Excel WEEKDAY Function
The WEEKDAY function in Microsoft Excel returns the day of the week for a date as a number from 1 (Sunday) to 7 (Saturday) by default. It is useful for scheduling or analyzing date-based patterns.
Key Topics
- Overview of WEEKDAY Function
- WEEKDAY Function Syntax
- Implementation Examples
- Sample Dataset
- Key Takeaways
Overview of WEEKDAY Function
The WEEKDAY function identifies the day of the week for a given date, with customizable numbering schemes. It is ideal for determining if a date falls on a weekday or weekend, or for scheduling tasks.
WEEKDAY Function Syntax
The syntax for the WEEKDAY function is as follows:
Syntax: =WEEKDAY(serial_number, [return_type])
Parameters:
- serial_number: The date or cell reference containing a date (required).
- return_type: The numbering scheme (optional; default is 1, where 1=Sunday, 7=Saturday).
Implementation Examples
Below are examples of how to use the WEEKDAY function in different scenarios.
Example 1: =WEEKDAY(B2) — Returns the day of the week for B2 (1=Sunday, 7=Saturday).
Example 2: =WEEKDAY(TODAY(), 2) — Returns the day of the week for today (1=Monday, 7=Sunday).
Example 3: =IF(WEEKDAY(B2)=1, "Sunday", "Not Sunday") — Checks if B2 is a Sunday.
Sample Dataset (Excel-style View)
Below is a demo dataset styled like Excel, showing how the WEEKDAY function can be used to identify the day of the week for delivery dates.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delivery ID | Delivery Date | Day of Week |
| 2 | DEL001 | 06/03/2025 | =WEEKDAY(B2) |
| 3 | DEL002 | 06/04/2025 | =WEEKDAY(B3) |
| 4 | DEL003 | 06/05/2025 | =WEEKDAY(B4) |
| 5 | DEL004 | 06/06/2025 | =WEEKDAY(B5) |
| 6 | DEL005 | 06/07/2025 | =WEEKDAY(B6) |
Note: In the dataset, column C uses =WEEKDAY(B2) to return the day of the week for the delivery date in B2 (1=Sunday, 7=Saturday). The formula is applied to each row to show the day of each delivery.
Key Takeaways
- The WEEKDAY function returns the day of the week (1–7) for a date.
- The default return_type is 1 (1=Sunday, 7=Saturday), with other options available.
- It is useful for scheduling or identifying weekdays vs. weekends.
- Common uses include delivery planning or attendance tracking.
- The sample dataset demonstrates WEEKDAY applied to identify delivery days.