Key Facts
- Hangul: 수요일; Revised Romanization: suyoil
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 水曜日 (水 water + 曜 weekday + 日 day)
- Register: Neutral, standard day name; calendars abbreviate it to 수.
Wednesday in Korean: What Does 수요일 Mean?
수요일 is the standard name for the day, and calendars shorten it to 수. The word is Sino-Korean. The day names share 요일, meaning day of the week. Wednesday begins with 수, the reading of 水, “water”.
How Do You Pronounce 수요일?
Three syllables, su, yo and il, said "suyoil". The y in yo is a gliding sound. Before a particle the final ㄹ links into the next vowel, so 수요일에 is said su-yo-i-re.
Example Sentences with 수요일
수요일에 친구를 만나요.
Suyoire chingureul mannayo
I meet a friend on Wednesday.
에 marks the time, and 만나요 means meet, so this is a plan for Wednesday.
수요일은 쉬는 날이에요.
Suyoireun swineun narieyo
Wednesday is my day off.
쉬는 날 means a day off, and 이에요 is the "is" ending, so the sentence says Wednesday is a rest day.
수요일 저녁에 운동해요.
Suyoil jeonyeoge undonghaeyo
I exercise on Wednesday evening.
저녁 is evening and 운동해요 means exercise, so the phrase narrows the day to its evening.
Common Phrases and Collocations
These phrases set the day in a time frame.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 수요일 저녁 | Wednesday evening |
| 이번 수요일 | this Wednesday |
| 수요일마다 | every Wednesday |
| 수요일 오후 | Wednesday afternoon |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 수요 as a short name for Wednesday
Correct: ✓ 수요일, as in 수요일에 친구를 만나요.
Why: without 일, 수요 is a different word meaning demand (需要), as in supply and demand. Keep the full 수요일 when you name the day.
수요일 Compared with Similar Words
Three words are easy to mix up with 수요일.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 물 | water | 물 is the native word for water. It means the same as 水 but is never used in the day name. |
| 수요 | demand | 수요 (需要) is a separate word that sounds like the start of 수요일. Without 일 it means demand. |
| 요일 | day of the week | 요일 is the ending shared by all seven day names. |
Background on 수요일
The hanja are 水曜日: 水 is water, 曜 is weekday and 日 is day. 曜 originally means a shining heavenly body. East Asian calendars name the seven days after the sun, the moon and the five planets visible to the naked eye, and each planet is linked to one of the five elements: fire, water, wood, metal and earth. Wednesday belongs to Mercury, the water planet.
Booking an Appointment for Wednesday
A customer phones a salon to arrange a visit this week. The staff member offers a specific time rather than just confirming the day.
Customer
수요일에 예약할 수 있어요?
Suyoire yeyakhal su isseoyo?
Can I book an appointment for Wednesday?
Staff member
네, 오후 두 시 괜찮으세요?
Ne, ohu du si gwaenchaneuseyo?
Yes. Would two in the afternoon work for you?
Customer
네, 이번 수요일 맞죠?
Ne, ibeon suyoil matjyo?
Yes. That’s this Wednesday, right?
Staff member
네, 이번 수요일이에요.
Ne, ibeon suyoirieyo.
Yes, this Wednesday.
수요일에 gives the appointment day. 오후 두 시 specifies two in the afternoon. The customer then checks 이번 수요일, “this Wednesday”, to make sure both speakers mean the same week. The final sentence uses 이에요 because 수요일 ends in a consonant.
One Wednesday or Every Wednesday?
수요일에 places an event on Wednesday. It does not by itself tell you whether the event repeats weekly. A booking conversation usually points to one upcoming appointment, while a discussion of a regular timetable may supply a repeating context.
수요일마다 explicitly means every Wednesday. It is useful for lessons, exercise classes and weekly habits. 매주 수요일 is another way to name a weekly Wednesday schedule: 매주 means every week. These expressions make repetition clear without relying on the listener to infer it.
이번 수요일 means this Wednesday and 다음 주 수요일 means Wednesday next week. For an appointment, confirming the calendar date as well as the day can prevent confusion around the turn of a week. The day name alone does not specify a month or date.
Reading Signs and Timetables
A calendar column labeled 수 stands for Wednesday. A notice saying 매주 수요일 휴무 means closed every Wednesday. 휴무 is the business’s day off, so the sign tells you when service is unavailable, rather than announcing a special event.
A school timetable may show 월·수·금 for Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each character is a separate weekday abbreviation, and the dots divide the days. In a full spoken explanation, use the complete day names so the listener can follow the schedule.
수요일 오전 is Wednesday morning, and 수요일 오후 is Wednesday afternoon. In 수요일 저녁에, the time marker follows the narrower time word 저녁. You can give the day and part of the day together rather than attaching a separate 에 to each.
Nearby Days and Scheduling Words
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 화요일 | Tuesday | The day before Wednesday. |
| 목요일 | Thursday | The day after Wednesday. |
| 이번 주 | this week | Helps identify the week of a plan. |
| 다음 주 | next week | Put it before 수요일 to specify next week’s Wednesday. |
| 휴무 | day off / closure | Common on shop opening-hours notices. |
The days of the week lesson teaches all seven day names. Use the weekday to choose a day, then add the week and time when a plan needs to be precise.
Quick Self-Test
- What does 수 mean at the top of a calendar column?
- Which clearly repeats weekly: 수요일에 or 수요일마다?
- Can you visit a shop on Wednesday if its notice says 매주 수요일 휴무?
Show answers
- It abbreviates 수요일, Wednesday.
- 수요일마다 explicitly means every Wednesday.
- The notice says it is closed every Wednesday, so choose another day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Wednesday in Korean?
Say 수요일 (suyoil). Calendars and timetables shorten it to 수, but in speech you use the full word.
Why does the day name mean water?
Its first character, 水, means water. Korean names the weekdays after the sun, the moon and five planets, and Wednesday belongs to Mercury, the planet linked to water.
Can I say just 수요?
No. 수요 on its own is a different word meaning demand, as in supply and demand. Keep the final 일 so listeners hear the day name.
How do I say every Wednesday?
Say 수요일마다. The ending 마다 means every and attaches straight to the day name, as in 수요일마다 운동해요 for a weekly habit.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: the days of the week word list puts all seven day names together.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Compare with the page for water.
- Next in the list: the page for Thursday.
- Practice: add this word to the vocabulary flashcard decks.