Call it a day is the calm end of a working period. A team finishes a long meeting, a painter puts the brush down, a student closes the laptop after three hours. Someone says "let us call it a day", and the work stops until next time.
The idiom does not mean the task is complete. It means the working time is over: the job may continue tomorrow, but today has had enough.
This page explains the meaning, the grammar, the register and the phrases that are close in meaning. The 10-question drill at the end explains every answer.
What it means
In one sentence: To call it a day means to decide to stop working on something, usually for the rest of the day, because enough has been done.
What the idiom means in everyday English
- It marks the end of a work period: "We have done enough for today; let us call it a day."
- The job may be finished or unfinished. The idiom only says that work stops now.
- It is often a group decision: "Shall we call it a day?" invites everyone to agree.
- You can also use it alone: "I am calling it a day" means the speaker is stopping.
How the idiom behaves in a sentence
- The fixed shape is call it a day: call + it + a day. The pronoun it never changes.
- The verb changes with tense: call, calls, called, calling. "We called it a day at six."
- Common patterns are let us call it a day and time to call it a day.
- Do not change the article: a day is always singular, even when several people stop together.
When the idiom does not fit
- It is about work, not sleep. When you go to bed, use hit the sack.
- Do not use it when something is truly finished for ever; say "we finished" or "we wrapped it up".
- It can sound like giving up. In a serious project, say clearly whether the work continues tomorrow.
- Avoid it in very formal writing such as a project report; write "we stopped work for the day".
Use it or not
Register: Neutral to informal. Call it a day is normal in offices, workshops, classrooms and family talk. It fits spoken English and friendly messages, and it is often used by managers to end a meeting. Formal reports prefer "we stopped work for the day". The idiom is polite and never rude.
Examples
- We have been at this for six hours. Let us call it a day.The time stated explains why the group should stop.
- The builders called it a day when the light failed.The past form describes the end of the working day.
- I think it is time to call it a day and go home.Time to signals the decision to stop.
- It is nearly seven, so I am calling it a day.The present continuous shows a decision made now.
- We did not finish the report, but we called it a day at five.The idiom does not mean the task is complete.
- Shall we call it a day, or do you want to keep going?A question that offers a choice to the group.
- After the third draft, she called it a day and sent the file.The idiom can end a personal work session.
Similar idioms
knock off
to stop work, especially at the end of the day, informal British English.
wrap up
to finish an activity or a meeting.
pack it in
to stop doing something, often because it is not working.
call it a night
to stop an evening activity and go to bed.
draw a line under something
to accept that a stage is finished and move on.
Practice drill
Answer all 10 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the meaning is explained under the question.
We have worked for eight hours. Let us ___.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. call it a day Call it a day means to stop working after doing enough, which fits eight hours of work.
Which sentence uses call it a day correctly?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. We finished the report and called it a day at six. Call it a day means stopping work, so the sentence about finishing at six is the correct use.
What does call it a day mean?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. to stop working for now Call it a day means to decide that enough work has been done and stop for now.
It is five o'clock and the team is tired. What does the manager say?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Let us call it a day. Call it a day ends the working period, so it is the natural thing for a manager to say to a tired team.
Which activity does call it a day describe?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. finishing work for today The idiom is about ending the day’s work; for going to sleep, English uses hit the sack.
Choose the sentence with the same meaning: "We called it a day at four."
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. We stopped working at four. Call it a day means to stop working, so the sentence means the work stopped at four.
Which is correct?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Let us call it a day. The fixed idiom is call it a day with the article a and the singular day.
You have not finished the job, but you are too tired to continue. What can you say?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. I am calling it a day; we can finish tomorrow. Call it a day means stopping work now, even when the task is unfinished, with the plan to continue tomorrow.
Which sentence does NOT use call it a day correctly?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. The sun called it a day and rose in the morning. The idiom is about people ending work, so the sun cannot call it a day in that sense.
A colleague asks if you want to continue working. It is late and you have done a lot. What is a natural reply?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. I think we should call it a day. Call it a day means stop working now, so it is the right reply when it is late and enough has been done.
Questions learners ask
Does call it a day mean the work is finished?
No. It means the working period is over for now. The job may be finished or it may continue tomorrow. If you want to say the job is complete, use "we finished it" or "we wrapped it up".
Is call it a day formal or informal?
It is neutral to informal. It is common at work, in meetings and in everyday conversation. A formal report would say "we stopped work for the day".
Can one person call it a day?
Yes. "I am calling it a day" is normal when one person stops working, for example at the end of an afternoon. In a group, one person often says "let us call it a day" to end the session for everyone.
More idioms
Hit the sack
To hit the sack is to go to bed, usually because you are tired and ready to sleep.
Ring a bell
If a name, a face or a story rings a bell, it sounds familiar, even if you cannot remember where you know it from.
On cloud nine
To be on cloud nine is to be extremely happy, often because something wonderful has just happened.
Browse all the idiom pages or take the free A1 to C2 level test to find your starting point.