Dates in Spanish are formed using ordinal numbers (primero, segundo, tercero, etc.) for the day, followed by the preposition de (of), then the month in lowercase, another de, and finally the year. For example: el cinco de mayo de dos mil veinticuatro (May 5, 2024). Spanish months and days are always written in lowercase.
Months
This table lists all the months in Spanish along with their English equivalents.
Pronunciation guide shows the IPA transcription for the Spanish month.
| Spanish Singular | English Singular | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| enero | January | Mi cumpleaños es en enero. | My birthday is in January. |
| febrero | February | Febrero tiene 28 días. | February has 28 days. |
| marzo | March | Marzo es el tercer mes. | March is the third month. |
| abril | April | Abril es primavera. | April is spring. |
| mayo | May | Mayo es el mes de las flores. | May is the month of flowers. |
| junio | June | Junio inicia el verano. | June starts summer. |
| julio | July | Julio es muy caluroso. | July is very hot. |
| agosto | August | Agosto tiene vacaciones. | August has vacations. |
| septiembre | September | Septiembre vuelve a la escuela. | September returns to school. |
| octubre | October | Octubre es para Halloween. | October is for Halloween. |
| noviembre | November | Noviembre tiene Acción de Gracias. | November has Thanksgiving. |
| diciembre | December | Diciembre es Navidad. | December is Christmas. |
Days of the Week
These are the days of the week in Spanish. They are always lowercase, and the week traditionally starts on Monday (lunes) in Spanish-speaking countries.
| Spanish Singular | English Singular | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| lunes | Monday | El lunes tengo una reunión. | On Monday I have a meeting. |
| martes | Tuesday | El martes voy al cine. | On Tuesday I’m going to the movies. |
| miércoles | Wednesday | Miércoles es el día verde. | Wednesday is the green day. |
| jueves | Thursday | Jueves es casi viernes. | Thursday is almost Friday. |
| viernes | Friday | Viernes salimos de noche. | On Friday we go out at night. |
| sábado | Saturday | Sábado es para descansar. | Saturday is for resting. |
| domingo | Sunday | Domingo es día familiar. | Sunday is family day. |
Ordinal Numbers for Days
In Spanish, use primero (first) for the 1st day, and regular cardinal numbers for the other days (dos, tres, cuatro, etc.). However, in more formal writing, ordinal numbers like segundo, tercero, cuarto can be used, especially in legal or historical contexts.
| Spanish Ordinal | English Ordinal | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| primero | first | Es el primero de mayo. | It’s the first of May. |
| segundo | second | Nació el segundo de junio. | He was born on the second of June. |
| tercero | third | La cita es el tercero. | The appointment is on the third. |
| cuarto | fourth | El cuarto día es sábado. | The fourth day is Saturday. |
| quinto | fifth | El quinto día viajamos. | On the fifth day we travel. |
| sexto | sixth | El sexto es mi favorito. | The sixth is my favorite. |
| séptimo | seventh | Septimo grado es difícil. | Seventh grade is hard. |
| octavo | eighth | Octavo día en la ciudad. | Eighth day in the city. |
| noveno | ninth | Noveno lugar en la carrera. | Ninth place in the race. |
| décimo | tenth | Décimo cumpleaños especial. | Tenth birthday is special. |
How to Say a Date
The standard way to say a date in Spanish is:
el + [day] + de + [month] + de + [year]
- Use primero for the 1st, but cardinal numbers for other days.
- Always use de between day, month, and year.
- Months are lowercase.
Examples:
| Spanish Date | English Date | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| el cinco de mayo de dos mil veinte | May 5, | La fiesta es el cinco de mayo de dos mil veinte. | The party is on May 5, 2020. |
| el primero de enero de dos mil veinticuatro | January 1, | El primero de enero es Año Nuevo. | January 1 is New Year’s Day. |
| el veintitrés de julio de mil novecientos noventa | July 23, | Nació el veintitrés de julio de mil novecientos noventa. | She was born on July 23, 1990. |
| el treinta y uno de diciembre de dos mil | December 31, | El treinta y uno de diciembre celebramos. | We celebrate on December 31. |
Years
How to Say Years in Spanish
- Years before 2000 are usually said in two parts: 1995 → mil novecientos noventa y cinco.
- Years after 2000 can be said as dos mil veinte (2020) or veinte veinte (2020), but dos mil veinte is more common.
- Use y (and) between tens and units: 1984 → mil novecientos ochenta y cuatro.
Examples of Years
| Spanish Year | English Year | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| mil novecientos noventa y nueve | El año mil novecientos noventa y nueve fue especial. | The year 1999 was special. | |
| dos mil | Dos mil fue el inicio del siglo XXI. | was the start of the 21st century. | |
| dos mil veinte | En dos mil veinte pasó algo importante. | Something important happened in 2020. | |
| dos mil veinticuatro | Dos mil veinticuatro será un gran año. | will be a great year. | |
| mil ochocientos | En mil ochocientos, las cosas eran diferentes. | In 1800, things were different. | |
| dos mil diez | Dos mil diez marcó una década nueva. | marked a new decade. |
Summary
- Use el + [day] + de + [month] + de + [year].
- Use primero for the 1st, other days are cardinal numbers.
- Months and days of the week are lowercase.
- Years can be complex but follow patterns: 1999 = mil novecientos noventa y nueve, 2024 = dos mil veinticuatro.
- For informal speech, you can drop el and just say the numbers and months (e.g., cinco de mayo).
In the date 'el primero de enero,' what does 'primero' mean?
first
'Primero' is the ordinal number for 'first' used only for the first day of the month.
Which of the following is the correct way to write December 31, 2000, in Spanish?
el treinta y uno de diciembre de dos mil
The correct format uses 'el' + [day] + 'de' + [month] + 'de' + [year]. Days, months, and years are all in lowercase.
Flashcards (1 of 39)
- English Singular: January
- English Example: My birthday is in January.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
