Hebrew Days

The Hebrew calendar follows a seven-day weekly cycle, which runs concurrently but independently of the monthly and annual cycles. The names for the days of the week are simply the day number within the week. In Hebrew, these names may be abbreviated using the numerical value of the Hebrew letters, for example יום א׳ (Day 1, or Yom Rishon (Hebrew: יום ראשון‎):


Yom Rishon ( יום ראשון ), abbreviated יום א׳ = “first day” = Sunday

Yom Sheni ( יום שני ), abbr. יום ב׳ = “second day” = Monday

Yom Shlishi ( יום שלישי ), abbr. יום ג׳ = “third day” = Tuesday

Yom Revi3i ( יום רבעי ), abbr. יום ד׳ = “fourth day” = Wednesday

Yom 7amishi ( יום חמישי ), abbr. יום ה׳ = “fifth day” = Thursday

Yom Shishi ( יום ששי ), abbr. יום ו׳ = “sixth day” = Friday

Yom Shabbat ( יום שבת or more usually שבת – Shabbat), abbr. יום ש׳ = “Sabbath day (Rest day)” = Saturday


The names of the days of the week are modeled on the seven days mentioned in the Creation story. For example, Genesis 1:5 “… And there was evening and there was morning, one day”. “One day” also translates to “first day” or “day one”. Similarly, see Genesis 1:8, 1:13, 1:19, 1:23, 1:31 and 2.2.

Day (yom) - יוֹם

 Today (hayom) - הַיוֹם

 yesterday (etmol) - אֶתְמוֹל

  the day before yesterday (shilshom) - שִׁלְשׁוֹם

ma7ar (tomorrow) - מחר

The day after tomorrow (yomayim) - יומיים

Week (shavua3) - שָׁבוּעַ

Month (7odesh) - חֹדֶשׁ

Year (shana) - שָׁנָה