Friday in Italian: venerdì
Pronounced veh-nehr-DEE — literally “Venus's day”.
Friday in Italian at a Glance
| Italian word | venerdì |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | veh-nehr-DEE (ve·ner·dì) |
| Literal meaning | Venus's day |
| Abbreviation | ven. |
From Latin Veneris dies, “day of Venus”, the goddess of love (Venere). English Friday honors Frigg/Freya, her Germanic equivalent.
How to Pronounce venerdì
veh-nehr-DEE — syllable by syllable: ve·ner·dì.
- The accent on -dì days is written and mandatory: the stress falls on that final ì.
- Italian vowels are pure and crisp — no gliding as in English.
- Double consonants (as in mercoledì's single ones vs. settimana's tt) are held longer — listen for the difference.
Example Sentences with venerdì
How to Say “Happy Friday” in Italian
“Buon venerdì!” is warm, natural Italian — you'll see it in morning texts and all over social media, often expanded to “Buon venerdì a tutti!” (Happy Friday, everyone!).
All 7 Days of the Week in Italian
Italian preserves the Roman planetary week beautifully: lunedì through venerdì are the days of the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus, each ending in -dì (from Latin dies, “day”). The weekend turned Christian: sabato from the Sabbath, domenica from “the Lord's day”. The week starts on Monday.
| English | Italian | Pronunciation | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | lunedì | loo-neh-DEE | |
| Tuesday | martedì | mar-teh-DEE | |
| Wednesday | mercoledì | mehr-koh-leh-DEE | |
| Thursday | giovedì | joh-veh-DEE | |
| Friday | venerdì | veh-nehr-DEE | |
| Saturday | sabato | SAH-bah-toh | |
| Sunday | domenica | doh-MEH-nee-kah |
See the full guide: Days of the Week in Italian.
Cultural Notes: Friday in Italian-Speaking Countries
In Italy the feared date is venerdì 17 — Friday the 17th — because the Roman numeral XVII anagrams to VIXI, “I have lived” (i.e., I'm dead). Airlines and hotels in Italy sometimes skip row or floor 17 for this reason.
Did You Know?
From Latin Veneris dies, “day of Venus”, the goddess of love (Venere). English Friday honors Frigg/Freya, her Germanic equivalent. Curious how English got its name for Friday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use venerdì in a Sentence
For one specific day, use no preposition: Ci vediamo venerdì = See you (on) Friday. Adding the article makes it habitual: il venerdì = every Friday. Six days are masculine; only domenica is feminine (la domenica).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Friday in Italian?
Friday in Italian is venerdì, pronounced “veh-nehr-DEE”. It literally means “Venus's day”.
What does venerdì mean in English?
From Latin Veneris dies, “day of Venus”, the goddess of love (Venere). English Friday honors Frigg/Freya, her Germanic equivalent.
How do you pronounce venerdì?
It's pronounced “veh-nehr-DEE” — broken into syllables: ve·ner·dì. Use the audio button on this page to hear a recording.
How do you say “Happy Friday” in Italian?
Buon venerdì!. “Buon venerdì!” is warm, natural Italian — you'll see it in morning texts and all over social media, often expanded to “Buon venerdì a tutti!” (Happy Friday, everyone!).
How is Friday abbreviated in Italian?
Friday (venerdì) is abbreviated ven. on Italian calendars and schedules.
Is venerdì capitalized in Italian?
No — Italian weekday names are lowercase: venerdì, never Venerdì (except at the start of a sentence).
Why does venerdì end in -dì?
The -dì comes from Latin dies (“day”), so venerdì literally packs “day” into its ending. Five Italian weekdays end this way — and the accent means the stress lands right there.
How do you say “today is Friday” in Italian?
Oggi è venerdì.