der  Montagabend

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈmɔn.taːkˌʔaːbnt/

🌙 What exactly is a Montagabend?

Der Montagabend refers to the part of Monday that begins after the afternoon and lasts until night. It's the time period roughly between 6 PM and 10 or 11 PM on the first day of the work or school week.

It's a compound noun formed from:

• der Montag: Monday (the first day of the week)
• der Abend: The evening (the time of day after the afternoon and before the night)

Since both components are masculine (der Montag, der Abend), the compound word is also masculine: der Montagabend.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar: Der Montagabend in Detail

The noun "Montagabend" is masculine. Here is its declension in the singular:

The plural is die Montagabende and is used when talking about multiple Monday evenings (e.g., „Die letzten Montagabende waren sehr entspannt.“ – “The last Monday evenings were very relaxed.”). However, it's used less frequently than the singular form.

Examples for clarity

1. Was machst du am Montagabend? (What are you doing on Monday evening?) (Dative - time expression with 'an dem' = 'am')
2. Ich freue mich auf den Montagabend. (I'm looking forward to Monday evening.) (Accusative - object of the preposition 'auf')
3. Der Montagabend ist oft für Sport reserviert. (Monday evening is often reserved for sports.) (Nominative - subject)
4. Die Planung des Montagabends erfordert etwas Organisation. (The planning of the Monday evening requires some organization.) (Genitive - possession)

🗣️ How to use "Montagabend"

The term Montagabend is often used to:

• Make or discuss plans for this specific evening (e.g., Kino (cinema), meeting friends, sports).
• Describe the transition from the first workday of the week to leisure time.
• Talk about events that regularly take place on this evening (e.g., a TV series, a course).

In contrast to Sonntagabend (Sunday evening), which is often associated with the upcoming start of the week, Montagabend can convey a sense of relief, as the first workday is already done.

You could also say "am Montag am Abend" (on Monday in the evening), but "Montagabend" is the more common and concise form.

💡 Mnemonics for Memorization

Article Mnemonic: Remember: Der Montag (Monday) and der Abend (evening) are both masculine. When two 'guys' (der + der) get together, it stays masculine: der Montagabend. 💪

Meaning Mnemonic: Think of the Monday blues ending as the evening (Abend) begins: Montagabend is when you can finally relax after the first day back.

🔄 Similar and Opposite Terms

😄 A Little Joke for Monday Evening

Warum gehen Skelette am Montagabend nicht gerne aus?

Weil sie keine Körper haben, um den Montagsblues abzuschütteln! 😉

(Why don't skeletons like to go out on Monday evening? Because they have no body to shake off the Monday blues!)

📜 Poem for the End of Monday

Der Montag ist fast schon vorbei,
Der Stress des Tags, er zog dahin.
Willkommen, Abend, sanft und frei,
Der Montagabend lädt uns ein.

Zu Ruhe, Buch und Kerzenschein,
Oder zum Sport, ganz nach dem Sinn.
Lass Sorgen nun begraben sein,
Bis Dienstag neu beginnt der Zinn.

❓ Little Riddle

Ich komme nach dem ersten Tag der Arbeitswoche,
wenn die Sonne langsam sinkt und Sterne pochen.
Manch einer entspannt sich, manch einer treibt Sport,
ich bin die Zeit vor der Nacht an diesem Ort.

Wer bin ich?

(I come after the first day of the work week,
when the sun slowly sets and stars peek.
Some relax, some engage in sport,
I am the time before night at this port.)

Solution: Der Montagabend (Monday evening)

🧩 Word Composition

The word Montagabend is a classic example of a compound noun (Kompositum) in German. It is composed of:

• Montag: Determinative word (specifies which evening is meant)
• Abend: Base word (determines the gender of the entire word)

The rule is: The gender (article) of a compound noun is always determined by the gender of the base word (the last part). Since it is der Abend, it is also der Montagabend.