월요일 vs 화요일 vs 수요일: How to Distinguish Days of the Week

월요일 (wol-yo-il, wolyoil) · 화요일 (hwa-yo-il, hwayoil) · 수요일 (su-yo-il, suyoil)

월요일 (Wol-yo-il), 화요일 (Hwa-yo-il), and 수요일 (Su-yo-il) refer to the first three weekdays respectively, so choosing the right one depends on the exact day you mean.

Comparison of Korean weekdays 월요일, 화요일, 수요일

Word-by-word breakdown

One lane per word — no nested boxes, just the gist.

월요일(wol-yo-il, wolyoil)

The first weekday of the week, usually the day after the weekend

When to use

Week start, Day after weekend, First weekday

The nuance

월요일 is the day after the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) and marks the start of the week. Use 월요일 when referring to the first weekday or start of a schedule.

화요일(hwa-yo-il, hwayoil)

The second weekday of the week, the day after Monday

When to use

Second weekday, Day after Monday, Mid-week weekday

The nuance

화요일 is the day after Monday and represents the second weekday. Use 화요일 when referring to the day after Monday, not 월요일 or 수요일.

수요일(su-yo-il, suyoil)

The third weekday of the week, the day after Tuesday

When to use

Third weekday, Day after Tuesday, Mid-week weekday

The nuance

수요일 is the day after Tuesday and the third weekday. Use 수요일 when specifying the day after Tuesday, not 월요일 or 화요일.

Real-world examples

  • 월요일에 회의가 있습니다.

    wol-yo-il-e hoe-ui-ga iss-seup-ni-da., wol yo il e hoe ui ga iss seup ni da.

    월요일 refers to Monday as the first weekday, so it's correct to say a meeting is on Monday.

  • 화요일에 주말이 시작된다.

    hwa-yo-il-e ju-mal-i si-jak-doen-da., hwa yo il e ju mal i si jak doen da.

    The weekend starts on Saturday and Sunday, not Tuesday, so this is incorrect; use 토요일 instead.

  • 수요일은 화요일 다음 날입니다.

    su-yo-il-eun hwa-yo-il da-eum nal-ip-ni-da., su yo il eun hwa yo il da eum nal ip ni da.

    수요일 is indeed the day after 화요일, so this sentence is correct.

  • 월요일은 수요일 다음 날이다.

    wol-yo-il-eun su-yo-il da-eum nal-i-da., wol yo il eun su yo il da eum nal i da.

    월요일 cannot be after 수요일 since it is the first day of the week; this is incorrect.

  • 화요일에 영화를 보러 갑니다.

    hwa-yo-il-e yeong-hwa-reul bo-reo gap-ni-da., hwa yo il e yeong hwa reul bo reo gap ni da.

    화요일 correctly refers to Tuesday, so this sentence is right.

  • 수요일은 주말 바로 다음 날이다.

    su-yo-il-eun ju-mal ba-ro da-eum nal-i-da., su yo il eun ju mal ba ro da eum nal i da.

    The day after the weekend is Monday, not Wednesday; this is incorrect.

  • 월요일부터 금요일까지 일합니다.

    wol-yo-il-bu-teo geum-yo-il-kka-ji il-hap-ni-da., wol yo il bu teo geum yo il kka ji il hap ni da.

    월요일 is correctly used to indicate the start of the workweek.

  • 화요일은 한 주의 첫 번째 날이다.

    hwa-yo-il-eun han ju-ui cheos beon-jjae nal-i-da., hwa yo il eun han ju ui cheos beon jjae nal i da.

    Monday is the first day of the week, so calling Tuesday the first day is wrong.

Quick quiz

  1. Which day is the second weekday of the week?

    한 주의 두 번째 평일은 언제인가요?(hanju-uidubeon-jjaepyeong-il-euneon-je-in-ga-yo?, hanjuuidubeonjjaepyeongileuneonjeingayo?)
  2. Which day refers to the day after the weekend?

    주말 다음 날을 가리키는 요일은?(ju-malda-eumnal-eulga-ri-ki-neunyo-il-eun?, jumaldaeumnaleulgarikineunyoileun?)
  3. What day comes after Tuesday?

    화요일 다음 날은 어떤 요일인가요?(hwa-yo-ilda-eumnal-euneo-tteonyo-il-in-ga-yo?, hwayoildaeumnaleuneotteonyoilingayo?)

More comparisons to explore

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