic?
Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan.
Keep Learning
Not sure which kind of Arabic to start with? Read Syrian Dialect vs MSA: Which First?.
Want to speak Levantine Arabic confidently in everyday situations? Take a look at my Levantine Arabic book, written for learners who want real spoken Arabic.