WEEKDAY function
WEEKDAY returns the day of the week for a date as a number. By default Sunday is 1 and Saturday is 7, but the return_type argument lets you start the week on Monday, which makes weekend tests simpler. Use it to flag weekend dates, schedule shifts or group sales by day of week.
- Available in
- Every current version
- Category
- Date functions
- Returns
- A whole number for the day of the week.
- Google Sheets
- Works in Google Sheets with return types 1, 2 and 3.
Syntax
=WEEKDAY(serial_number, [return_type])
| Argument | Required? | What it is |
|---|---|---|
serial_number | Required | The date to check. |
return_type | Optional | How to number the days. 1 or omitted: Sunday = 1 to Saturday = 7. 2: Monday = 1 to Sunday = 7. 3: Monday = 0 to Sunday = 6. Excel 2010 and later also accept 11 to 17 to start the week on another day. |
Examples
Each result below is calculated from the sample sheet by our formula engine, the same one that grades the practice.
| Cell | Formula | Result | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| D2 | =WEEKDAY(A2) | 7 | Saturday is 7 with the default numbering (Sunday = 1) |
| D3 | =WEEKDAY(A3,2) | 7 | Sunday is 7 when the week starts on Monday |
| D4 | =IF(WEEKDAY(A4,2)>5,"Weekend","Weekday") | Weekday | Monday, March 9 is a weekday |
Try it live
This is the sample sheet. Change any number or text, or edit a formula, and the results update.
Show the sample data as a table
| Date | Hours | Result | |
| 3/7/2026 | 6 | 7 | |
| 3/8/2026 | 5 | 7 | |
| 3/9/2026 | 8 | Weekday |
Practice WEEKDAY
Graded instantly, then re-checked on changed data.
Number the shift days
C2, return the weekday number for each shift date, counting Monday as 1 and Sunday as 7. Fill down to C6.Common mistakes
| What you see | Why, and how to fix it |
|---|---|
| Weekend test catches the wrong days | With the default numbering, the weekend is 1 and 7, not 6 and 7. Use return_type 2 so Saturday and Sunday are 6 and 7, then test >5. |
| The result shows as a date in January 1900 | The cell has a date format. Format it as General to see the number. |
| #VALUE! | The date is text. Convert it with DATEVALUE first. |
Tips
- For the day name, use =TEXT(A2,"dddd") (Monday) or =TEXT(A2,"ddd") (Mon).
- Count weekend dates in a list with =SUMPRODUCT(--(WEEKDAY(A2:A20,2)>5)).
Questions
How do I check if a date is a weekend in Excel?
Use =WEEKDAY(A2,2)>5. With return type 2, Saturday is 6 and Sunday is 7, so anything above 5 is a weekend.
Why does WEEKDAY return 1 for Sunday?
That is the default numbering, which starts the week on Sunday. Pass 2 as the second argument to start on Monday instead.
How do I get the day name instead of a number?
Use TEXT: =TEXT(A2,"dddd") returns the full name, such as Wednesday.
Last reviewed October 2026. Every example result on this page is calculated live by the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine.