sunday
Very High (A1)Neutral, used in all registers from formal to informal.
Definition
Meaning
The first day of the week in many calendars, or the seventh day in others, traditionally associated with rest and Christian worship.
Can refer to a specific Sunday (e.g., Easter Sunday), a weekly occurrence, or figuratively to a period of rest, leisure, or a day for special activities (e.g., Sunday best, Sunday driver).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Proper noun, always capitalized. Can function as a countable noun (e.g., 'two Sundays ago') and as an adverb (e.g., 'I'll see you Sunday'). Its core association with rest/worship is culturally specific but linguistically entrenched in English-speaking contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use 'on Sunday' or 'Sunday' as an adverb. 'Sunday school' is common in both. 'Sunday dinner' in the UK often refers to a large midday meal (lunch), while in the US it can be a large afternoon/evening meal.
Connotations
Strong connotations of family, leisure, newspapers, and specific routines (e.g., Sunday roast in the UK, Sunday brunch/football in the US).
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
on + Sundaythis/next/last/every + SundaySunday + morning/afternoon/eveningAdverb use: 'She works Sundays.'Vocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A month of Sundays”
- “Sunday best”
- “Sunday driver”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in scheduling: 'The office is closed Sunday.'
Academic
Used in historical/cultural contexts: 'Sunday observance laws.'
Everyday
Extremely common for planning and describing routines.
Technical
Used in calendrics, computing (date functions), and broadcasting schedules.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adverb
British English
- The shop opens Sundays.
- She arrives Sunday.
American English
- He works Sunday.
- Let's meet Sunday.
adjective
British English
- They wore their Sunday clothes.
- He read the Sunday supplement.
American English
- She put on her Sunday dress.
- We read the Sunday comics.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I play football on Sunday.
- We visit my grandmother every Sunday.
- Sunday is my favourite day.
- Last Sunday we went for a long drive in the countryside.
- Are you doing anything this Sunday?
- The museum is free on Sundays.
- Despite it being a Sunday, the city centre was unusually busy.
- They decided to postpone the discussion until the following Sunday.
- His Sunday morning ritual involved coffee and several newspapers.
- The bill received its first reading in Parliament on a quiet Sunday afternoon.
- Her Sunday best was a stark contrast to her weekday workwear.
- The policy shift was announced in a major interview in the Sunday edition.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
SUN + DAY: The day associated with the sun in many ancient calendars.
Conceptual Metaphor
SUNDAY IS A DAY OF REST / RENEWAL; SUNDAY IS FAMILY TIME.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Capitalization: Always 'Sunday', not 'sunday'.
- Preposition use: Can be used with 'on' ('on Sunday') or as an adverb without a preposition ('I'll call you Sunday').
- Not a direct translation for 'воскресенье' in all cultural contexts (e.g., 'Sunday roast' has no direct Russian equivalent).
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'in Sunday' (correct: 'on Sunday').
- Incorrect: 'sunday' (correct: 'Sunday').
- Incorrect: 'Sundays we goes to park.' (correct: 'On Sundays we go to the park.' or 'Sundays we go to the park.')
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase describes someone driving very slowly and cautiously?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. You can use 'on Sunday' ('I'll see you on Sunday') or use 'Sunday' adverbially without a preposition, especially in American English ('I'll see you Sunday').
Yes. 'Sundays' refers to Sundays in general or habitually ('The cafe is closed on Sundays'). It can also be used adverbially ('She works Sundays').
It comes from Old English 'Sunnandæg', meaning 'day of the sun', a translation of the Latin 'dies Solis'.
'The weekend' typically refers to Saturday and Sunday together. 'Sunday' is specifically one day, often the final day of the weekend.
Collections
Part of a collection
Numbers and Time
A1 · 50 words · Numbers, dates, days and expressions of time.