Wednesday in Italian: mercoledì
Pronounced mehr-koh-leh-DEE — literally “Mercury's day”.
Wednesday in Italian at a Glance
| Italian word | mercoledì |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | mehr-koh-leh-DEE (mer·co·le·dì) |
| Literal meaning | Mercury's day |
| Abbreviation | mer. |
From Latin Mercurii dies, “day of Mercury”, the swift messenger god. English Wednesday carries the same idea through Woden, Mercury's Germanic counterpart.
How to Pronounce mercoledì
mehr-koh-leh-DEE — syllable by syllable: mer·co·le·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 mercoledì
How to Say “Happy Wednesday” in Italian
“Buon mercoledì!” is warm, natural Italian — you'll see it in morning texts and all over social media, often expanded to “Buon mercoledì a tutti!” (Happy Wednesday, 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: Wednesday in Italian-Speaking Countries
Mid-week mercoledì is when Italy's beloved Champions League nights happen — “c'è la Champions” is a valid excuse to skip anything. At five syllables, it's also the longest Italian day name to pronounce.
Did You Know?
From Latin Mercurii dies, “day of Mercury”, the swift messenger god. English Wednesday carries the same idea through Woden, Mercury's Germanic counterpart. Curious how English got its name for Wednesday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use mercoledì in a Sentence
For one specific day, use no preposition: Ci vediamo mercoledì = See you (on) Wednesday. Adding the article makes it habitual: il mercoledì = every Wednesday. Six days are masculine; only domenica is feminine (la domenica).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Wednesday in Italian?
Wednesday in Italian is mercoledì, pronounced “mehr-koh-leh-DEE”. It literally means “Mercury's day”.
What does mercoledì mean in English?
From Latin Mercurii dies, “day of Mercury”, the swift messenger god. English Wednesday carries the same idea through Woden, Mercury's Germanic counterpart.
How do you pronounce mercoledì?
It's pronounced “mehr-koh-leh-DEE” — broken into syllables: mer·co·le·dì. Use the audio button on this page to hear a recording.
How do you say “Happy Wednesday” in Italian?
Buon mercoledì!. “Buon mercoledì!” is warm, natural Italian — you'll see it in morning texts and all over social media, often expanded to “Buon mercoledì a tutti!” (Happy Wednesday, everyone!).
How is Wednesday abbreviated in Italian?
Wednesday (mercoledì) is abbreviated mer. on Italian calendars and schedules.
Is mercoledì capitalized in Italian?
No — Italian weekday names are lowercase: mercoledì, never Mercoledì (except at the start of a sentence).
Why does mercoledì end in -dì?
The -dì comes from Latin dies (“day”), so mercoledì 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 Wednesday” in Italian?
Oggi è mercoledì.