der
Donnerstag
🗓️ What does "der Donnerstag" mean?
Der Donnerstag is the German word for Thursday. It's the fourth day of the week in the German calendar, positioned between Mittwoch (Wednesday) and Freitag (Friday). Its name originates from the Germanic god Donar (also known as Thor in Norse mythology), the god of thunder (der Donner). It is a masculine noun, hence it always takes the article "der".
There's only this one meaning for "Donnerstag". Confusion with other articles isn't possible here. 🧘
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ag → always masculine.
Weekdays, months, seasons → almost always masculine.
Caution: see exceptions
🧐 Grammar of "der Donnerstag"
"Donnerstag" is a masculine noun. Here is its declension in the singular:
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Donnerstag |
| Genitive | des | Donnerstags / Donnerstag |
| Dative | dem | Donnerstag |
| Accusative | den | Donnerstag |
Note on Plural: The plural form "die Donnerstage" (Thursdays) is rarely used. It's more common to say "an Donnerstagen" (on Thursdays) or "jeden Donnerstag" (every Thursday).
Examples for "der Donnerstag"
- Nominative: Der Donnerstag ist mein Lieblingstag. (Thursday is my favorite day.)
- Genitive: Die Besprechung des Donnerstags wurde verschoben. (The meeting of the Thursday was postponed. - More common: Die Besprechung vom Donnerstag... / The meeting from Thursday...)
- Dative: Wir treffen uns am Donnerstag. (We are meeting on Thursday. - 'am' = an dem)
- Accusative: Ich freue mich auf den Donnerstag. (I'm looking forward to Thursday.)
- Plural (rare): Die nächsten Donnerstage sind alle verplant. (The next Thursdays are all booked up. - More common: An den nächsten Donnerstagen bin ich verplant. / I'm busy on the next Thursdays.)
📝 How "Donnerstag" is used
"Donnerstag" is primarily used to refer to the fourth day of the week.
- Time specifications: It's most commonly used with prepositions like "am" (on the, short for 'an dem'), "jeden" (every), "diesen" (this), "nächsten" (next), "letzten" (last).
- Example: Am Donnerstag gehe ich ins Kino. (On Thursday, I'm going to the cinema.)
- Example: Jeden Donnerstag haben wir Deutschkurs. (Every Thursday, we have German class.)
- Abbreviation: The usual abbreviation is "Do.".
- No risk of confusion: Since it only takes the article "der", making mistakes with the article for this word is impossible.
💡 Memory Aids for "der Donnerstag"
For the article "der": Think of the god Donar/Thor – a strong, masculine god, associated with thunder (der Donner). Masculine gods and masculine thunder = der Donnerstag.
For the meaning "Thursday": Associate the "Donner" (thunder) in Donnerstag with the English day named after the same god: Thursday (Thor's day).
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Alternatives)
Direct synonyms for "Donnerstag" are rare. Sometimes it's described:
Related Terms
- Wochentag: Day of the week (general term)
- Donner: Thunder (part of the word, weather phenomenon)
😂 A little joke
DE: Warum hat der Donnerstag so viel Energie?
Weil er weiß, dass Freitag schon ganz nah ist! 😄
EN: Why does Thursday have so much energy?
Because it knows Friday is just around the corner! 😄
📜 Poem about Thursday
DE:
Montag grau, Dienstag so lala,
Mittwoch teilt die Woche, ja!
Dann kommt der Donnerstag heran,
mit Donnerkraft fängt er fast an.
Bald ist Freitag, welch ein Glück,
der Donnerstag bringt uns ein Stück
näher an das Wochenende ran,
drum stoßen wir auf ihn heut an!
EN:
Monday grey, Tuesday so-so,
Wednesday splits the week, you know!
Then comes der Donnerstag near,
With thunder power, almost here.
Soon it's Friday, what a treat,
Thursday brings us a bit
Closer to the weekend's fun,
So let's toast it, everyone!
❓ Little Riddle
DE:
Ich trage den Namen eines Gottes voll Macht,
dessen Hammer oft Blitze und Donner entfacht.
Vor Freitag komm ich, nach Mittwoch geschwind,
welcher Wochentag bin ich, mein Kind?
Lösung: Der Donnerstag
EN:
I bear the name of a god full of might,
Whose hammer sparks lightning and thunder bright.
Before Friday I come, after Wednesday fast,
Which day of the week am I, meant to last?
Solution: Der Donnerstag (Thursday)
⚡ More Interesting Facts
- Etymology: As mentioned, the name derives from Donar/Thor, the Germanic/Norse god of thunder (der Donner). This is reflected in many Germanic languages (English: Thursday, Dutch: Donderdag).
- Christian Context: In Christianity, Gründonnerstag (Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter) is an important day commemorating Jesus' Last Supper.
- Numbering: According to international standard ISO 8601, Thursday is the fourth day of the week.
Summary: is it der, die or das Donnerstag?
The German word for the fourth day of the week, Thursday, is masculine. The correct form is always: der Donnerstag.