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Chamorro Days of the Week

Seven little words that you’ll use all the time when speaking Chamorro: i ha’åni siha gi simåna (the days of the week). Estegue’ siha! Here they are!

How to say the days of the week in Chamorro

CHAMORROENGLISHPRONUNCIATION
LunesMondayloo-niss
MåttesTuesdaymaht-tiss
MetkolesWednesdaymeht-koo-liss
HuebesThursdayhoo-eh-biss
BetnesFridaybeht-niss
SåbaluSaturdaysuh-bah-loo
DamenggoSundaydah-mehng-goo

Other Useful Words and Phrases

ENGLISHCHAMORUPRONUNCIATION
daydiha (dia)dee-hah (dyah)
dayha’ånihah-uh-nee
todaypå’gopah’-goo
yesterdaynigapnee-gap
tomorrowagupa’ah-goo-pah’
the day before yesterdaynigapñanee-gap-nyah
the day after tomorrowagupa’ñaah-goo-pah’-nyah
the next dayi sigiente diaee see-gyen-tee dee-ah
weeksimånasee-mah-nah
last weekma’pos na simånamuh-poos nah see-mah-nah
week before lastma’posña na simånamuh-pohs-nyah nah see-mah-nah

More Useful Expressions of Time

Hafa i dia på’go?
What day is today?

Maseha ngai’an malago’-mu
Whenever you want

Trabiha
Not yet

Ti apman
It won’t be long. (Soon)

Ha’åni or Dia

In Chamorro, we sometimes have two words for the same thing. This is true for the word for day, which can be spoken as ha’åni or dia. The former is rooted in indigenous Chamorro and the latter borrowed from Spanish. There is no strict rule as to when you should use either, but there is a predilection among native speakers toward using ha’åni more when describing the day and dia for when talking about the day in the calendar sense. As a learner of Chamorro, take note when listening to conversations in Chamorro; try to note the context in which each word is used.

The Origin of the Days of the Week

The Chamorro names for the days of the week come from the Spanish days of the week, which get their names from planets and gods.

CHAMORUSPANISHMEANING
LunesLunesDay of the Moon
MåttesMartesDay of Mars
MetkolesMiercolesDay of Mercury
HuebesJuevesDay of Jupiter
BetnesViernesDay of Venus
SåbaluSabadoFrom Hebrew word shabbat, the day of rest
DamenggoDomingoDay of God, or Day of the Lord

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