Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is 'next weekend' on a Monday five days away or twelve? - AIBU

59 replies

bolwin1 · 22/07/2026 16:49

I went to visit my DD / grandkids last weekend. It's a 200 mile journey each way & I usually stay over for a couple of days, sleeping on their sofa.
I had a WhatsApp conversation with DD on the previous Monday & we agreed I'd visit 'next weekend'. I arrived on the Friday evening as normal only to be met by a confused Son-In-Law who was expecting me the following weekend. As always, they were very gracious & re-arranged one friends visit (I wouldn't have minded either way). We had a great time, took the grand-kids / DD out for a meal etc. etc. I've asked a few friends / relatives & opinion is fairly split.
So, my AIBU is,
if you are speaking to someone on a Monday, is 'next weekend' 5 days away or 12 days away
YABU - it's 12 days away
YANBU - it's 5 days away

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Malinia · 23/07/2026 18:53

Livpool · 22/07/2026 16:50

‘This weekend’ would be 5 days away, ‘next weekend’ would be 12.

First reply nails it

Swonderful · 23/07/2026 18:49

Going against the grain but I would say next weekend meaning the coming one. "What are you doing next weekend?"

Next just refers to something coming up in the future.

GrannyDooun · 23/07/2026 18:43

I have always thought that the weekend just gone was called ‘last weekend’; the weekend coming at the end of this week is ‘this weekend’ and the weekend after that is ‘the following weekend or weekend after next’.

So in my very humble opinion, I’m not much help at all with your dilemma!

Sherararara · 23/07/2026 12:30

Common sense would be to always clarify.

FlapperFlamingo · 23/07/2026 12:23

Different people understand different things - no one is wrong or right. Just make sure you always clarify with the date.

Loulou4022 · 23/07/2026 12:11

This is always as a grey area as I find everyone has different interpretations so I’d always clarify exact dates ie next weekend Saturday 25th etc

89redballoons · 22/07/2026 23:52

12 days, but if someone else said it to me I'd normally ask them to clarify which they meant, especially if on a Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday.

Travelfairy · 22/07/2026 23:30

12 days

Any1ForTennis · 22/07/2026 23:06

"This weekend" is the next Sat/Sun and "Next weekend" is the one after 😀.

msbevvy · 22/07/2026 23:04

I would have done the same as OP. I would think that next weekend means the next weekend to occur, not the one after.

To me "this weekend" would only be used about a weekend that is already happening at the time you are speaking.

Lougle · 22/07/2026 23:03

'This weekend' is the weekend coming at the end of the current week. So on Monday, that's 5 days time.

'Next weekend' is the next weekend after this one.

'Two weeks on [after] Saturday' is not this Saturday, not next Saturday, but the Saturday after that.

Generally, if writing, it's best to say "Shall I come next Saturday (01/08/26)?" because nobody is confused then.

7238SM · 22/07/2026 22:53

This weekend is the next/first weekend coming up- as nearly everyone else has said.

they were very gracious & re-arranged one friends visit (I wouldn't have minded either way)

THEY clearly minded though, hence they had the re-arrange their friend coming over because you were there!

oviraptor21 · 22/07/2026 22:52

The weekend in 5 days time is both this weekend and next weekend (after all it's the next weekend coming up). And if I needed to refer to the weekend in 12 days time then I'd call it (as a PP did) the weekend after next - which adds weight to the argument that this weekend is also next weekend.
As you get further through the week though the balance changes so by Wednesday say, next weekend will be the weekend in 10 days time. So all in all, it's just easier to clarify with dates!

MissyPants · 22/07/2026 22:46

I've always said it and understood it as 12 days away from your example. However, my partner and mother in law understand it as 5 days away like you did.

FieldInWhichFucksAreGrownIsBarren · 22/07/2026 22:46

Livpool · 22/07/2026 16:50

‘This weekend’ would be 5 days away, ‘next weekend’ would be 12.

Yep, agreed.

Tuncro · 22/07/2026 22:46

KrazyKatty · 22/07/2026 22:38

Surely the “next weekend” is the first weekend that arrives, so in 5 days time?

Otherwise, it would be the following weekend. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Agree.

Tuncro · 22/07/2026 22:45

Next weekend is the next so 5 days for me.

Loubissou · 22/07/2026 22:43

5 days away. This and next are interchangeable in this context.
12 days away is the weekend after next.
Same as you said last weekend, which was three days ago. The weekend before that was the weekend before last.

ConverselyAttired · 22/07/2026 22:40

KrazyKatty · 22/07/2026 22:38

Surely the “next weekend” is the first weekend that arrives, so in 5 days time?

Otherwise, it would be the following weekend. 🤷🏻‍♀️

No, it's the end of next week. Next week-end.

Mum2Fergus · 22/07/2026 22:40

I’d say ‘this weekend’ is 5 days away, ‘next weekend’ is the 12 days in this scenario.

KrazyKatty · 22/07/2026 22:38

Surely the “next weekend” is the first weekend that arrives, so in 5 days time?

Otherwise, it would be the following weekend. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Wonderknicks · 22/07/2026 22:17

PetiteParakeet · 22/07/2026 19:35

I’m in the minority here - if someone said ’next weekend’ on a Monday I’d assume they meant the next weekend coming up (still some way away from the perspective of a Monday!) If they said it on a Friday, I’d definitely assume they meant the one after.

Me too!

Ethelspagetti · 22/07/2026 22:13

Livpool · 22/07/2026 16:50

‘This weekend’ would be 5 days away, ‘next weekend’ would be 12.

Agreed

PetiteParakeet · 22/07/2026 19:35

I’m in the minority here - if someone said ’next weekend’ on a Monday I’d assume they meant the next weekend coming up (still some way away from the perspective of a Monday!) If they said it on a Friday, I’d definitely assume they meant the one after.

TheGardenPond · 22/07/2026 18:23

You were BU not to clarify! This is a common confusion. However you and your family sound lovely and easygoing and you had a great time anyway so all good.