Months in Spanish, including full names, abbreviations, grammar rules, example sentences, and common expressions to help you talk about dates and times.
Spanish has 12 months just like English, and the names are mostly similar. In Spanish, month names are not capitalized unless they start a sentence. You can also use abbreviations (e.g., “ene.” for enero).
Yearly Cycle
The months follow the same order worldwide:
- January → enero
- February → febrero
- March → marzo
- April → abril
- May → mayo
- June → junio
- July → julio
- August → agosto
- September → septiembre
- October → octubre
- November → noviembre
- December → diciembre
Note: Spanish month names are always lowercase unless at the beginning of a sentence.
___ es marzo.
What is the Spanish word for March?
marzo
The Spanish word for March is 'marzo'.
Spanish Months
Table of full month names and common abbreviations:
| Spanish Month | Abbreviation | English Month | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| enero | ene. | January | Nací en enero. | I was born in January. |
| febrero | feb. | February | La fiesta es en febrero. | The party is in February. |
| marzo | mar. | March | Viajo en marzo. | I travel in March. |
| abril | abr. | April | Abril tiene 30 días. | April has 30 days. |
| mayo | may. | May | Mayo es primavera. | May is spring. |
| junio | jun. | June | Junio comienza el verano. | June begins summer. |
| julio | jul. | July | Julio es muy caluroso. | July is very hot. |
| agosto | ago. | August | Vamos a la playa en agosto. | We go to the beach in August. |
| septiembre | sept. | September | Septiembre es mi mes favorito. | September is my favorite month. |
| octubre | oct. | October | Octubre tiene Halloween. | October has Halloween. |
| noviembre | nov. | November | Noviembre es otoño. | November is fall. |
| diciembre | dic. | December | Diciembre es Navidad. | December is Christmas. |
Using “en” for Months
When stating the month something happens, use the preposition en (in):
- en enero (in January)
- en febrero (in February)
- en marzo (in March)
- etc.
Examples:
- Mi cumpleaños es en marzo. (My birthday is in March.)
- Viajamos en julio. (We travel in July.)
- La reunión es en octubre. (The meeting is in October.)
Talking About Dates
To say a full date, use this formula:
[el] [day] de [month] de [year]
- El 5 de mayo de 2023. (May 5, 2023.)
- El 12 de octubre de 1492. (October 12, 1492.)
- El 1 de enero de 2000. (January 1, 2000.)
Note: “el” is used before the day (meaning “the”), but is often omitted in informal speech.
Common Expressions with Months
Here are some useful phrases involving months:
| Spanish | English | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| a principios de [mes] | at the beginning of [month] | A principios de mayo, hace calor. | At the beginning of May, it's hot. |
| a mediados de [mes] | in the middle of [month] | A mediados de junio, vamos de viaje. | In the middle of June, we go on a trip. |
| a finales de [mes] | at the end of [month] | A finales de noviembre, empieza el frío. | At the end of November, the cold begins. |
| todo el mes de [mes] | all month long | Estudié todo el mes de abril. | I studied all month long in April. |
| desde … hasta … | from … until … | Trabajo desde marzo hasta junio. | I work from March until June. |
Complete the sentence: "Trabajo ___ marzo ___ junio." (I work from March until June.)
desde, hasta
The correct prepositions for "from ... until ..." in Spanish are 'desde' and 'hasta'.
Summary
- Spanish month names are always lowercase (unless starting a sentence).
- Use en before the month to say “in [month].”
- Full dates follow the pattern: el [day] de [month] de [year].
- Common expressions include “a principios de,” “a mediados de,” and “a finales de” to specify parts of the month.
- Months can be abbreviated with a period (e.g., ene., feb., mar.).
Flashcards (1 of 17)
- Abbreviation: ene.
- Example: Nací en enero.
- Translation: I was born in January.
- English Month: January
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
