Days of the Week, Months and Seasons in English and Arabic
Here are the seven days of the week, the twelve months and the four seasons in English, with audio and Arabic meanings, and when to use on and when to use in.
- Suitable age
- 5 to 8 years
- Suggested time
- 5 minutes every morning
- say the seven days of the week in order.
- answer the question What day is it today?
- name the four seasons.
- know that the names of days and months start with a capital letter.
The Days of the Week in English and Arabic
Tap a day to hear it. Notice that every day ends in day.
| English | Arabic | Short form |
|---|---|---|
| الأحد | Sun | |
| الاثنين | Mon | |
| الثلاثاء | Tue | |
| الأربعاء | Wed | |
| الخميس | Thu | |
| الجمعة | Fri | |
| السبت | Sat |
Note: Wednesday is the hardest to spell, because it has a silent d. It’s written Wed-nes-day and said “WENZ-day”.
Asking and Answering About the Day
Ask your child every morning: What day is it today? They answer: Today is… and the day. One minute a day fixes the days better than memorizing a table.
The Months in English
The English months are the Gregorian months, with names close to those used in Egypt, the Gulf and North Africa:
| English | Gregorian name | In the Levant and Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| January | يناير | كانون الثاني |
| February | فبراير | شباط |
| March | مارس | آذار |
| April | أبريل | نيسان |
| May | مايو | أيار |
| June | يونيو | حزيران |
| July | يوليو | تموز |
| August | أغسطس | آب |
| September | سبتمبر | أيلول |
| October | أكتوبر | تشرين الأول |
| November | نوفمبر | تشرين الثاني |
| December | ديسمبر | كانون الأول |
The Seasons in English
| English | Arabic |
|---|---|
| spring | الربيع |
| summer | الصيف |
| autumn (fall in American English) | الخريف |
| winter | الشتاء |
For the weather in each season, like sunny and rainy: Weather in English for Kids.
When Do We Say on and When in?
| Word | Used with | Example |
|---|---|---|
| on | days | on Monday |
| in | months | in May |
| in | seasons | in winter |
One sentence with both rules: My birthday is in May.
Steps for Teaching at Home
- Week one: the days of the week in order, with the daily question What day is it today?
- Week two: the four seasons, with pictures of each.
- After that: the months, starting with your child’s birthday month and those of the family.
Activities for Home
- A fridge calendar: a sheet with the days of the week. Every morning your child moves a magnet to the right day and says its name.
- What do we do on…? Ask: What do we do on Friday? Your child answers in Arabic or with an English word they know.
- Birthday months: write each family member’s birthday month in English and put them in order from January to December.
For the days lesson with pictures, audio and the Listen and Touch game: Days of the Week in English for Kids, with ten worksheets for the days. And for writing dates like the fifth of May: Ordinal Numbers in English.
Every morning at breakfast: What day is it today? Your child answers: Today is… then puts a star on that day in the calendar.
A days board in class: each day, one child changes the day card and says it to everyone in English.
Summary
- Every day of the week ends in day, which makes them easier to learn.
- Days and months always start with a capital letter: Sunday and May.
- We use on with days, and in with months and seasons.
- The daily question What day is it today? works better than memorizing a table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do the days of the week start with a capital letter?
Because they are names, and names in English always start with a capital. We write Sunday, not sunday, and the same goes for months: January.
Do we say on Monday or in Monday?
With days we say on, as in on Monday. With months and seasons we say in, as in in May and in summer.
Which day does the week start on in English?
Many English calendars start on Sunday and some on Monday. We suggest teaching the order starting from Sunday.
