Thursday in Turkish: Perşembe
Pronounced pehr-shem-BEH — literally “fifth day (after Saturday)”.
Thursday in Turkish at a Glance
| Turkish word | Perşembe |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | pehr-shem-BEH (Per·şem·be) |
| Literal meaning | fifth day (after Saturday) |
| Abbreviation | Per |
From Persian panjšanbe: panj (“five”) + šanbe (“day”) — the fifth day from Saturday. Like Çarşamba, a direct Persian import into Turkish.
How to Pronounce Perşembe
pehr-shem-BEH — syllable by syllable: Per·şem·be.
- Turkish ı (no dot) is a deep “uh” sound — different from dotted i, which sounds like English “ee”.
- c sounds like English “j” (Cuma = “JOO-mah”), while ç is “ch” and ş is “sh”.
- Stress generally falls lightly on the last syllable.
Example Sentences with Perşembe
How to Say “Happy Thursday” in Turkish
Turkish pluralizes its day greetings: “İyi perşembeler!” is literally “good Thursdays!” — wishing you not just this one, but all of them. On Fridays the religious greeting “Hayırlı cumalar!” is by far the most common.
All 7 Days of the Week in Turkish
The Turkish week is a linguistic time capsule: Persian numbers (Çarşamba “4th”, Perşembe “5th”), Arabic religion (Cuma, the day of gathering for prayer), and Turkish market-day logic (Pazar “bazaar”, Pazartesi “after the bazaar”, Cumartesi “after Cuma”). The week starts on Monday.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Pazartesi | pah-zahr-teh-SEE |
| Tuesday | Salı | sah-LUH |
| Wednesday | Çarşamba | char-shahm-BAH |
| Thursday | Perşembe | pehr-shem-BEH |
| Friday | Cuma | joo-MAH |
| Saturday | Cumartesi | joo-mahr-teh-SEE |
| Sunday | Pazar | pah-ZAHR |
See the full guide: Days of the Week in Turkish.
Cultural Notes: Thursday in Turkish-Speaking Countries
The proverb “Perşembenin gelişi çarşambadan bellidir” — “you can tell how Thursday will go from Wednesday” — is Turkey's way of saying the writing is on the wall. Thursday evening traditionally opens the weekend mood.
Did You Know?
From Persian panjšanbe: panj (“five”) + šanbe (“day”) — the fifth day from Saturday. Like Çarşamba, a direct Persian import into Turkish. Curious how English got its name for Thursday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use Perşembe in a Sentence
Turkish usually adds günü (“its day”) after the day name: perşembe günü = on Thursday. “Every Thursday” is her perşembe. There are no grammatical genders or articles to worry about.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Thursday in Turkish?
Thursday in Turkish is Perşembe, pronounced “pehr-shem-BEH”. It literally means “fifth day (after Saturday)”.
What does Perşembe mean in English?
From Persian panjšanbe: panj (“five”) + šanbe (“day”) — the fifth day from Saturday. Like Çarşamba, a direct Persian import into Turkish.
How do you pronounce Perşembe?
It's pronounced “pehr-shem-BEH” — broken into syllables: Per·şem·be.
How do you say “Happy Thursday” in Turkish?
İyi perşembeler!. Turkish pluralizes its day greetings: “İyi perşembeler!” is literally “good Thursdays!” — wishing you not just this one, but all of them. On Fridays the religious greeting “Hayırlı cumalar!” is by far the most common.
How is Thursday abbreviated in Turkish?
Thursday (Perşembe) is abbreviated Per on Turkish calendars and schedules.
Is Perşembe capitalized in Turkish?
In running text it's lowercase (perşembe); it's capitalized when written as part of a full date, e.g. “15 Haziran 2026 Perşembe”. That's why you see both forms.
How do you say “on Thursday” in Turkish?
Perşembe günü — literally “Thursday its-day”. The word günü (from gün, “day”) is usually added: “perşembe günü görüşürüz” = see you on Thursday.
How do you say “today is Thursday” in Turkish?
Bugün perşembe. Turkish needs no verb “to be” here — literally just “today Thursday”.