When do you use "on" with days and dates?

If you're making plans in English, you'll need "on" a lot. We use it for specific days and dates, and once you spot the pattern, it's pretty easy to get right. Here's how it works.

Days of the week

We use "on" with days of the week, whether it's a one-time event or something you do regularly.

• The meeting is on Wednesday.
• I visit my grandparents on Saturdays.
• What are you doing on Friday?

In casual American English, people often drop the "on" completely: "See you Monday!" That's fine in conversation, but keep it in when you write.

Days with a part of the day

When you add "morning," "afternoon," or "evening" to a day, you still use "on," not "in."

• I have a dentist appointment on Monday morning.
• The game starts on Friday night.
• Let's meet on Tuesday afternoon.

Dates

Specific dates also take "on," whether it's a birthday, a holiday, or a deadline.

• My brother's birthday is on the 16th of March.
• We met on New Year's Eve.
• The new version launches on April 2.

You can say a date as "the 16th of March" or "March 16th." The first is more common in British English and the second in American English.

A couple of exceptions

Holidays can be tricky. If you mean the day itself, it's "on": "on Christmas Day." If you mean the holiday period around it, it's "at": "We always see my parents at Christmas."

The weekend is another one. Americans say "on the weekend," while British speakers usually say "at the weekend." Both are correct, so go with whichever kind of English you're using.

So the next time you hesitate before saying a day or a date, remember that "on" is almost always the one you need.

You've got the rule, so now hear it used naturally. Check out our Daily Dose of Denglisch Docs video.