In this unit we will learn the days of the week in Quechua. The connotation of these names is related to the Incan cosmovision, with will not that each day of the week represents some celestial bodies of the universe and main deities of Incan culture, such as: the sun (Inti), the moon (Killa), the stars (Ch'aska).

Ready?

¡Qallarisun! / Let's get started!

Days of the week in Quechua: you will note that the word p’unchay or p’unchaw refers to day.

Sunday	Intichay p’unchay / Intichay p’unchaw
Monday	Killachay p’unchay / Killachay p’unchaw
Tuesday	Antichay p’unchay / Antichay p’unchaw
Wednesday	Quyllurchay p’unchay / Quyllurchay p’unchaw
Thursday	Illapachay p’unchay / Illapachay p’unchaw
Friday	Ch’askachay p’unchay / Ch’askachay p’unchaw
Saturday	K’uychichay p’unchay / K’uychichay  p’unchaw

In a short explanation, each day of the week has the following reference:

Sun	Inti
Moon	Killa
Andean Area	Anti
Star	Qoyllur
Lightening	Illapa
Star	Ch’aska
Rainbow	K’uychi

In the same way, it is important to know that some Quechua towns, such as Puca Puca and Qquehuar - en the regions of Cusco and Apurímac whose variant is applied in this educational material-, the days of the week are referenced in the following way:

Sunday	Dumingu p’unchay / Dumingu p’unchaw
Monday	Lunis p’unchay / Lunis p’unchaw
Tuesday	Martis p’unchay / Martis p’unchaw
Wednesday	Mirculis p’unchay / Mirculis p’unchaw
Thursday	Juivis p’unchay / Juivis p’unchaw
Friday	Virnis p’unchay / Virnis p’unchaw
Saturday	Sawado p’unchay / Sawado p’unchaw

Now we will learn to use the main expressions that will help up situate ourselves in a specific time.

Today	Kunan p’unchay / Kunan p’unchaw
Tomorrow	Paqarin p’unchay / Paqarin p’unchaw
The day after tomorrow	Minchha p’unchay / Minsha p’unchaw
Yesterday	Qayna p’unchay / Qayna p’unchaw
The day before yesterday	Qayninpa
The days before yesterday	Qayninpakuna

Months of the year in Quechua

January	Kamay Raymi Killa / Qhulla/Qulla Puquy Killa
February	Hatun Poqoy Killa
March	Pawqar Waray Killa
April	Ayriwa Killa / Ayriwa Killa
May	Aymuray Killa
June	Inti Raymi Killa
July	Anta Situwa Killa
August	Qhapaq Situwa Killa
September	Unu Raymi Killa
October	Qoya Raymi Killa / Quya Raymi Killa
November	Aya Marq’ay Killa / Ayamarka Killa
December	Qhapaq Raymi Killa

Similarly to the days of the week, the majority of the speakers of the Cusco-Collao variant of Quechua tend to refer to the months of the year in another way in daily conversations:

January	Iniru
February	Fibriru
March	Marsu
April	Awril
May	Mayu
June	Huniyu
July	Hulyu
August	Agustu
September	Sitimri
October	Uctubri
November	Nubimri
December	Disimri

Next, here are some sentences with examples of main activities during the year, we invite you to read them:

Note: In these sentences, you will note that each month has the suffix «pi» which in this case references temporality. For example Kamay Raymi Killapi which means «in January» or «of January».

1. Sapa Kamay Raymi Killapi wata hunt’ayniyta Yuyarini.
   Every month of January I remember my birthday.
2. Hatun Poqoy Killapi carnavalta takini, tusuni ima.
   In February I sing and dance at the carnivals.
3. Pawqar Waray Killapi qallarini llank’ayta. Wawakunatan qallarini yachachiyta.
   In March, I begin to work. I begin to teach the girls and boys.
4. Ayriway Killapi kuraq wayqeypa wata hunt’aynin. Sumaqtan raymichakuyku, wallpata quwita khuchita ima mikhuyku.
   In April is my older brother's birthday. We celebrate, eat chicken, guinea pig, and pork.
5. Aymuray Killapi qallariyku papa allayta, hinallataq chay killapin ch’uñuyku morayayku ima.
   In May we begin to harvest the potatoes, also in that month we make dried potatoes and freeze dried potatoes.
6. Inti Raymi Killapi chakrapi llank’aq runapa p’unchayninta yuyariyku. Raymichakuyku aylluypi.
   In June we observe the Day of the Farmer and have a party in my community.
7. Anta Situwa Killapi yuyariyku Peru suyuq hatun p’unchayninta.
   In July we observe the Independence Day of Peru.
8. Qhapaq Situwa Killapi qallariyku mishka tarpuyta. Sarata frejoltawan tarpuyku ayllumasiykunawan ayninakuspa.
   In August we begin to sow corn and bean. We help each other through Ayni.
9. Unu Raymi Killapi yuyariyku wayna sipaskunapa p’unchayninta.
   In September we observe Youth Day.
10. Qoya Raymi Killapi sara qallmayta qallariyku.
    In October we begin to add soil to the base of the corn.
11. Aya Marq’ay Killapi watukuyku wañukuq ayllumasiykunata.
    In November, we visit our relatives who have passed away.
12. Tukunapaqtaq Qhapaq Raymi Killapi Nawidadta hinallataq Mosoq Watata yuyariyku, tukuy imata wayk’uspa raymichakuyku.
    To conclude, in December we observe Christmas and New Years. On that day we cook many things.

P’unchay / P’unchaw	day
Kunan p’unchay / Kunan p’unchaw	today
Paqarin p’unchay / Paqarin p’unchaw	tomorrow
Killa	month
Sapa	each/every
Sapa p’unchaw	each day/everyday
Sapa killa	each month/every month
Wata	year
Kuti	time
Sapa kuti	each time/every time

Now put into practice what you learned in the unit, for this we invite you to take note of the days of the week and the months of the year in your work notebook and fill in the empty spaces (_________) with the days of the week or months of the year in Quechua.

Let's look at these examples:

1. What day is before Tuesday?: Killachay p’unchay / Lunis p’unchay (Both options are valid).
2. In what month is Christmas observed? Qhapaq Raymi Killa / Disimri (both options are valid).

Ready? Now you try.

Days of the Week Exercises:

1. What day is after Wednesday?: _________________
2. What day is before Saturday?: _________________
3. What day is two days after Friday?: _________________
4. What day is after Tuesday?: _________________
5. What day is before Monday?: _________________
6. What day is two days after Wednesday?: _________________
7. What day is before Wednesday?: _________________

Answers for the Days of the Week Exercises

1. What day is after Wednesday?: Illapachay p’unchay, Illapachay p’unchaw / Juivis p’unchay, Juivis p’unchaw (jueves).
2. What day is before Saturday?: Ch’askachay p’unchay, Ch’askachay p’unchaw / Virnis p’unchay, Virnis p’unchaw (viernes).
3. What day is two days after Friday?: Killachay p’unchay, Killachay p’unchaw / Lunis p’unchay, Lunis p’unchaw (lunes).
4. What day is after Tuesday?: Quyllurchay p’unchay, Quyllurchay p’unchaw / Mirculis p’unchay, Mirculis p’unchaw (miércoles).
5. What day is before Monday?: Intichay p’unchay, Intichay p’unchaw / Dumingu p’unchay, Dumingu p’unchaw (domingo).
6. What day is two days after Wednesday?: K’uychichay p’unchay, K’uychichay p’unchaw / Sawado p’unchay, Sawado p’unchaw (sábado).
7. What day is before Wednesday?: Antichay p’unchay, Antichay p’unchaw / Martis p’unchay, Martis p’unchaw (martes).

Month of the Year Exercises:

1. What is the fourth month of the year?:
2. What is the ninth month of the year?:
3. What is the first month of the year?:
4. What is the fifth month of the year?:
5. What is the eighth month of the year?:
6. What is the second month of the year?:
7. What is the twelfth month of the year?:
8. What is the seventh month of the year?:
9. What is the tenth month of the year?:
10. What is the third month of the year?:
11. What is the sixth month of the year?:
12. What is the eleventh month of the year?:

Answers for Month of the Year exercises

1. What is the fourth month of the year?: Ayriwa Killa / Awril (April).
2. What is the ninth month of the year?: Unu Raymi Killa / Sitimri (September).
3. What is the first month of the year?: Kamay Raymi Killa, Qhulla Puquy Killa, Qulla Puquy Killa / Iniru (January).
4. What is the fifth month of the year?: Aymuray Killa / Mayu (May).
5. What is the eighth month of the year?: Qhapaq Situwa Killa / Agustu (August).
6. What is the second month of the year?: Hatun Poqoy Killa / Fibriru (February).
7. What is the twelfth month of the year?: Qhapaq Raymi Killa / Disimri (December).
8. What is the seventh month of the year?: Anta Situwa Killa / Hulyu (July).
9. What is the tenth month of the year?: Qoya Raymi Killa, Quya Raymi Killa / Uctubri (October).
10. What is the third month of the year?: Pawqar Waray Killa / Marsu (March).
11. What is the sixth month of the year?: Inti Raymi Killa / Huniyu (junio).
12. What is the eleventh month of the year?: Aya Marq’ay Killa, Ayamarka Killa / Nubimri (November).