This is your complete guide to martedì, the word for Tuesday in Italian. Learn how to pronounce it, how to use it, useful related words in Italian, and all the important grammar details you need to feel at ease. I’ve included plenty of examples too.
Not only that, find out about what’s open and what’s not on Tuesdays in Italy from someone who actually lives there!
Andiamo! Let’s go!
Table of Contents
ALL ABOUT TUESDAY IN ITALIAN
The word for Tuesday in Italian is martedì.
Martedì comes from marte, or Mars, and dì (day). Mars-day!
Mar. is the abbreviation for martedì (Tuesday in Italian).
Martedì is a masculine singular noun.
All of the other Italian days of the week are masculine too, except for domenica (Sunday) which is a feminine singular noun.
HOW TO PRONOUNCE MARTEDÌ
The pronunciation of martedì is: mahr-teh-DEE
Listen to the pronunciation of martedì here:
The accent on the ì in martedì tells you that it is stressed, so the accent is on the last syllable.
Italian nouns which have an accented last syllable do not change in the plural form. So martedì is both the singular and plural of Tuesday in Italian. Some other examples are città (city), tivù (TV), and comò (chest of drawers).
IS TUESDAY IN ITALIAN CAPITALIZED?
Like all of the other Italian days of the week (and months of the year), martedì is not capitalized.
HOW TO USE MARTEDÌ
The grammar rules in this section hold true for all of the days of the week in Italian, not just Tuesday.
WITHOUT THE DEFINITE ARTICLE
When you use martedì alone without the definite article, you are referring to that specific Tuesday.
For example, martedì (vado al mercato) means This Tuesday (I’m going to the market).
WITH THE DEFINITE ARTICLE
The correct definite article for martedì is il, because it’s a masculine noun. When we use the definite article with martedì (or any other day of the week), it is like saying every, and refers to an action that will repeat.
For example, Il martedì (vado al mercato) means Every Tuesday (I go to the market), or On Tuesdays (I go to the market).
You can also use the definite article to talk about Tuesdays in general.
For example: Adoro il martedì perché vado sempre al mercato! I love Tuesdays because I always go to the market!
IN THE PLURAL
Another way to say every Tuesday is tutti i martedì. Literally, tutti i martedì means all the Tuesdays.
Vado al mercato tutti i martedì.
I go to the market every Tuesday.
Remember, because the last syllable of martedì is accented, its ending doesn’t change in the plural form.
WITH THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE
The correct indefinite article for martedì is un. You can use the indefinite article in a couple ways.
To talk about a Tuesday, for example:
Un martedì di settembre siamo andati al mare a Castiglioncello.
On a Tuesday in September we went to the beach in Castiglioncello.
Non mi ricordo la data del concerto, ma era un martedì.
I don’t remember the date of the concert, but it was on a Tuesday.
To talk about something that will take place on a Tuesday, or some Tuesday coming up:
Perchè non andiamo a prendere un caffè un martedì?
Why don’t we go get a coffee on a Tuesday/some Tuesday?
NEXT AND LAST TUESDAY
To talk about a Tuesday in the past or in the future, use scorso (next) and prossimo (last).
Martedì prossimo andiamo a Milano per 2 giorni.
Next Tuesday we’re going to Milan for 2 Days.
Martedì scorso siamo andati a Ravenna.
Last Tuesday we went to Ravenna.
HELPFUL ITALIAN WORDS TO USE WITH MARTEDÌ
Here are some helpful Italian words that we often use with martedì and the other days of the week:
| mattina | morning |
| pomeriggio | afternoon |
| sera | evening |
| notte | night |
| chiuso | closed |
| aperto | open |
Martedì mattina l’ufficio è aperto.
Tuesday morning the office is open.
Martedì pomeriggio il fioraio è chiuso.
Tuesday afternoon the florist is closed.
And of course, you can also talk about a specific time on Tuesday, for example martedì alle 15 (Tuesday at 3pm). Read this post for all about how to talk about the time of day in Italian.
WHAT’S OPEN ON TUESDAY IN ITALY?
Martedì is the second day of the Italian work week.
Most public Italian offices are open from Monday through Friday (da lunedì a venerdì), while most shops and businesses are open from Monday through Saturday (da lunedì a sabato).
School days in Italy are from Monday through Friday (da lunedì a venerdì). However, some Italian middle schools also have half days on Saturday.
SPECIAL EVENTS ON TUESDAYS IN ITALY
Many Italian towns, and big city neighborhoods, have a weekly outdoor market. Market day is a special day, with more people coming in from the area to come shopping. Depending on the market, there may be everything from housewares to hats to food!
Some places in Italy that hold their weekly outdoor market on Tuesday mornings are:
- Deruta, Umbria; and Vietri sul Mare on the Amalfi Coast; both famous for their hand-painted ceramics
- San Miniato, Tuscany, known for its truffle festival in November
- Porto Santo Stefano, on the Tuscan coast
- Viale Papiniano near Milan Metro stop S. Agostino in the center of Milan, on Tuesdays and Saturdays
- Cisano, a lovely small village right on Lake Garda
WHAT IS CLOSED ON TUESDAY IN ITALY?
Most museums and archeological sites are open on Tuesdays. However in Italy it’s always a good idea to double check if the museum you have your heart set on is open! This is especially true for Tuesdays in Naples.
Some important museums that are closed on Tuesdays are:
- Florence: the Bargello (Donatello’s David)
- Venice: Peggy Guggenheim Museum
- Naples: Sansevero Chapel Museum, Naples National Archeological Museum
It’s also a good idea to check if you want to go to a specific store or restaurant. Italian businesses usually have a giorno di riposo (day of rest) or giorno di chiusura (closed day). It’s already a given that most shops are closed on Sunday. The giorno di riposo is an additional morning or afternoon (or both) during the week when the shop is closed.
In Italy, it is common for all of the local shops in a small town to be closed at the same time on the giorno di riposo (day of rest). Keep this in mind when planning a trip to a small Italian village!
WHAT IMPORTANT ITALIAN HOLIDAYS ARE ON TUESDAY?
Most important Italian holidays, like Ferragosto and Christmas, are on the same date every year, so from year to year they fall on a different day of the week. The same can’t be said for martedì grasso, which is a movable feast.
Martedì grasso literally means Fat Tuesday (or Mardi Gras). In the Catholic calendar, it’s the last day of Carnevale celebrations before Lent begins. It usually falls in February. Venice, Viareggio and Ivrea all have important Carnevale festivities.
Martedì grasso isn’t a public holiday in Italy, so offices, businesses and stores are open. But it’s still a time for celebration and fun!
This is the last hurrah before it’s time to put your Carnevale costume away. And make sure to gobble down plenty of Carnevale sweets like schiacciata alla Fiorentina and chiacchiere before bakeries stop making them!
Read more about the Days of the Week and the Months of the Year in Italian!