día
/DEE-ah/
Just like in English, 'día' can mean the whole 24-hour period from one midnight to the next.
día (Noun)
📝 In Action
La semana tiene siete días.
A1The week has seven days.
¿Qué día es hoy?
A1What day is it today?
Trabajo cinco días a la semana.
A2I work five days a week.
💡 Grammar Points
It's a Masculine Noun!
Even though 'día' ends in '-a', it's a 'boy' word! So you always say 'el día' and 'un día', never 'la día'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing up 'el día' and 'la día'
Mistake: "Me gusta la día."
Correction: Me gusta el día. Remember, 'día' is one of the tricky words that ends in '-a' but is masculine.
⭐ Usage Tips
Greeting in the Morning
The greeting 'Buenos días' (Good morning) is always plural, even when you're just talking about one morning.
'Día' can also mean just the part of the day when the sun is out, the opposite of 'noche' (night).
día (Noun)
📝 In Action
Prefiero trabajar de día y dormir de noche.
A2I prefer to work during the day and sleep at night.
Es de día, ¡vamos a jugar afuera!
B1It's daytime, let's go play outside!
⭐ Usage Tips
Using 'de día'
To say 'during the day' or 'by day', you almost always use the little phrase 'de día'. It's a very common and natural-sounding pattern.
We also use 'día' to talk about a specific, important day, like a birthday or a holiday.
día (Noun)
📝 In Action
El día de mi cumpleaños es en julio.
A2My birthday is in July.
Tenemos que fijar un día para la reunión.
B1We have to set a day for the meeting.
Hoy es un gran día para nuestro equipo.
B1Today is a great day for our team.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: día
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'día' to mean 'daytime' (the opposite of night)?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'día' masculine if it ends in '-a'?
It's a great question! 'Día' is an exception to the general rule. It comes from the Latin word 'diēs', which was a masculine noun. Spanish kept the gender from its parent language. There are a few other common words like this, such as 'el mapa' (the map) and 'el problema' (the problem).
What's the difference between 'día' and 'jornada'?
'Día' is the general word for a day. 'Jornada' is more specific and usually refers to a period of time dedicated to an activity, like a workday ('jornada laboral') or a day of a conference ('la primera jornada del congreso').