Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Tuesday in Spanish: Martes and the Day That's Considered Unlucky
Martes · noun (masculine) · MAHR-tehs
Tuesday in Spanish is martes, lowercase and identical in singular and plural. It's masculine: el martes for this Tuesday, los martes for every Tuesday. Martes derives from Mars, the Roman god of war, which is part of why martes 13 (Tuesday the 13th) is considered an unlucky day across the Spanish-speaking world.
Martes is MAHR-tehs, two syllables, stress on MAHR. The r is a soft tongue tap, not a hard English r. The e is short and pure.
Los martes tengo clase de yoga.
On Tuesdays I have yoga class.
Tuesday in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for tuesday, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| martes | tuesday | MAHR-tehs | Default, widely understood |
| el martes | tuesday | this/next Tuesday | |
| los martes | tuesday | every Tuesday / on Tuesdays |
How Native Speakers Use Martes
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Specific Tuesday
El martes vamos al médico.
On Tuesday we're going to the doctor.
El martes for a specific Tuesday. No preposition needed.
Every Tuesday
Los martes hago ejercicio.
On Tuesdays I work out.
Los martes for habitual action. Same word for plural.
Looking ahead
Hasta el martes que viene.
See you next Tuesday.
Que viene works the same way for any day of the week.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Martes
Capitalizing martes
Incorrect: Vamos a salir el Martes.
Correct: Vamos a salir el martes.
Spanish keeps days of the week lowercase. Martes only takes a capital at the start of a sentence.
Pluralizing as marteses
Incorrect: Los marteses tengo clase.
Correct: Los martes tengo clase.
Spanish days of the week ending in -s don't add another -es in the plural. Martes stays martes; lunes stays lunes; viernes stays viernes.
Why Tuesday Matters in Spanish-Speaking Cultures
Tuesday the 13th, not Friday
Across Spain and Latin America, the unlucky day is martes 13, not viernes 13 as in English-speaking culture. The saying goes: martes 13, ni te cases ni te embarques (on Tuesday the 13th, don't get married and don't set sail). The superstition combines Tuesday's association with Mars (war, conflict) and the number 13. Native speakers usually know this and joke about it when the date arrives.
Lock in Tuesday Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Martes used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using martes in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Los martes tengo clase de yoga. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Tuesday in Spanish
- How do you say Tuesday in Spanish?
- Tuesday in Spanish is martes, lowercase and unchanged in singular and plural. El martes for this Tuesday; los martes for every Tuesday or on Tuesdays.
- How do you pronounce martes?
- Martes is MAHR-tehs, two syllables, stress on MAHR. The r is a soft tongue tap. The e is short and pure, closer to the e in bed than the long English ay.
- Why is Tuesday the 13th unlucky in Spanish-speaking countries?
- Martes (Tuesday) is named after Mars, the Roman god of war, which gives it an unlucky connotation. Combined with the number 13, the date becomes martes 13: traditionally a day to avoid weddings, travel, and big decisions. The English equivalent is Friday the 13th; Spanish tradition lands the bad luck on Tuesday.
- How do I remember the Spanish days of the week?
- Hear them in real schedules: meeting plans, gym days, weekend plans. Parrot's videos surface days of the week in everyday context (los lunes voy al gimnasio, el martes tengo cita) so the lowercase, the gender, and the natural rhythm all stick together.