Love-Spanish.com: Semana

Today's WOTD is: "semana" = week

1. In Spanish, “semana” is a feminine noun of Latin origin which means week.

Esta semana estamos muy ocupados (we are very busy this week);

2. The noun, “semana” is a term also used often to refer to weekly wages.

En este trabajo pagan muy bien la semana (in this job they pay a very good weekly wage);

3. A related word is the describing word/ adjective “semanal” which means weekly

Esta revista es una publicación semanal que sale los lunes (this magazine is a weekly publication which comes out on Mondays);

4. The days of the week in Spanish are:

Week	Semana*
Monday	lunes
Tuesday	martes
Wednesday	miércoles
Thursday	jueves
Friday	viernes
Saturday	sábado
Sunday	domingo

*NB Please note that, normally, the days of the week are not capitalised in Spanish.

5. Some expressions with the word “semana” are:

A finales de semana (at the end of the week/ in the last few days of the week);
- A finales de semana volvemos a casa (we return home at the end of the week);
A mediados de semana (at mid week/ half way through the week);
- A mediados de semana volvemos a casa (we return home half way through the week);
A pan de quince días, hambre de tres semanas (half a loaf is better than no bread at all/ beggars can't be choosers -Spanish proverb)
A primeros de semana (at the beginning of the week/ on the first days of the week);
- A primeros de semana voy a Madrid (at the beginning of the week I am going to Madrid);
A últimos de semana (at the end of the week/ in the last few days of the week);
- A últimos de semana vuelvo de Madrid (I return from Madrid at the end of the week);
A la semana (after a week/ at the end of one week)
- A la semana de vivir en España, Peter ya conocía mucha gente (one week after living in Spain Peter already knew lots of people);
Antes del fin de semana (before the weekend);
- Tengo que entregar este trabajo antes del fin de semana (I have to hand over this work before the weekend;
Antes de una semana (within a week);
Cada fin de semana (each weekend/ every weekend);
- Cada fin de semana me propongo hacer algo diferente (I try to do something different each weekend);
Cada semana (each week/ every week);
- Cada semana que pasa me preocupo más (with each passing week I get more worried);
Casi cada fin de semana (almost every weekend);
- Casi cada fin de semana me propongo hacer algo diferente (almost every weekend I try to do something different);
Casi cada semana (almost every week);
- Casi cada semana ocurre algo nuevo (almost every passing week something new happens);
Día de la semana (days of the week);
- El primer día de la semana es el lunes, ¿verdad? (the first day of the week is Monday, isn't it?);
En pleno fin de semana (right/ bang in the middle of the weekend);
- En pleno fin de semana me llamó tu amigo (right in the middle of the weekend, your friend called me);
Entre semana (during the week/ on weekdays);
- Entre semana apenas veo a mi familia (during the week/ on weekdays I scarcely see my family);
Fin de semana (the weekend);
- Voy a pasar el fin de semana en la playa (I am going to spend the weekend on the beach);
La semana pasada (last week);
- La semana pasada fui a España (last week I went to Spain);
La semana próxima (next week);
- La semana próxima quiero is a España (next week I want to go to Spain);
La semana que no tenga viernes (when there is a blue moon in the sky/ when hell freezes over);
La semana que viene (next week);
- La semana que viene quiero ir a España (next week I want to go to Spain);
Hace semanas (it is weeks/ it happened a long time ago);
- Hace semanas que no veo a tu hermana (it is weeks since I last saw your sister);
Hace una semana/ dos semanas* (it is a week ago/ two weeks ago);
- Hace dos semanas que no veo a tu hermana (it is two weeks since I last saw your sister);
Mala semana (bad week**);
Semana corrida (a complete/ uninterrupted week***);
Semana cultural (cultural/ arts week);
Semana grande (Holy Week/ Easter Week -from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday);
Semana inglesa (English week****);
Semana litúrgica (liturgical week -Sunday → Saturday);
Semana Santa (Holy Week/ Easter Week -from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday);
- Por Semana Santa solemos ir a España (we usually go to Spain during Easter);
Tener xx semanas (to be xx weeks old);
- Ese bebé tiene 3 semanas (that baby is 3 weeks old);
Una semana de (a week of):
- Una semana de descanso (a week of rest);
- Una semana de vacaciones (a week of holidays/ vacation);
Una vez/ dos veces***** por semana (once/ twice a week);

*NB Replace “dos” with another number to indicate a different number of weeks. For example “hace tres semanas que no veo a tu hermana” (it is three weeks since I last saw your sister).

**NB The Spanish expression “mala semana” is also often used to refer to a woman's period.

***NB The expression is used mainly is some parts of Latin America and refers to a week being considered a full/ complete working week insofar as salary/ wages are concerned, even if the week includes one or more holidays/ bank holidays.

****NB The expression usually refers to the common Monday → Friday working week.

*****NB Replace “dos” with another number to indicate a different frequency. For example “tres veces al semana” (thrice a week).

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "semana" in the YouTube clip: LineDance -Cumbia Semana ( July 09 )

For more on the word "semana", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Semana*

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “semana” in the link to hear the word pronounced.

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