WEEKDAY Function

Excel Functions › Date & Time

All versions Date & Time

The Excel WEEKDAY function returns the day of the week as a number, so you can flag weekends, group by day, or build work-schedule logic.

Quick answer: is a date a weekend? (return_type 2: Mon=1…Sun=7)
=WEEKDAY(A2, 2) > 5 // TRUE for Sat or Sun

Syntax

=WEEKDAY(serial_number, [return_type])
ArgumentDescription
serial_numberRequiredThe date to test.
return_typeOptionalNumbering scheme: 1 = Sun–Sat with Sun=1 (default), 2 = Mon–Sun with Mon=1, 3 = Mon=0, plus 11–17 variants.

How to use it

The default numbering (return_type 1) starts on Sunday, which is awkward for weekend tests. Use return_type 2 so Monday=1…Sunday=7 and weekends are simply 6 and 7. Combine with TEXT for day names: =TEXT(A2,"dddd").

Try it: interactive demo

Live demo

Adjust the input and watch the formula and result update.

Result:

Tips & gotchas

Day of the week as a number - flag weekends and build schedule logic. Format result cells as Date or Time so they don’t display raw serial numbers.

Practice workbook

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Frequently asked questions

Which return_type should I use?
Use 2 (Mon=1…Sun=7) for most logic — weekends become 6 and 7, easy to test with >5.
How do I get the day NAME?
Use TEXT, not WEEKDAY: =TEXT(date,"dddd") for Monday, or "ddd" for Mon.
How do I flag weekends?
=WEEKDAY(date,2)>5 returns TRUE for Saturday and Sunday.
Can it count weekdays in a range?
Yes, with SUMPRODUCT: =SUMPRODUCT(--(WEEKDAY(range,2)<6)) — or use NETWORKDAYS for working days minus holidays.

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Related functions: DATE · TODAY · DATEDIF · EOMONTH · TEXT