A1 Nouns & Articles 14 min read Easy

Portuguese Days: Why Monday is "She" and Saturday is "He"

Weekdays are feminine (a segunda), while Saturday and Sunday are masculine (o sábado).
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

In Portuguese, days of the week are masculine nouns, but they use the feminine article 'a' because of the implied word 'feira'.

  • Days Monday through Friday end in '-feira', which is a feminine noun: 'a segunda-feira'.
  • Saturday and Sunday do not end in '-feira' and are masculine: 'o sábado', 'o domingo'.
  • When referring to a specific day, always use the definite article: 'A segunda é difícil' (Monday is hard).
Monday-Friday: [a] + [day]-feira | Saturday-Sunday: [o] + [day]

Overview

Portuguese distinguishes itself among major Romance languages by not naming its weekdays after planetary bodies or Roman deities. Instead, the days from Monday to Friday (segunda-feira to sexta-feira) are derived from a numbering system, literally translating to "second market day," "third market day," and so on. This unique convention originated from Martin of Braga, a 6th-century bishop who sought to replace pagan day names with liturgical terms.

The system, while seemingly straightforward due to its numerical basis, introduces a significant grammatical challenge for learners: gender. Every noun in Portuguese possesses a gender, either masculine or feminine, and the days of the week are no exception. Understanding whether a day is grammatically masculine or feminine is fundamental for accurate article usage, adjective agreement, and sounding natural in Portuguese.

Incorrect gender application, though often comprehensible, marks a learner as non-native, impacting fluency and precision in communication.

How This Grammar Works

In Portuguese, the grammatical gender of a noun dictates the form of articles, adjectives, and other agreeing elements used with it. The days of the week are divided into two gender categories based on their structure. The weekdays, from Monday to Friday, universally carry feminine gender.
This is because they incorporate the word feira, which means "market" or "fair" and is grammatically feminine. Thus, segunda-feira, terça-feira, quarta-feira, quinta-feira, and sexta-feira are all inherently feminine nouns. For these days, you will use feminine articles (a, as) and feminine adjective forms (passada, próxima).
Conversely, the weekend days, sábado (Saturday) and domingo (Sunday), are masculine nouns. They do not contain feira and their endings (-o) typically signal masculine gender in Portuguese. Consequently, sábado and domingo require masculine articles (o, os) and masculine adjective forms.
For example, you would say a próxima terça-feira (the next Tuesday) but o próximo sábado (the next Saturday). While native speakers frequently drop the -feira in casual conversation (e.g., a segunda instead of a segunda-feira), the inherent feminine gender of these days remains unchanged. This omission is a stylistic shortcut, not a grammatical shift, and the surrounding words must still agree with the original feminine gender.

Formation Pattern

1
The naming convention for Portuguese weekdays reflects a liturgical calendar where Sunday is considered the first day of the week. Therefore, what English speakers call Monday (segunda-feira) is literally the "second market day," Tuesday (terça-feira) is the "third," and so forth, up to Friday (sexta-feira), the "sixth market day." This pattern is a direct numerical progression:
2
| Day of Week | Ordinal Number | Full Portuguese Name | Casual Abbreviation | Gender | Definite Article | Translation |
3
|:------------|:---------------|:---------------------|:--------------------|:-------|:-----------------|:------------|
4
| Monday | Second | segunda-feira | segunda | Feminine | a | (the) Monday|
5
| Tuesday | Third | terça-feira | terça | Feminine | a | (the) Tuesday|
6
| Wednesday | Fourth | quarta-feira | quarta | Feminine | a | (the) Wednesday|
7
| Thursday | Fifth | quinta-feira | quinta | Feminine | a | (the) Thursday|
8
| Friday | Sixth | sexta-feira | sexta | Feminine | a | (the) Friday|
9
Notice that the suffix -feira is consistently present in the full names of these weekdays, establishing their feminine gender. The weekend days, sábado and domingo, stand apart:
10
| Day of Week | Full Portuguese Name | Casual Abbreviation | Gender | Definite Article | Translation |
11
|:------------|:---------------------|:--------------------|:----------|:-----------------|:------------|
12
| Saturday | sábado | sábado | Masculine | o | (the) Saturday|
13
| Sunday | domingo | domingo | Masculine | o | (the) Sunday|
14
Sábado derives from the Hebrew Sabbath, and domingo from the Latin Dies Dominicus (Lord's Day). These historical origins explain their deviation from the numerical feira pattern and their masculine gender. When referring to multiple days, both parts of the hyphenated weekdays are pluralized: as segundas-feiras (the Mondays). For sábado and domingo, only the noun itself is pluralized: os sábados (the Saturdays) and os domingos (the Sundays). This two-part pluralization for -feira days is a key aspect of agreement.

Gender & Agreement

Understanding gender agreement with days of the week is crucial for grammatical accuracy. This agreement extends beyond just articles to adjectives, demonstratives, and prepositional contractions. Always remember that the underlying gender of the day dictates the form of any word modifying or referring to it.
1. Articles:
Days of the week almost invariably require an article in Portuguese, unlike in English where "on Monday" uses no article. The choice of definite (o, a, os, as) or indefinite (um, uma, uns, umas) article depends on whether the day is specific or general.
| Article Type | Singular Feminine (Mon-Fri) | Plural Feminine (Mon-Fri) | Singular Masculine (Sat, Sun) | Plural Masculine (Sat, Sun) |
|:-------------|:----------------------------|:--------------------------|:------------------------------|:----------------------------|
| Definite | a (a segunda-feira) | as (as terças-feiras) | o (o sábado) | os (os domingos) |
| Indefinite | uma (uma quarta-feira) | umas (umas quintas-feiras) | um (um domingo) | uns (uns sábados) |
  • Example: A sexta-feira é o melhor dia da semana. (Friday is the best day of the week.) Here, a agrees with the feminine sexta-feira.
  • Example: Eu tenho um compromisso para um sábado qualquer. (I have an appointment for any given Saturday.) um agrees with the masculine sábado.
2. Adjectives:
Any adjective describing a day of the week must match its gender and number. This is a fundamental rule of Portuguese grammar.
  • A próxima segunda-feira será feriado. (Next Monday will be a holiday.) próxima is feminine singular, agreeing with segunda-feira.
  • O último domingo foi ensolarado. (Last Sunday was sunny.) último is masculine singular, agreeing with domingo.
  • As longas quintas-feiras me cansam. (The long Thursdays tire me.) longas is feminine plural, agreeing with quintas-feiras.
  • Os curtos sábados de verão. (The short summer Saturdays.) curtos is masculine plural, agreeing with sábados.
3. Prepositional Contractions:
When prepositions like em (in, on, at), a (to, at), or de (of, from) combine with definite articles, they form contractions that also reflect the day's gender.
| Contraction | Preposition + Article | Gender/Number | Example (Full) | Example (Casual) | Meaning |
|:------------|:----------------------|:--------------|:---------------------------|:---------------------------|:--------|
| na | em + a | Fem. Sing. | em a segunda-feira | na segunda | on Monday |
| nas | em + as | Fem. Pl. | em as terças-feiras | nas terças | on Tuesdays |
| no | em + o | Masc. Sing. | em o sábado | no sábado | on Saturday |
| nos | em + os | Masc. Pl. | em os domingos | nos domingos | on Sundays |
| à | a + a | Fem. Sing. | a a quinta-feira | à quinta | at Thursday (less common for days) |
| às | a + as | Fem. Pl. | a as quartas-feiras | às quartas | on Wednesdays (for habitual actions) |
  • Encontro você na quarta-feira. (I'll meet you on Wednesday.) na for feminine day.
  • Trabalho no domingo. (I work on Sunday.) no for masculine day.
  • Ele treina às terças e quintas. (He trains on Tuesdays and Thursdays.) às for habitual feminine plural days.

When To Use It

Correctly gendering and articulating the days of the week is essential for expressing temporal information, scheduling, and discussing recurring events. You will encounter these structures daily in both formal and informal contexts.
  • Referring to a specific past or future day: Always use the definite article, often preceded by em (contracted to na/no).
  • Na última sexta-feira, fui ao cinema. (Last Friday, I went to the cinema.)
  • O próximo domingo será de sol. (Next Sunday will be sunny.)
  • Ela chega na terça-feira. (She arrives on Tuesday.)
  • Expressing habitual actions or frequency: When you perform an action regularly on a certain day, use the plural definite article, often with a (contracted to às/aos – though aos is less common with days, usually nos for masculine plural habitual actions, or simply os).
  • Vou à academia às segundas e quartas. (I go to the gym on Mondays and Wednesdays.)
  • Eles jogam futebol aos sábados. (Brazilian Portuguese) or Eles jogam futebol nos sábados. (European Portuguese/alternative Brazilian usage) (They play soccer on Saturdays.)
  • Alternatively, for habitual masculine days, simply use the plural definite article: Eu trabalho os sábados. (I work on Saturdays.) This construction implies "every Saturday."
  • General statements about a day: When making a general statement about the nature of a day, use the definite article.
  • A segunda-feira é sempre difícil. (Monday is always difficult.)
  • O domingo é para descansar. (Sunday is for resting.)
  • Dates: When specifying a full date, the day of the week precedes the numerical date and maintains its article and gender.
  • Hoje é quarta-feira, 4 de março de 2026. (Today is Wednesday, March 4, 2026.)
  • A reunião será na quinta-feira, dia 10. (The meeting will be on Thursday, the 10th.)
Mastering these nuances allows you to communicate with precision, avoiding the common beginner's mistake of treating days as gender-neutral or omitting articles.

Common Mistakes

Portuguese learners frequently encounter several pitfalls when navigating the gender and usage of days of the week. Awareness of these common errors can significantly accelerate mastery.
1. Omitting the Article:
The most prevalent mistake for English speakers is directly translating "on Monday" as em segunda or em sábado. In Portuguese, the article is almost always required, leading to contractions with prepositions.
  • Incorrect: Chego em terça. (I arrive on Tuesday.)
  • Correct: Chego na terça. (I arrive on Tuesday.) (using em + a)
2. Applying Spanish Gender Rules:
Learners with a background in Spanish often err by assigning masculine gender to all weekdays, as is the case in Spanish (el lunes, el martes). This is a false cognate trap.
  • Incorrect: O segunda-feira é pesado. (Monday is heavy.)
  • Correct: A segunda-feira é pesada. (Monday is heavy.) (feminine agreement)
3. Incorrect Prepositional Contractions for Weekend Days:
After internalizing na for the feminine weekdays, beginners sometimes mistakenly apply it to the masculine weekend days.
  • Incorrect: Vamos sair na sábado. (Let's go out on Saturday.)
  • Correct: Vamos sair no sábado. (Let's go out on Saturday.) (using em + o)
4. Forgetting Hyphenation in Formal Writing:
While omitting -feira is acceptable and common in casual speech and writing, the full written form of the weekdays (segunda-feira, terça-feira, etc.) requires a hyphen. Its absence is a spelling error in formal contexts.
  • Incorrect (formal): A reunião foi na quartafeira.
  • Correct (formal): A reunião foi na quarta-feira.
5. Inconsistent Gender Agreement with Adjectives:
Failing to ensure that adjectives modifying days of the week agree in both gender and number is a common oversight.
  • Incorrect: A próxima sábado. (The next Saturday.)
  • Correct: O próximo sábado. (The next Saturday.) (próximo is masculine to agree with sábado)
These errors, while minor, cumulatively hinder fluency and can create a slightly unnatural cadence in speech or writing. Consistent practice with gendered articles and adjectives is key to overcoming them.

Common Collocations

Familiarizing yourself with common phrases and expressions involving days of the week enhances natural usage and comprehension. These collocations are frequently heard in daily Portuguese communication.
  • fim de semana (weekend): A collective term for Saturday and Sunday.
  • O que você vai fazer no fim de semana? (What are you going to do on the weekend?)
  • dia de semana (weekday): A general term for any day from Monday to Friday. Usually masculine singular, even when referring to multiple days generally.
  • Prefiro trabalhar durante a noite nos dias de semana. (I prefer to work at night on weekdays.)
  • durante a semana (during the week): Similar to dia de semana but emphasizes the duration.
  • Não tenho tempo para isso durante a semana. (I don't have time for that during the week.)
  • próxima/última [dia da semana] (next/last [day of the week]): Specifies a particular day in the near future or past, requiring gender agreement.
  • Tenho uma viagem na próxima quinta-feira. (I have a trip next Thursday.)
  • Na última terça-feira, choveu muito. (Last Tuesday, it rained a lot.)
  • de [dia] a [dia] (from [day] to [day]): Used to indicate a range of days.
  • A loja abre de segunda a sexta. (The store opens from Monday to Friday.)
  • todos os [dia plural] (every [day plural]): Expresses regularity or habitual action, requiring the plural form of the day and its respective masculine or feminine article.
  • Ela corre todas as quartas-feiras. (She runs every Wednesday.)
  • Ele joga bola todos os sábados. (He plays ball every Saturday.)
  • hoje é [dia da semana] (today is [day of the week]): Simple statement of the current day.
  • Hoje é terça-feira, dia de lavar roupa. (Today is Tuesday, laundry day.)
  • amanhã é [dia da semana] (tomorrow is [day of the week]): Simple statement of the next day.
  • Amanhã é sábado, podemos dormir até tarde! (Tomorrow is Saturday, we can sleep late!)
These ready-made phrases streamline communication and demonstrate a deeper understanding of Portuguese temporal expressions.

Real Conversations

Observing how days of the week are used in authentic Portuguese conversations, from formal emails to casual texts, highlights the practical application of their gender and article rules. Notice how even in abbreviated forms, the underlying grammar holds.

1. Scheduling an informal meeting (Text message):

A: Oi! Vc tá livre na terça ou na quarta pra tomar um café?

B: Fala! Na terça consigo depois das 15h. Na quarta tô enrolado o dia todo. E o sábado?

A: Terça às 15h então! O sábado já tenho compromisso.

- (Translation: A: Hey! Are you free on Tuesday or Wednesday for coffee? B: What's up! On Tuesday I can after 3 PM. On Wednesday I'm busy all day. What about Saturday? A: Tuesday at 3 PM then! On Saturday I already have plans.)

- Analysis: na terça and na quarta (contractions of em + a) are used for the feminine weekdays, even in their abbreviated form. o sábado uses the masculine article for the weekend day.

2. Professional email confirmation (Brazil):

`Prezados,

Confirmamos nossa reunião para a próxima quinta-feira, dia 7 de março, às 14h.

Atenciosamente,`

- (Translation: Dear all,

We confirm our meeting for next Thursday, March 7, at 2 PM.

Sincerely,)

- Analysis: In a formal context, the full quinta-feira is used, and a próxima correctly uses the feminine article and adjective form to agree with it. Hyphenation is maintained.

3. Casual complaint about the work week (Social Media Post):

Detesto as segundas-feiras! Por que o fim de semana é tão curto?

- (Translation: I hate Mondays! Why is the weekend so short?)

- Analysis: as segundas-feiras uses the feminine plural article and pluralized day, expressing a general dislike for all Mondays. o fim de semana uses the masculine article for the collocation.

4. Discussing weekend plans (Casual chat):

A: E aí, o que você vai fazer no sábado?

B: Acho que vou viajar. E você?

A: Nada demais. Ficar em casa no domingo vendo série.

- (Translation: A: So, what are you going to do on Saturday? B: I think I'm traveling. And you? A: Nothing special. Staying home on Sunday watching series.)

- Analysis: no sábado and no domingo correctly use the masculine contraction no for these days.

These examples illustrate that while context can influence formality (e.g., dropping -feira), the core principles of gender and agreement with articles and other modifiers remain consistent across all registers of Portuguese.

Quick FAQ

Here are quick answers to some common questions about Portuguese days of the week:
  • Do I always have to say "feira"? No. In casual speech and writing, dropping -feira (e.g., a segunda, a terça) is very common, especially in Brazilian Portuguese. However, the day's feminine gender persists.
  • Is Sunday the first or last day of the week? In Portuguese-speaking countries, Sunday (domingo) is traditionally considered the first day of the week, which is why Monday is segunda-feira (second market day).
  • Why is there no "primeira-feira"? Sunday is an exception to the numerical naming scheme. It has its own name, domingo, derived from Latin for "Lord's Day," and thus doesn't follow the feira pattern.
  • How do I say "on" Monday/Saturday? Use prepositional contractions: na for feminine days (na segunda, na quarta) and no for masculine days (no sábado, no domingo). For habitual actions, use às for feminine plural days (às terças).
  • Is the gender/naming the same in Brazil and Portugal? Yes, the names and grammatical genders of the days of the week are consistent across both European and Brazilian Portuguese. Minor differences might exist in pronunciation or the frequency of dropping -feira in very casual contexts. The grammar rules themselves are identical.

Gender and Article Agreement

Day Gender Article (Singular) Contraction (On)
Segunda-feira
Feminine
A
Na
Terça-feira
Feminine
A
Na
Quarta-feira
Feminine
A
Na
Quinta-feira
Feminine
A
Na
Sexta-feira
Feminine
A
Na
Sábado
Masculine
O
No
Domingo
Masculine
O
No

Colloquial Shortening

Full Form Short Form Article
Segunda-feira
Segunda
A
Terça-feira
Terça
A
Quarta-feira
Quarta
A
Quinta-feira
Quinta
A
Sexta-feira
Sexta
A

Meanings

Portuguese days of the week follow specific gender rules based on their etymological roots, specifically the inclusion of the feminine noun 'feira' (market/fair day).

1

Workdays

The days from Monday to Friday.

“A segunda-feira é cansativa.”

“A terça-feira é produtiva.”

2

Weekend

Saturday and Sunday.

“O sábado é dia de descanso.”

“O domingo é para a família.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Portuguese Days: Why Monday is "She" and Saturday is "He"
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Article + Day
A segunda é boa.
Negative
Article + Day + não
A segunda não é ruim.
Question
Article + Day + ?
A segunda é hoje?
Temporal
Contraction + Day
Na segunda eu vou.
Plural
Articles + Days
As segundas são longas.
Weekend
O/No + Day
No sábado eu saio.

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Encontrar-nos-emos na sexta-feira.

Encontrar-nos-emos na sexta-feira. (Scheduling a meeting)

Neutral
Vou te ver na sexta-feira.

Vou te ver na sexta-feira. (Scheduling a meeting)

Informal
Te vejo na sexta!

Te vejo na sexta! (Scheduling a meeting)

Slang
Até sexta!

Até sexta! (Scheduling a meeting)

Gender Map of Days

Dias da Semana

Feminine (A)

  • Segunda Monday
  • Terça Tuesday

Masculine (O)

  • Sábado Saturday
  • Domingo Sunday
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Examples by Level

1

A segunda-feira é longa.

Monday is long.

2

O sábado é divertido.

Saturday is fun.

3

Eu trabalho na terça.

I work on Tuesday.

4

No domingo eu descanso.

On Sunday I rest.

1

A sexta-feira é o meu dia favorito.

Friday is my favorite day.

2

Nós vamos viajar no sábado.

We are going to travel on Saturday.

3

A quarta-feira é dia de reunião.

Wednesday is meeting day.

4

Não gosto da segunda-feira.

I don't like Monday.

1

Na próxima quinta-feira, teremos uma festa.

Next Thursday, we will have a party.

2

O domingo é sempre um dia tranquilo.

Sunday is always a quiet day.

3

Prefiro trabalhar na sexta do que na segunda.

I prefer working on Friday than on Monday.

4

O sábado à noite é perfeito para sair.

Saturday night is perfect for going out.

1

A segunda-feira costuma ser o dia mais produtivo.

Monday is usually the most productive day.

2

No sábado, costumamos visitar nossos avós.

On Saturdays, we usually visit our grandparents.

3

A quinta-feira já tem um clima de fim de semana.

Thursday already has a weekend vibe.

4

Não agendo reuniões na sexta-feira à tarde.

I don't schedule meetings on Friday afternoon.

1

A segunda-feira, para muitos, representa o recomeço.

Monday, for many, represents the restart.

2

O domingo, com sua melancolia característica, encerra a semana.

Sunday, with its characteristic melancholy, ends the week.

3

Na terça-feira, o projeto deve estar concluído.

On Tuesday, the project must be completed.

4

O sábado é, sem dúvida, o dia mais aguardado.

Saturday is, without a doubt, the most awaited day.

1

A segunda-feira é o divisor de águas da rotina corporativa.

Monday is the watershed of the corporate routine.

2

No sábado, a cidade ganha uma nova dinâmica.

On Saturday, the city gains a new dynamic.

3

A quarta-feira, o 'dia do meio', exige resiliência.

Wednesday, the 'middle day', requires resilience.

4

O domingo é o dia de introspecção por excelência.

Sunday is the day of introspection par excellence.

Easily Confused

Portuguese Days: Why Monday is "She" and Saturday is "He" vs Days vs. Months

Learners mix up the article usage for days (a/o) and months (always masculine).

Portuguese Days: Why Monday is "She" and Saturday is "He" vs Days vs. Dates

Learners use the day name when they mean the date.

Portuguese Days: Why Monday is "She" and Saturday is "He" vs Capitalization

Learners capitalize days like in English.

Common Mistakes

✗

O segunda-feira

✓

A segunda-feira

Monday is feminine.
✗

Segunda-feira é bom

✓

A segunda-feira é boa

Adjective must agree with feminine noun.
✗

Em segunda-feira

✓

Na segunda-feira

Must use contraction 'na'.
✗

Segunda-Feira

✓

segunda-feira

Days are not capitalized.
✗

O sexta

✓

A sexta

Still feminine even if shortened.
✗

Na sábado

✓

No sábado

Saturday is masculine.
✗

Eu vou em sábado

✓

Eu vou no sábado

Preposition + article required.
✗

As segundas-feiras são bom

✓

As segundas-feiras são boas

Plural agreement.
✗

No segunda

✓

Na segunda

Weekday gender error.
✗

A sábado

✓

O sábado

Weekend gender error.
✗

Na sexta-feira, eu não faço nada

✓

Na sexta-feira, não faço nada

Stylistic preference for dropping subject pronoun.
✗

O domingo, dia de descanso

✓

O domingo, dia de descanso

Grammatically correct, but check punctuation.
✗

Na segunda-feira, eu vou ir

✓

Na segunda-feira, irei

Avoid redundant future tense.

Sentence Patterns

___ ___ é o meu dia favorito.

Eu trabalho ___ ___.

___ ___ é dia de descansar.

Não gosto de trabalhar ___ ___.

Real World Usage

Bus Schedule constant

Horário de segunda a sexta.

Social Media very common

Sextou!

Job Interview common

Posso começar na segunda-feira.

Food Delivery common

Aberto no sábado e domingo.

Texting constant

Te vejo na terça?

Store Hours very common

Fechado aos domingos.

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💡

The 'Feira' Trick

If you are unsure of the gender, check if the day ends in '-feira'. If yes, it's feminine!
⚠️

Capitalization

Never capitalize days in Portuguese unless they start a sentence. It's a dead giveaway of a non-native speaker.
🎯

Shortening

In Brazil, you can drop '-feira' but keep the article. 'A segunda' is perfectly natural.
💬

Sextou!

In Brazil, 'Sextou' is a popular slang meaning 'It's Friday, let's party!'.

Smart Tips

Always use the full form 'segunda-feira' for clarity.

Vou na seg. → Vou na segunda-feira.

Drop the '-feira' to sound like a local.

Na sexta-feira eu saio. → Na sexta eu saio.

Always contract 'em' with the article.

Em a segunda. → Na segunda.

Remember they are masculine.

A sábado. → O sábado.

Pronunciation

se-GUN-da-FEI-ra

Stress

The stress in 'segunda-feira' falls on the 'ei' of 'feira'.

Declarative

A segunda é difícil. ↘

Falling intonation for statements.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Remember: 'Feira' is a lady, so Monday to Friday are feminine. Saturday and Sunday are the 'men' of the weekend.

Visual Association

Imagine a market (feira) full of women on weekdays. On Saturday and Sunday, the market is closed, and two men (Sábado and Domingo) are playing soccer.

Rhyme

Segunda a sexta tem feira, elas são femininas, de primeira. Sábado e domingo são rapazes, masculinos e audazes.

Story

Maria works at the market (feira) from Monday to Friday. She is always tired on Friday. On Saturday, she meets her brother, Sábado, and her friend, Domingo, to watch a movie.

Word Web

Segunda-feiraTerça-feiraQuarta-feiraQuinta-feiraSexta-feiraSábadoDomingo

Challenge

Write down your schedule for the next 7 days using the correct articles for each day.

Cultural Notes

Brazilians almost always drop the '-feira' in casual speech, but the feminine article is strictly kept.

In Portugal, the full form '-feira' is used more frequently in speech than in Brazil.

In professional emails, always use the full form 'segunda-feira' to maintain a formal tone.

The days were named by St. Martin of Braga in the 6th century to replace pagan names with Christian 'market days' (feria).

Conversation Starters

“

Qual é o seu dia favorito da semana?

“

O que você faz no sábado?

“

Como você organiza sua segunda-feira?

“

Você acha que a segunda-feira é realmente o dia mais difícil?

Journal Prompts

Descreva sua rotina de segunda a sexta.
O que você gosta de fazer no fim de semana?
Compare sua segunda-feira com sua sexta-feira.
Reflita sobre a importância do descanso no domingo.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Fill in the correct article.

___ segunda-feira é difícil.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: A
Monday is feminine.
Choose the correct contraction. Multiple Choice

Eu trabalho ___ sábado.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: no
Saturday is masculine.
Find the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

O segunda-feira é legal.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: O
Should be 'A'.
Change to plural. Sentence Transformation

A segunda é longa.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: As segundas são longas
Plural agreement.
Match the day to the article. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: O / A
Saturday is masc, Monday is fem.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Quando você viaja? B: ___ sexta.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Na
Friday is feminine.
Order the words. Sentence Building

trabalho / na / eu / segunda

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu trabalho na segunda
Subject-verb-time.
Is this true? True False Rule

Days are capitalized in Portuguese.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Days are lowercase.

Score: /8

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Fill in the correct article.

___ segunda-feira é difícil.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: A
Monday is feminine.
Choose the correct contraction. Multiple Choice

Eu trabalho ___ sábado.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: no
Saturday is masculine.
Find the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

O segunda-feira é legal.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: O
Should be 'A'.
Change to plural. Sentence Transformation

A segunda é longa.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: As segundas são longas
Plural agreement.
Match the day to the article. Match Pairs

Sábado / Segunda

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: O / A
Saturday is masc, Monday is fem.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Quando você viaja? B: ___ sexta.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Na
Friday is feminine.
Order the words. Sentence Building

trabalho / na / eu / segunda

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu trabalho na segunda
Subject-verb-time.
Is this true? True False Rule

Days are capitalized in Portuguese.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Days are lowercase.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
Fill in the blank Fill in the Blank

Vou viajar ___ sexta-feira.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: na
Find the error Error Correction

Eu odeio o segunda-feira.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu odeio a segunda-feira.
Put the words in order Sentence Reorder

reunião / a / na / é / terça

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: A reunião é na terça.
Translate to Portuguese Translation

I see you on Sunday.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Te vejo no domingo.
Pick the correct masculine day Multiple Choice

Which of these is masculine?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Sábado
Match the day to its gender Match Pairs

Match the items:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Domingo - Masculine, Quinta - Feminine
Fill in the blank Fill in the Blank

Não trabalho ___ sábados.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nos
Correct the agreement Error Correction

A domingo passado foi bom.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: O domingo passado foi bom.
Translate to Portuguese Translation

On Fridays I sleep late.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nas sextas eu durmo tarde.
Which is correct for a party on Wednesday? Multiple Choice

A festa é...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: na quarta-feira

Score: /10

FAQ (8)

Because they include the word 'feira', which is a feminine noun.

No, they are masculine.

No, that is incorrect. It must be 'a segunda'.

No, keep them lowercase.

It is a slang for Friday night celebrations.

Use 'na segunda-feira'.

Yes, the gender rules are the same.

It is a mandatory contraction.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

Sign up free to practice

In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

el lunes, el martes

Spanish is always masculine; Portuguese is gender-split.

French low

le lundi, le mardi

French is consistently masculine.

German low

der Montag, der Dienstag

German names are etymologically unrelated to the 'market' system.

Japanese none

Getsuyōbi (Moon day)

Japanese has no grammatical gender.

Arabic partial

Al-ithnayn (The second)

Arabic is a numbering system, not a market-based one.

Chinese none

Xīngqī yī (Week one)

Chinese has no articles or gender.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Portuguese Numbers: Counting and Agreement (1-100+)
Next
Portuguese Months & Their Gender (Always Masculine!)

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