Meaning
To state the day of the week that preceded today.
Cultural Background
The 'Sonntagsruhe' is a legal requirement. You cannot throw away glass in recycling bins or mow your lawn on Sundays. Sunday is traditionally a day for 'Frühschoppen' (late morning drinks) and family gatherings. In some Swiss cantons, it is even forbidden to hang laundry outside on a Sunday. The name 'Sonntag' replaced the older 'Sabbat' in Germanic languages, reflecting the Christian shift to celebrating the resurrection on the first day of the week.
Capitalization
Always capitalize 'Sonntag'. In German, all nouns are capitalized, no exceptions!
Tense Trouble
Never say 'Gestern ist Sonntag'. It sounds very wrong to native speakers. Use 'war'.
Meaning
To state the day of the week that preceded today.
Capitalization
Always capitalize 'Sonntag'. In German, all nouns are capitalized, no exceptions!
Tense Trouble
Never say 'Gestern ist Sonntag'. It sounds very wrong to native speakers. Use 'war'.
The 'S' Sound
Remember that 'Sonntag' starts with a voiced 'S' (like the English 'Z' in Zebra).
The Sunday Vibe
When you say this, you're often invoking the 'quiet, closed-shop' atmosphere of Germany.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct past tense form of 'sein'.
Gestern _______ Sonntag.
We use 'war' because 'gestern' indicates the past and 'Sonntag' is the third person singular.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Select the correct option:
Days of the week must be capitalized, and the past tense 'war' is required.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Warum waren die Geschäfte zu? B: _______________________.
The question is in the past ('waren'), so the answer must also be in the past.
Match the time adverb with the correct verb form.
Match them:
These are the standard pairings for time and the verb 'sein'.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Verb 'sein' in Time
Practice Bank
4 exercisesGestern _______ Sonntag.
We use 'war' because 'gestern' indicates the past and 'Sonntag' is the third person singular.
Select the correct option:
Days of the week must be capitalized, and the past tense 'war' is required.
A: Warum waren die Geschäfte zu? B: _______________________.
The question is in the past ('waren'), so the answer must also be in the past.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
These are the standard pairings for time and the verb 'sein'.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, but it's more common in dialects. In standard German, we omit the article.
The verb 'sein' is almost always used in the Präteritum (war) even in spoken German.
Yes, all days of the week are masculine: {der|m} Montag, {der|m} Dienstag, etc.
Then you add an article: 'Gestern war ein sonniger Sonntag'.
No, you can say 'Sonntag war gestern', but it changes the emphasis to the day.
Use 'Vorgestern'. For example: 'Vorgestern war Samstag'.
In the calendar (DIN 1355), Monday is the first day, so Sunday is the last.
Yes, it is a neutral statement of fact.
This is called 'Auslautverhärtung' (final fortis). Voiced consonants become unvoiced at the end of a word.
Die Sonntage. But you rarely use it in this phrase.
Related Phrases
Heute ist Montag
builds onToday is Monday
Vorgestern war Samstag
similarThe day before yesterday was Saturday
Schönen Sonntag!
specialized formHave a nice Sunday!
Wochenende
similarWeekend
