What does "next Saturday" mean

The 11th. "This" is the upcoming. "Next" is the one after that.

Source: being a human being and scheduling stuff with people for many decades

edit: To be clear, I agree that is how it should work for Saturday. For sunday, I'd prefer to use "next" over "this" when referring to the future

Small change

Say it is Wednesday and you want to refer to the immediate upcoming Sunday. Which sounds better:

"Next Sunday I will do X" (edited)

"This Sunday I will do X" (edited)

To me, "next" feels more appropriate, while "this" feels like it should be past tense, referring to the most recent Sunday that just passed.

This could also be affected by location, and whether Sunday or Monday is the start of the week.
- I feel like the tense of the rest of the sentence determines which day you're referring to when you use "this."
  
  "I went to the movies this Saturday." Would be the Saturday that just happened
  
  Vs
  
  "I'm going to the movies this Saturday" would be this coming Saturday
  
  You could of course further disambiguate it by using "this past Saturday" and "this coming Saturday" if you really wanted to, but I think in most contexts the rest of the sentence does it well enough.
- If you ask someone to meet you somewhere "next Saturday", you'll be stood up by 99.99999% of the population if you're expecting this Saturday.
  
  The standard usage is unanimous. Whatever you think "makes sense", the entire population has already agreed on the standard. Anyone who "understood" you picked up what you meant from other context. Because you used it incorrectly.
- Just say on Sunday if you don't like the term This.
  
  Next always means there is one present to which one must come after. "Who is next in line?" Would be correct to use in all situations except when asking who is first in line.
- The start of the week has nothing to do with it. "This week" is 7 days from today. Any days within "this week" are "this $day".

This Saturday = the 4th
Next Saturday = the 11th

But this Saturday is the 2nd
- Using the calendar dates in the question.

Saturday the 4th is part of "this week" so it's "this Saturday".

Saturday the 11th is part of "next week" so it's "next Saturday".

Otherwise "next Saturday" and "Saturday next week" would mean different things.

Yeah, it'd be great if that were the case. But Saturday the 4th is also just the next Saturday in terms of Saturdays.

It's an ambiguous term and so always needs clarify gbas you and the person you're talking to may be thinking along different lines.
- I think we can all agree it's confusing. I am just pointing out that there is an internal consistency in why it's phrased in this way.
If somebody says to me next Sunday I just assumed they mean the next Sunday to come around. Especially because there is a lot of ambiguity about when the week begins and ends. American software likes to default to calling Saturday the final day of the week, and Sunday the first day of the following week.
- Technically "next Sunday" is the nearest Sunday (eg "sunday of next week"), however next Saturday is not (because it's the Saturday of next week"). This assumes we all accept that Sunday is considered the start of the week - which isn't always the case nowadays.
  
  It's chaos! But I'm just pointing out that there's a wired logic to it, which I assume at some point made more sense than it does in our time.

"This Saturday" is the first Saturday occurring in the next 7 days. ""Next Saturday" is the one after "This Saturday".

I would call the 4th "this Saturday", and the 11th "next Saturday". But it's ambiguous enough to ask for clarification.

I would do the same, and I would also say next Saturday the 11th just to avoid ambiguity.
Yeah, if I want to be clear I say "the following Saturday." There's no room for ambiguity.

I'd interpret "next Saturday" as the one on the 11th, and "this Saturday" as the one on the 4th.

Approximately 5 days before the day in question, "next" becomes "this".

That's the answer.

Excellent question that has always bothered me too.

Permanently Deleted

Yep, I already discovered that xD

Now I am trying to prove that I'm right on the Internet to make myself feel better
- Permanently Deleted
- Out of curiosity, how would you say "this saturday" and "next saturday" in your native language and what would the literal translation be?
- Don't worry, I'm on your side.
  
  Edit: I'm an expert on Saturdays
This.

There's no point in "this" Saturday, just say Saturday. Or Saturday the 4th.

"Next Saturday" is ambiguous, but most native English speakers will consider the following week, not the week you are in.
- This.
  
  Next.

It goes like this

"Next Saturday"

"You mean this Saturday? Or next Saturday?"

"Next Saturday"

"Okay"

Because English is not an efficient tool for communication.

Absolutely this. Because it is never clear which is meant without being qualified, you have to do this every time unless you specify. I would just say Saturday the 4th to save the exchange.
Not efficent but certainly effective.
- Definitely versatile

The way I interpret it is that "next Sunday" is the same as saying "next week's Sunday." Meanwhile, "this sunday" refers to "this week's Sunday." So if it's Friday and I want to meet 5 days from now, I would call it next Wednesday. But if it's Monday and I want to meet 5 days from now, I call it this Saturday

But also, anyone with even a bit of courtesy would give a full date, along with the day of the week, if they're the to schedule something

This Saturday is the Saturday that is occurring in that week, i.e. the 4th, and next Saturday would be the 11th.

Today is Friday, 3/1.

"This Saturday" - Saturday 3/2.

"Next Saturday" - Saturday 3/9.

What if it is Sunday? Does this Saturday refer to yesterday?
- Only if the rest of the sentence matches the tense to make that clear.
  
  I went to a movie this Saturday
  
  This one is yesterday. But I personally would just say "I went to a movie Saturday" and drop the "this" entirely in that case.
  
  I'm going to a movie this Saturday
  
  This one refers to the upcoming Saturday.
- No. This week is a rolling 7 days from the day you are on. "This $day" indicates the day that falls in "this week". You can use yesterday on sunday or "this past Saturday" to indicate the saturday that fell the previous 7 days.

I've found that the meaning depends on regional differences in both English and Norwegian, and as a result I never use "next Sunday". I say "Sunday in a week and a half" or the date instead.

Same in France.
- I think in German it's not regional but pure chaos
  
  Edit: here is a map. You don't need to understand German to see there ain't no patterns

I would immediately ask. As others have mentioned, "this Saturday" would mean the 4th in your example, but next is too ambiguous; the 4th is the next Saturday on the calendar.

This same thing can happen outside of English as well.

You can also look up "half five". Depending upon your culture, it means 5:30 (half PAST five) or 4:30 (halfway UNTIL five in the hour before).

I think a lot of people are over thinking this. I don't think anyone would say next Saturday meaning this Saturday at all. You'd just say Saturday.

Like, "I'm going to see dune 2 Saturday." There is no need to clarify which Saturday it's going to be if you don't muddy it by trying to qualify it needlessly.

So next Saturday should always be the Saturday after this upcoming one.

Right? But no, actually wrong. I said "next Saturday" thinking it was obvious, and 4/9 people thought I meant this Saturday
I don't think anyone would say next Saturday meaning this Saturday at all

I am someone who does this. I know it's convention to say "this Saturday" for that, but when I'm not thinking about it too hard, it just comes out as "next Saturday" aka "the next Saturday I will experience after this very moment" aka what you would call "this Saturday". I usually have to immediately follow up with a disambiguation, because I usually only catch myself after having said it.

coming Saturday = Saturday 4th

next Saturday = Saturday 11th

'This' is the first Saturday, 'next' is the second Saturday, from whatever day that you are in.

Not *when today is Sunday
- Disagree. Even if it’s Sunday, the rule still applies.
- Not wegen today is Sunday
  
  What?

Just stop being ambiguous. Give a specific date, because based on the number of answers here "next Saturday" could mean anything from last week to 6 years from now (yes, I'm being dramatic for effect).

When we get to this Saturday, next Saturday moves a week beyond our grasp. In some sense, when we die, our own timeline ends, and we can finally arrive at next Saturday for the first time.

Because the longest lives are around 110 years, and children start speaking around 3, the furthest in the future "next Saturday" can be is abouy 107 years.

It's the same with "bi-weekly". Does that mean twice every week, or once every 2 weeks?

There's a bunch of ambiguous stuff in the English language. The only real solution is just avoid ambiguity in the first place by not using the phrase

This is why I NEVER use the word "inflammable." "Flammable" doesn't have that built-in possibility to confuse apprentices.

Next could mean either technically haha

Generally where I am next or this Saturday would be the 4th and "a week Saturday" would be the 11th.

Saturday is Saturday. Next Saturday is not. Otherwise why add the modifier?

you meet in 3 days.

I'm a firm believer that "Next Saturday" refers to the upcoming one, however, I understand most people do not, therefore it's easiest to ask how many days, or the specific date. I.E. Saturday the 15th, Weekend of the 15th, in 12 days.

In my language we can use a word that would translate to nearest / closest Saturday but the equivalent of this Saturday works fine too, to pin point the first upcoming one. Something like next Saturday is a shortcut from Saturday in the upcoming week — which in full form is used pretty often too.

I'd clarify with them but probably the 4th. As a kid I was raised that "this X" is the next one and "next X" is the one after that. But as an adult I can't say I've ever talked to someone who actually used it that way. Instead "this X" and "next X" mean the same thing (the next one after today)

I find that people generally use "this" and "next" correctly but it depends how the week is being perceived. I think it might depend what day of the week it currently is. Like if it's Sunday, someone might say "next Saturday" to mean the first coming Saturday. But if someone says "next Saturday" on a Thursday they definitely mean the second coming Saturday.
I don't know an adult in my life that doesn't use it the way you and many others here are describing.

Wonder if this is a regional thing.

The "Next Saturday" is just the next Saturday, the closest Saturday right? Or does it work differently in English?

You are describing "This Saturday". Next Saturday is the one after that It's just like "this week" indicates something within the next 7 days and "next week" occurs 1 day after the end of "this week". So if its Wednesday, "this week" goes through Tuesday and the following Wednesday starts "Next Week".
- Ahhh that makes sense!
That's what I'm trying to find out. Most people seem to think that you're wrong, and that it would be "this Saturday" if it's this week, and "next Saturday" is the one after that. So if you're on Sunday then "this Saturday" would be yesterday and "next Saturday" would be six days. But usually, "next Saturday" is more than 7 days away
- I say next Saturday for the Saturday that will occur soonest.
  
  If someone waiting at a bus stop asks me which bus goes to the train station, I say the “the next one”. Meaning the one that will appear first at the bus stop, not the one after that. Which makes sense for days of the week too, to me anyway.
  
  I am always being corrected, though.
i agree with this and don't even think about it because it makes so much obvious sense, and i confuse people often who believe it to mean the one after the next one (aka "this" one) smh

This always bothers me when I hear it. If you MEAN Saturday just SAY Saturday, no need to bring a confusing "next" into the equation. If I need to know, I'll ask for clarity.

If I say Saturday, that's a replacement for "this Saturday". "Next Saturday", 7 days after "this Saturday" or "Saturday".

It can be either. Time is a relative concept that depends on the perception of the user.

Next Saturday means the very next upcoming one unless you are a loony in which case it means the Saturday after the very next one.

When a teenage mare says there party starts at 9 pm, are you there at 8:50?

/s

It means: The next time it is Saturday. that is when they are referring to. It takes all of a three-year-old to understand this, and I pity anyone lacking that level of intelligence.

If reading comprehension, and the general intelligence of the public has sunk so far that even such a basic phrase is now unintelligible to people, it’s no wonder that Donald Trump is about to be reelected as president of the United States.

There's no need to be an arsehole
It means not the Saturday that is coming because that one is just Saturday but the next Saturday so the 11th to use OP to use example