Wednesday in German: Mittwoch
Pronounced MIT-vokh — literally “mid-week”.
Wednesday in German at a Glance
| German word | Mittwoch |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | MIT-vokh (Mitt·woch) |
| Literal meaning | mid-week |
| Abbreviation | Mi |
Literally Mitte + Woche, “middle of the week”. Medieval Christians replaced the pagan “Wodan's day” (which survives in English Wednesday and Dutch woensdag) with this neutral name — making Mittwoch the only German day that doesn't end in -tag.
How to Pronounce Mittwoch
MIT-vokh — syllable by syllable: Mitt·woch.
- The German -ag ending sounds like “-ahk” — Tag (“day”) rhymes with “dock”, not “tag”.
- German w sounds like English v: Mittwoch is “MIT-vokh”.
- The ch in Mittwoch is the rough back-of-throat sound in Scottish “loch”.
Example Sentences with Mittwoch
How to Say “Happy Wednesday” in German
“Schönen Mittwoch!” (literally “[have a] nice Wednesday!”) is the everyday German wish — you'll hear “Schönen Montag noch!” from cashiers and colleagues, with noch (“still”) added once the day is underway.
All 7 Days of the Week in German
German days mix Norse gods, the sun, the moon and pure pragmatism: Wednesday is simply “mid-week” (Mittwoch), and northern Germans call Saturday “sun-eve” (Sonnabend). Six of the seven names end in -tag, the German word for “day”. The week starts on Monday.
| English | German | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Montag | MOHN-tahk |
| Tuesday | Dienstag | DEENS-tahk |
| Wednesday | Mittwoch | MIT-vokh |
| Thursday | Donnerstag | DON-ners-tahk |
| Friday | Freitag | FRY-tahk |
| Saturday | Samstag | ZAHMS-tahk |
| Sunday | Sonntag | ZON-tahk |
See the full guide: Days of the Week in German.
Cultural Notes: Wednesday in German-Speaking Countries
Mittwoch is German hump day; the radio cliché is “Bergfest” — the “summit festival”, because you're over the hill of the week. Its grammatical gender is still masculine (der Mittwoch), even though Woche (“week”) is feminine.
Did You Know?
Literally Mitte + Woche, “middle of the week”. Medieval Christians replaced the pagan “Wodan's day” (which survives in English Wednesday and Dutch woensdag) with this neutral name — making Mittwoch the only German day that doesn't end in -tag. Curious how English got its name for Wednesday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use Mittwoch in a Sentence
Use am for “on”: am Mittwoch = on Wednesday (am is short for an dem). For “every Wednesday” use the adverb mittwochs or jeden Mittwoch. All seven days are masculine: der Mittwoch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Wednesday in German?
Wednesday in German is Mittwoch, pronounced “MIT-vokh”. It literally means “mid-week”.
What does Mittwoch mean in English?
Literally Mitte + Woche, “middle of the week”. Medieval Christians replaced the pagan “Wodan's day” (which survives in English Wednesday and Dutch woensdag) with this neutral name — making Mittwoch the only German day that doesn't end in -tag.
How do you pronounce Mittwoch?
It's pronounced “MIT-vokh” — broken into syllables: Mitt·woch.
How do you say “Happy Wednesday” in German?
Schönen Mittwoch!. “Schönen Mittwoch!” (literally “[have a] nice Wednesday!”) is the everyday German wish — you'll hear “Schönen Montag noch!” from cashiers and colleagues, with noch (“still”) added once the day is underway.
How is Wednesday abbreviated in German?
Wednesday (Mittwoch) is abbreviated Mi on German calendars and schedules.
Is Mittwoch capitalized in German?
Yes — always. German capitalizes every noun, so it's der Mittwoch. Only the adverb mittwochs (“on Wednesdays”) is written lowercase.
How do you say “on Wednesday” in German?
am Mittwoch — short for an dem Mittwoch. For the habitual “every Wednesday”, use mittwochs or jeden Mittwoch.
How do you say “today is Wednesday” in German?
Heute ist Mittwoch.