When writing a date in Spanish, it is important to keep a few things in mind. First, the order of the day, month, and year is different in Spanish than in English. In English, we write the month first, followed by the day and then the year. In Spanish, however, the day comes first, followed by the month and then the year. For example, January 1, 2023 would be written as 1 de enero de 2023 in Spanish.
Another thing to keep in mind when writing dates in Spanish is the use of articles. In English, we do not use articles before the names of months. In Spanish, however, we do use articles before the names of months. The definite article el is used before the names of months that begin with a consonant, and the definite article la is used before the names of months that begin with a vowel. For example, January is enero in Spanish, so we would write el 1 de enero de 2023. April is abril in Spanish, so we would write el 1 de abril de 2023.
Finally, it is important to keep in mind the use of prepositions when writing dates in Spanish. In English, we do not use prepositions before the names of months. In Spanish, however, we do use prepositions before the names of months. The preposition de is used before the names of months, as well as before the day of the month. For example, we would write 1 de enero de 2023 in Spanish, meaning “the 1st of January, 2023”. We would also write el 1 de enero, meaning “the 1st of January”.
Formatting Day and Month
In Spanish, the day of the month is written as a cardinal number, followed by the name of the month. For example, “1 de enero” means “January 1st.” The names of the months are as follows:
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| January | enero |
| February | febrero |
| March | marzo |
| April | abril |
| May | mayo |
| June | junio |
| July | julio |
| August | agosto |
| September | septiembre |
| October | octubre |
| November | noviembre |
| December | diciembre |
Using Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers
In Spanish, the format for writing dates involves using both cardinal and ordinal numbers.
Cardinal Numbers
Cardinal numbers are used to indicate the specific day of the month. For example, the cardinal number for “2” is “dos”.
Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers are used to indicate the order of a day within a month. For example, the ordinal number for “2nd” is “segundo”.
Usage in Date Writing
To write a date in Spanish, follow these steps:
- Use a cardinal number to indicate the day of the month.
- Use an ordinal number to indicate the order of the day within the month.
- Place the ordinal number after the cardinal number, separated by a comma.
For example, to write the date “April 2nd” in Spanish, you would write “2 de abril”.
| Cardinal Number | Ordinal Number |
|---|---|
| 1 | Primero |
| 2 | Segundo |
| 3 | Tercero |
| 4 | Cuarto |
| 5 | Quinto |
| 6 | Sexto |
| 7 | Séptimo |
| 8 | Octavo |
| 9 | Noveno |
| 10 | Décimo |
Dates in Spanish
When writing dates in Spanish, there are a few key things to keep in mind. First, the day of the month is always written before the month. Second, the month is usually abbreviated, but it can also be written out in full. Third, the year is always written in full.
Abbreviating Months vs. Numbers
In general, it is more common to abbreviate the months in Spanish. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, when the month is used as a noun, it is usually written out in full. Additionally, when the month is used in a date that is being read aloud, it is also usually written out in full.
| Month | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Enero | Ene |
| Febrero | Feb |
| Marzo | Mar |
| Abril | Abr |
| Mayo | May |
| Junio | Jun |
| Julio | Jul |
| Agosto | Ago |
| Septiembre | Sep |
| Octubre | Oct |
| Noviembre | Nov |
| Diciembre | Dic |
When writing the date, the day of the month is followed by the month and then the year. For example, the date “March 8, 2023” would be written as “8 de marzo de 2023” in Spanish.
Expressing Year Numbers
When writing dates in Spanish, the year is typically expressed using four digits. There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as when writing the current year or when discussing a specific historical period. See the following table for more details:
| Year | Spanish |
|---|---|
| 2023 | dos mil veintitrés |
| 1999 | mil novecientos noventa y nueve |
| 1492 | mil cuatrocientos noventa y dos |
Note: In Spanish, the word “mil” (thousand) is used to express numbers in the thousands, and the word “millón” (million) is used to express numbers in the millions.
The number 4
The number 4 is expressed as “cuatro” in Spanish. When writing dates, “cuatro” is used to represent the number 4 in all cases, regardless of whether it is followed by a vowel or a consonant. For example:
| Date | Spanish |
|---|---|
| April 4, 2023 | 4 de abril de 2023 |
| June 4, 1999 | 4 de junio de 1999 |
| July 4, 1776 | 4 de julio de 1776 |
Including Time of Day
When writing dates in Spanish, it is also common to include the time of day. This is typically done using the 24-hour clock. For example, if you want to write “June 15, 2023 at 3:00 PM,” you would write it as “15 de junio de 2023 a las 15:00 horas.” There are a lot of ways to write time of the day in Spanish. Here’s a list of some of them and several examples:
| 12-hour | 24-hour | |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | 5:00 AM | 05:00 |
| Noon | 12:00 PM | 12:00 |
| Afternoon | 3:00 PM | 15:00 |
| Evening | 7:00 PM | 19:00 |
| Night | 11:00 PM | 23:00 |
| Midnight | 12:00 AM | 00:00 |
To say “at” in Spanish, you use the preposition “a”. For example, “at 3:00 PM” would be “a las 15:00 horas” and read as “alas quince horas”.
Translating American Dates
In American English, dates are typically written in the order of month-day-year. For example, July 4, 2023. When translating American dates into Spanish, it is important to change the order of the day and the month. The correct format for a Spanish date is day-month-year. For example, 4 de julio de 2023.
Here is a table summarizing the translation of the numbers 1-31 from American English to Spanish:
| American English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| 1 | primero |
| 2 | dos |
| 3 | tres |
| 4 | cuatro |
| 5 | cinco |
| 6 | seis |
| 7 | siete
Note: When 7 is the day of the month, it is written as siete. When 7 is the month, it is written as julio. |
| 8 | ocho |
| 9 | nueve |
| 10 | diez |
| 11 | once |
| 12 | doce |
| 13 | trece |
| 14 | catorce |
| 15 | quince |
| 16 | dieciséis |
| 17 | diecisiete |
| 18 | dieciocho |
| 19 | diecinueve |
| 20 | veinte |
| 21 | veintiuno |
| 22 | veintidos |
| 23 | veintitres |
| 24 | veinticuatro |
| 25 | veinticinco |
| 26 | veintiséis |
| 27 | veintisiete |
| 28 | veintiocho |
| 29 | veintinueve |
| 30 | treinta |
| 31 | treinta y uno |
The months of the year are translated as follows:
| American English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| January | enero |
| February | febrero |
| March | marzo |
| April | abril |
| May | mayo |
| June | junio |
| July | julio |
| August | agosto |
| September | septiembre |
| October | octubre |
| November | noviembre |
| December | diciembre |
For example, the date July 4, 2023 would be translated into Spanish as 4 de julio de 2023.
Regional Variations
Spanish-speaking countries exhibit regional variations in the way they write dates. Here are some notable differences:
Spain
In Spain, dates are typically written in the “European” format, with the day first, followed by the month and year. For example, “8 de marzo de 2023” (8th of March, 2023).
Mexico and Central America
Mexico and most Central American countries use a similar format to Spain, with the day first, followed by the month and year. However, they often abbreviate the month, using the first three letters (e.g., “8 de mar. de 2023”).
South America
South America has a more diverse range of date formats. In many countries, including Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, the day is written first, followed by the month and year, with the month typically abbreviated to two letters (e.g., “08/03/2023”).
The Number 8
In some Spanish-speaking countries, there is a unique way of writing the number 8. In these countries, the number 8 is often written with a loop at the top, like a cursive lowercase “g”. This is known as the “eight with a tail” or “eight with a loop” and is used in:
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Chile
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Uruguay
For example, the date “8 de marzo de 2023” would be written as “8 de mar. de 2023” in Mexico and “08/03/2023” in South American countries that use this format. However, in countries where the “eight with a tail” is used, the date would be written as “8 de mar. de 2023”.
This unique way of writing the number 8 is believed to have originated from a Spanish ligature that combined the letters “o” and “c” into a single character that resembled the number 8 with a loop.
Example:
| Country | Date Format |
|—|—|
| Spain | 8 de marzo de 2023 |
| Mexico | 8 de mar. de 2023 |
| Argentina | 08/03/2023 |
| Chile | 08/03/2023 |
Use the Correct Order for Day, Month, and Year
In Spanish, the day comes first, followed by the month and then the year. For example, the date “March 8, 2023” would be written as “8 de marzo de 2023”.
Use the Lowercase Form of the Month
While the days of the week are capitalized in Spanish, the months are written in lowercase. For example, “January” would be written as “enero”.
Use the Feminine Form for Numerals
Numerals used in dates are feminine in Spanish, regardless of the gender of the noun they are modifying. For example, “the 5th day” would be written as “el quinto día”.
Use the Preposition “de” Before the Month
The preposition “de” is used before the month in Spanish dates. For example, “the 8th of March” would be written as “el 8 de marzo”.
Use the Correct Abbreviations for Months
When abbreviating months in Spanish, use the following abbreviations:
| Month | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Enero | Ene. |
| Febrero | Feb. |
| Marzo | Mar. |
| Abril | Abr. |
| Mayo | May. |
| Junio | Jun. |
| Julio | Jul. |
| Agosto | Ago. |
| Septiembre | Sept. |
| Octubre | Oct. |
| Noviembre | Nov. |
| Diciembre | Dic. |
Use the Ordinal Form of Numerals
When referring to specific days of the month, use the ordinal form of the numerals. For example, “the 1st day” would be written as “el primer día”.
Use the Feminine Form of Ordinal Numerals
As mentioned earlier, numerals in dates are feminine in Spanish. Therefore, the ordinal form of numerals used in dates is also feminine. For example, “the 20th day” would be written as “el vigésimo día”.
Use the Correct Concordance Between Numerals and Nouns
The numeral and the noun it modifies must agree in gender and number. For example, “the 2nd day” would be written as “el segundo día”.
Avoid Using “de la Mañana” and “de la Tarde”
When specifying a time of day, avoid using “de la mañana” (in the morning) or “de la tarde” (in the afternoon). Instead, use the more specific expressions “por la mañana” (in the morning) or “por la tarde” (in the afternoon).
Practice Exercises for Proficiency
Exercise 1: Convert English Dates to Spanish
Translate the following English dates into Spanish:
- January 15, 2023
- March 8, 2020
- July 4, 1999
Exercise 2: Write the Spanish Dates in Different Formats
Reformat the following Spanish dates into the requested formats:
- 15 de enero de 2023 – Abbreviated: ___
- 8 de marzo de 2020 – Official: ___
- 4 de julio de 1999 – Informal: ___
Exercise 3: Numbers in Ordinal Form
Rewrite the following numbers in their ordinal form (e.g., “one” becomes “first”):
- 2
- 10
- 20
Exercise 4: Months in Spanish
Translate the following Spanish months into English:
- Enero
- Febrero
- Marzo
Exercise 5: Years with Centuries
Write the following years in Spanish, including the century:
- 1956
- 1895
- 1776
Exercise 6: Write a Date for a Specific Day
Write the date in Spanish for today, using the long format (e.g., “miércoles, 1 de enero de 2023”).
Exercise 7: Match the English and Spanish Dates
Match the following English and Spanish dates:
- January 1, 2023
- 1 de enero de 2023
- April 15, 2020
- 15 de abril de 2020
- August 20, 1999
- 20 de agosto de 1999
Exercise 8: Answer Questions About Dates
Answer the following questions about dates in Spanish:
- What is the Spanish date for October 12, 2025?
- When is Thanksgiving Day in the United States (in Spanish)?
- Convert the date 15/12/2019 to the Spanish format.
Exercise 9: Write Dates with Cardinals and Ordinals
Write the following dates using both cardinal and ordinal numbers:
- 12/24/2022
- 3/1/2024
- 7/15/2025
Exercise 10: Month Abbreviations
Complete the table with the abbreviated forms of the months in Spanish:
| Month | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Enero | ___ |
| Febrero | ___ |
| Marzo | ___ |
| Abril | ___ |
| Mayo | ___ |
How to Write Dates in Spanish
Writing dates in Spanish follows a specific format and conventions. Here are the general rules to keep in mind:
- The day of the week comes first, followed by the day of the month, and then the month.
- The day of the week and the month are not capitalized unless they start a sentence.
- Ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) are used for the day of the month.
- The year is written in numeric form, without using commas.
For example, to write “March 8, 2023” in Spanish, you would write: “miércoles, 8 de marzo de 2023”.
People Also Ask About How to Write Dates in Spanish
How do you abbreviate months in Spanish?
Months can be abbreviated using the first three letters of the month’s name, such as “ene.” for enero (January) or “dic.” for diciembre (December).
How do you write “the” before a date in Spanish?
“The” before a date is translated as “el” for masculine dates and “la” for feminine dates. For example, “the 15th of March” would be “el 15 de marzo” or “la 15 de marzo”, depending on whether the day is masculine (miércoles) or feminine (viernes).
How do you write ordinal numbers in Spanish?
Ordinal numbers are formed by adding “-º” to the cardinal number. For example, “first” is “primero”, “second” is “segundo”, and “third” is “tercero”.
