How to Display Day-of-Week Names in Local Language in Excel

Your Excel sheet may show day names like Monday or Tuesday in English, even when your system uses another language. This happens because Excel’s default date formatting uses the application’s language settings, not your Windows regional format. You can change this to display names like “Lundi” or “Mittwoch” to match your locale. This article explains how to use custom number formatting and the TEXT function to show localized weekday names.

How Excel Determines the Language for Weekday Names

Excel does not have a single language setting for dates. The language used for weekday names depends on which formatting method you choose. The primary factor is the locale, a code that defines language and regional conventions like date order and currency.

When you apply a standard date format from the ribbon, Excel typically uses the language of the Office application. If you have English Excel installed on a German Windows PC, dates may still appear in English. To control the output language precisely, you must use custom formatting codes or the TEXT function with a locale argument.

Understanding Locale Codes

A locale code is essential for forcing a specific language. It follows the pattern [$-xxx], where “xxx” is a hexadecimal value. Common examples are [$-409] for English (United States), [$-407] for German (Germany), and [$-40C] for French (France). You can use these codes inside custom number formats or the TEXT function to override the default language.

Methods to Show Localized Weekday Names

You can display weekday names in your local language using two main approaches. The first method changes the cell’s number format. The second uses a formula to generate the text. Use the format method to keep the underlying date value. Use the formula method to create a text result or to specify a language different from your system’s.

Apply a Custom Number Format

1. Select your date cells
   Click on the cell or range of cells containing the dates you want to format.
2. Open the Format Cells dialog
   Press Ctrl+1 on your keyboard. Alternatively, right-click the selected cells and choose Format Cells from the context menu.
3. Go to the Number tab
   In the dialog box, ensure the Number tab is selected from the list on the left.
4. Choose the Custom category
   In the Category list on the left, scroll down and click on Custom.
5. Enter a custom format code
   In the Type field at the top, you will see the current format. Replace it with one of these codes:
   – Use dddd to show the full weekday name (e.g., Wednesday) using your Windows regional settings.
   – Use [$-locale]dddd to force a specific language. For French, type [$-40C]dddd.
   – Use ddd for the abbreviated name (e.g., Wed).
6. Apply the format
   Click OK. Your selected cells will now display the weekday name in the chosen language.

Use the TEXT Function in a Formula

1. Select an empty cell for the result
   Click on the cell where you want the localized weekday name to appear.
2. Enter the TEXT formula
   Type an equals sign followed by the TEXT function. The basic syntax is =TEXT(date, "format_code").
3. Reference the date and specify the format
   For example, if your date is in cell A1, type =TEXT(A1, "dddd") to get the long name based on your system locale. To specify German, type =TEXT(A1, "[$-407]dddd").
4. Press Enter
   Press the Enter key to complete the formula. The cell will show the weekday name as text. You can copy this formula down a column.

Common Mistakes and Formatting Limits

Weekday Name Shows as Hash Symbols (#####)

A column filled with hash symbols usually means the column is too narrow to display the long text. The weekday name itself is not an error. Simply double-click the right border of the column header to auto-fit the width. You can also manually drag the border to make the column wider.

Format Does Not Change the Language

If typing “dddd” still shows English names, your Windows regional format for short date might be set to an English pattern. Check this in Windows Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region > Regional Format. Ensure it is set to your desired country. The custom format “dddd” pulls the language from this Windows setting, not from the Excel interface language.

TEXT Function Result is Not a Real Date

The output of the TEXT function is a text string. You cannot perform date calculations like adding days directly to this result. For calculations, always keep the original date cell and reference it in your formulas. Use the TEXT function only for display purposes in reports or dashboards.

Locale Code Returns Unexpected Characters

Using an incorrect locale code can show names in the wrong language or display unexpected characters. Verify the hexadecimal locale code for your target language. For a list, search online for “Excel locale ID codes” or test common ones like [$-804] for Chinese (Simplified) or [$-411] for Japanese.

Custom Format vs. TEXT Function: Key Differences

Item	Custom Number Format	TEXT Function
Cell Content	Remains a usable date value	Converts the date to static text
Language Control	Uses system locale or a forced locale code	Uses system locale or a forced locale code
Best For	Formatting columns of dates for printing or viewing	Creating labels in formulas or combining with other text
Editing the Date	You can still click and type a new date	You must edit the original source date cell
Use in Calculations	The underlying date can be used in all formulas	The text result cannot be used in date math

You can now display weekday names in French, German, or any other language directly in your Excel sheets. Use the Format Cells dialog for quick visual changes to your data. Try the TEXT function when you need the weekday as part of a sentence in a report. For advanced control, combine the WEEKDAY function with CHOOSE to create your own custom list of names in any language.