“Friday” in Spanish
Viernes is “Friday” in Spanish. It is masculine, written in lowercase, and takes the article el: el viernes means “on Friday” and los viernes means “on Fridays”. The word is the same in the singular and the plural, so the article tells you which one is meant.
Say it BYEHR-nes: two syllables, stress on the first, and a Spanish v that sounds like a soft English b. Below are the rules that trip learners up, real sentences for plans and schedules, the other days of the week, and a short practice set.
The four rules for viernes
- It is masculine. el viernes, este viernes, un viernes cualquiera.
- It is lowercase in the middle of a sentence: Te llamo el viernes. It takes a capital only at the start of a sentence or in a title.
- Singular and plural look the same. el viernes (Friday, this coming one) and los viernes (Fridays, every Friday).
- “On” is not translated. “On Friday” is el viernes, never en viernes or en el viernes.
How to pronounce viernes
- vier- – the v is pronounced like a soft b (Spanish does not distinguish b and v), and ie glides together as “yeh”: byehr.
- -nes – like “ness” in “business”: nes.
The r is a single quick tap, like the tt in American “butter”. The whole word has two syllables, vier-nes, not three. A common learner version, “vee-AIR-nayz”, is understood, but the stress belongs on the first syllable and the final s is a plain s, not z.
Using viernes in real sentences
A specific Friday
- El viernes voy al cine. – I’m going to the cinema on Friday.
- ¿Qué haces el viernes? – What are you doing on Friday?
- ¿Nos vemos el viernes? – Shall we meet on Friday?
- La entrega es el viernes a las cinco. – The deadline is Friday at five.
Every Friday
- Los viernes jugamos al fútbol. – We play football on Fridays.
- Todos los viernes cenamos con mis padres. – We have dinner with my parents every Friday.
- La tienda cierra temprano los viernes. – The shop closes early on Fridays.
This, last and next Friday
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| this Friday | este viernes |
| last Friday | el viernes pasado |
| next Friday | el viernes que viene, el próximo viernes |
| every Friday | todos los viernes, cada viernes |
| every other Friday | un viernes sí y otro no, cada dos viernes |
| Friday morning | el viernes por la mañana |
| Friday afternoon | el viernes por la tarde |
| Friday night | el viernes por la noche |
| on Friday, 13 March | el viernes 13 de marzo |
| from Monday to Friday | de lunes a viernes |
| until Friday | hasta el viernes |
| by Friday | para el viernes |
| see you Friday | hasta el viernes, nos vemos el viernes |
- El viernes pasado fue mi cumpleaños. – Last Friday was my birthday.
- Trabajo de lunes a viernes. – I work Monday to Friday.
- Necesito el informe para el viernes. – I need the report by Friday.
- Desde el viernes estoy esperando tu llamada. – I’ve been waiting for your call since Friday.
“Friday is my favourite day” also needs the article: El viernes es mi día favorito. Starting the sentence with a bare Viernes es… is a common mistake.
Expressions with viernes
- ¡Por fin es viernes! – Thank God it’s Friday! (literally “Friday at last!”). After es, Spanish drops the article: Hoy es viernes.
- Viernes Santo – Good Friday, capitalised because it is a holiday name. Many Spanish-speaking countries take the day off.
- el Black Friday / el Viernes Negro – the shopping day after Thanksgiving; most shops simply use the English name.
- viernes 13 – Friday the 13th. In Spanish-speaking countries the unlucky day is traditionally martes 13 (Tuesday the 13th): En martes, ni te cases ni te embarques.
- el viernes social / los viernes casuales – casual Friday at work.
Hoy es viernes: when there is no article
The article disappears after ser when you simply say which day it is: Hoy es viernes (Today is Friday), Mañana es viernes (Tomorrow is Friday), ¿Qué día es hoy? – Viernes. In every other position, including the subject of a sentence and “on Friday”, the article stays.
The days of the week in Spanish
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Monday | lunes |
| Tuesday | martes |
| Wednesday | miércoles |
| Thursday | jueves |
| Friday | viernes |
| Saturday | sábado |
| Sunday | domingo |
All seven are masculine and lowercase. Monday to Friday end in -s and do not change in the plural; sábado and domingo add -s: los sábados, los domingos. The Spanish calendar starts the week on Monday, so viernes is the fifth day, not the sixth. Each name comes from Latin: viernes from Veneris dies, the day of Venus. For the grammar shared by all the days, see Spanish days of the week grammar.
Common mistakes
- En viernes for “on Friday”. Say el viernes.
- Capitalising: el Viernes is wrong in a normal sentence; write el viernes.
- Los vierneses: the plural does not change. Los viernes.
- Dropping the article as a subject: Viernes es mi día favorito should be El viernes es mi día favorito.
- Feminine agreement: la viernes or esta viernes are wrong; it is este viernes.
- Abbreviation: the usual short form is vie. or the letter V on calendars (Wednesday is often X to avoid confusion with martes).
Practice
Translate into Spanish.
- I’ll see you on Friday.
- We go swimming on Fridays.
- Today is Friday.
- Last Friday it rained.
- The museum is open Monday to Friday.
- I need it by Friday.
Answers: 1. Te veo el viernes. 2. Los viernes vamos a nadar. 3. Hoy es viernes. 4. El viernes pasado llovió. 5. El museo abre de lunes a viernes. 6. Lo necesito para el viernes.
Quick answers
Is viernes masculine or feminine?
Masculine: el viernes, este viernes, todos los viernes.
What is the plural of viernes?
It does not change: los viernes. Only the article shows the plural.
How do you say “Friday night” in Spanish?
El viernes por la noche, or more casually el viernes en la noche in much of Latin America.
How do you say “Happy Friday” in Spanish?
¡Feliz viernes! is common in messages and on social media.
