Thursday in Arabic: الخميس
Pronounced al-kha-MEES — literally “the fifth (day)”.
Thursday in Arabic at a Glance
| Arabic | الخميس |
|---|---|
| Transliteration | al-khamīs |
| With yawm | يوم الخميس (yawm al-khamīs) |
| Pronunciation | al-kha-MEES (al·kha·mīs) |
| Literal meaning | the fifth (day) |
From خمسة (khamsa, “five”): Thursday is “the fifth day” of the Sunday-first week. You may recognize the root from khamsa, the five-fingered hand amulet popular across the Middle East.
How to Pronounce الخميس
al-kha-MEES — syllable by syllable: al·kha·mīs.
- The ʿ symbol marks the letter ʿayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent — listen to the audio and imitate.
- Long vowels (ā, ī, ū) are held about twice as long as short ones.
- The definite article al- often assimilates: السبت is “as-sabt”, not “al-sabt”.
Example Sentences with الخميس
How to Say “Happy Thursday” in Arabic
Arabic doesn't traditionally use “Happy Thursday” greetings for most days — the phrase above (“I wish you a happy Thursday”) is understood but formal. The big exception is Friday: جمعة مباركة (jumʿa mubāraka, “blessed Friday”) is exchanged every week by millions.
All 7 Days of the Week in Arabic
Arabic numbers most of its week: Sunday through Thursday are literally “the first” through “the fifth” day. Only Friday (“the day of gathering”) and Saturday (“the day of rest”, cognate with Sabbath) break the pattern — and both carry deep religious history.
| English | Arabic | Transliteration | Pronunciation | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | الاثنين | al-ithnayn | al-ith-NAYN | |
| Tuesday | الثلاثاء | ath-thulāthāʾ | ath-thoo-laa-THAA | |
| Wednesday | الأربعاء | al-arbiʿāʾ | al-ar-bi-AAH | |
| Thursday | الخميس | al-khamīs | al-kha-MEES | |
| Friday | الجمعة | al-jumʿa | al-JUM-ah | |
| Saturday | السبت | as-sabt | as-SABT | |
| Sunday | الأحد | al-aḥad | al-A-had |
See the full guide: Days of the Week in Arabic.
Cultural Notes: Thursday in Arabic-Speaking Countries
Thursday evening is the heart of the weekend in countries with a Friday–Saturday weekend — the social equivalent of Friday night in the West. Monday and Thursday are also the traditional days of voluntary fasting.
Did You Know?
From خمسة (khamsa, “five”): Thursday is “the fifth day” of the Sunday-first week. You may recognize the root from khamsa, the five-fingered hand amulet popular across the Middle East. Curious how English got its name for Thursday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use الخميس in a Sentence
Day names usually follow the word يوم (yawm, “day”): يوم الخميس (yawm al-khamīs) = “(on) Thursday”. Arabic needs no extra preposition for “on”. The الـ (al-) at the start is the definite article “the”.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Thursday in Arabic?
Thursday in Arabic is الخميس (al-khamīs), pronounced “al-kha-MEES”. It literally means “the fifth (day)”.
How do you pronounce الخميس?
It's pronounced “al-kha-MEES” — broken into syllables: al·kha·mīs. Use the audio button on this page to hear a recording.
Is الخميس capitalized in Arabic?
The Arabic script has no capital letters, so الخميس always looks the same. Transliterations vary — you'll see al-khamīs written several ways in Latin letters — but they all spell the same Arabic word.
How do you say “Happy Thursday” in Arabic?
أتمنى لك يوم خميس سعيداً (Atamannā laka yawm khamīs saʿīdan). Arabic doesn't traditionally use “Happy Thursday” greetings for most days — the phrase above (“I wish you a happy Thursday”) is understood but formal. The big exception is Friday: جمعة مباركة (jumʿa mubāraka, “blessed Friday”) is exchanged every week by millions.
What does يوم (yawm) mean before الخميس?
يوم (yawm) simply means “day”. Arabic speakers usually say يوم الخميس (yawm al-khamīs) — “the day of fifth (day)” — though the day name alone is also fine.
Why does Thursday literally mean “the fifth (day)” in Arabic?
The Arabic week counts its days starting from Sunday (“the first”). Sunday through Thursday are simply numbered first through fifth, while Friday (“gathering”) and Saturday (“rest”) keep older religious names.
Is al-khamīs pronounced the same in all Arabic dialects?
The word is recognized everywhere, but dialects shave it down — in Egyptian Arabic, for example, you'll hear a more clipped version of al-khamīs. The form on this page is Modern Standard Arabic, understood across the Arab world.
Thursday in Other Languages
Other Days in Arabic
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