Dates in German involve vocabulary for days, months, ordinal numbers, and common expressions to help you talk about when something happens.
Days of the Week
The days of the week in German are all masculine nouns and are capitalized.
Days of the Week Table
| German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montag | Montage | Monday | Mondays |
| Dienstag | Dienstage | Tuesday | Tuesdays |
| Mittwoch | Mittwoche | Wednesday | Wednesdays |
| Donnerstag | Donnerstage | Thursday | Thursdays |
| Freitag | Freitage | Friday | Fridays |
| Samstag | Samstage | Saturday | Saturdays |
| Sonntag | Sonntage | Sunday | Sundays |
Months of the Year
German months are also nouns and always capitalized.
Months of the Year Table
| German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Januar | Januare | January | Januarys |
| Februar | Februare | February | Februaries |
| März | Märze | March | Marches |
| April | Aprile | April | Aprils |
| Mai | Maie | May | Mays |
| Juni | Junis | June | Junes |
| Juli | Julis | July | Julys |
| August | Auguste | August | Augusts |
| September | September | September | Septembers |
| Oktober | Oktober | October | Octobers |
| November | November | November | Novembers |
| Dezember | Dezember | December | Decembers |
Ordinal Numbers for Dates
German uses ordinal numbers for dates (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). Only the first ordinal number has a written suffix: 1. = erste. For all others, you write the number followed by a period and say the ordinal form (-te or -ste ending).
Ordinal Numbers Table
| German Ordinal | English Ordinal | Usage Example in German | Usage Example in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| . (erste) | st (first) | Ich habe am 1. Januar Geburtstag. | My birthday is on January 1st. |
| . (zweite) | nd (second) | Der Termin ist am 2. Februar. | The appointment is on February 2nd. |
| . (dritte) | rd (third) | Am 3. März fahren wir weg. | On March 3rd, we are leaving. |
| . (vierte) | th (fourth) | Sie kommt am 4. April. | She is coming on April 4th. |
| . (fünfte) | th (fifth) | Das Treffen ist am 5. Mai. | The meeting is on May 5th. |
| . (sechste) | th (sixth) | Wir sehen uns am 6. Juni. | See you on June 6th. |
| . (siebte) | th (seventh) | Am 7. Juli ist das Fest. | The festival is on July 7th. |
| . (achte) | th (eighth) | Schule beginnt am 8. August. | School starts on August 8th. |
| . (neunte) | th (ninth) | Ich reise am 9. September. | I travel on September 9th. |
| . (zehnte) | th (tenth) | Am 10. Oktober ist Feiertag. | October 10th is a holiday. |
| ... | ... | ... | ... |
Common Date Phrases
These phrases will help you ask about and talk about dates in German.
Common Date Phrases Table
| German Phrase | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Welches Datum ist heute? | What is the date today? |
| Heute ist der 15. März. | Today is March 15th. |
| Wann hast du Geburtstag? | When is your birthday? |
| Mein Geburtstag ist am 20. Juli. | My birthday is on July 20th. |
| Können wir uns am Freitag treffen? | Can we meet on Friday? |
| Der Termin ist auf den 3. Mai verschoben. | The appointment is postponed to May 3rd. |
| Bis wann musst du das erledigen? | By when do you have to finish this? |
| Ich habe morgen Zeit. | I’m free tomorrow. |
| Übermorgen habe ich einen Termin. | The day after tomorrow I have an appointment. |
| Letzte Woche war viel los. | Last week was very busy. |
What does 'Wann hast du Geburtstag?' mean?
When is your birthday?
'Wann hast du Geburtstag?' asks for the date of your birthday.
How to Write Dates in German
The correct format is day. month year (with a period after the day) and no commas:
- . April 2024
- . Dezember 2023
When written in numbers:
- .04.2024
- .12.2023
- Use leading zeros for single digits if you like, but it’s not required.
How do you write the date in numbers for 'December 21, 2023' in German format?
21.12.2023
German numeric dates are 'day.month.year' with periods: 21.12.2023.
Summary
German date vocabulary includes days and months as nouns, ordinal numbers with periods for dates, and useful phrases:
- Days and months are capitalized nouns.
- Dates use ordinal numbers with a period (1. = erste, 2. = zweite, etc.).
- Standard written format: 5. April 2024.
- Common phrases help you discuss and ask about dates naturally.
Flashcards (1 of 40)
- English Singular: Monday
- English Plural: Mondays
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
