You’ve probably noticed that the way Spanish speakers write dates is a little different from the English language. But not to worry, you can master writing dates in Spanish in this article! Let’s dive into the rules and learn how to express dates correctly in Spanish.
Writing dates in Spanish follows a specific structure, and understanding the rules will help you avoid any confusion. The order of the date components differs from English. Typically, Spanish speakers write the day, followed by the month, and then the year. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, and we’ll explore them as we go through the various date formats. Additionally, the use of prepositions, articles, and punctuation marks plays a crucial role in conveying the date correctly. Let’s take a closer look at each element that makes up a Spanish date.
When writing the day, Spanish speakers use cardinal numbers (uno, dos, tres, etc.) for the specific day of the month. The month is expressed using the definite article el before the name of the month, which must be in its singular form. For example, “el uno de enero” (January 1st) or “el quince de julio” (July 15th). However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For instance, the months of May and June do not require the definite article. So, you would write “uno de mayo” (May 1st) or “quince de junio” (June 15th). Lastly, the year is written using the full numeric form.
The Structure of Spanish Dates
Understanding the structure of Spanish dates is crucial for writing them correctly. Unlike English, which uses the month-day-year format, Spanish dates follow the day-month-year order. Additionally, the day and month are often written in numerical form, using ordinal numbers. Here’s a breakdown of the structure:
1. Day
In Spanish, the day of the month is expressed using ordinal numbers. Ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix -o or -a to the cardinal number. For example, “1” becomes “primero,” “2” becomes “segundo,” and so on. The only exception is the number “1,” which uses the masculine form “uno” instead of “primero.” The day number is followed by a period.
| Cardinal Number | Ordinal Number |
|---|---|
| 1 | uno |
| 2 | segundo |
| 3 | tercero |
| 4 | cuarto |
| 5 | quinto |
For dates that fall on the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd of the month, the ordinal numbers agree in gender with the noun “día.” For example, “el 1 de enero” (January 1st) or “el 3 de mayo” (May 3rd). For all other dates, the ordinal number remains masculine regardless of the gender of the noun “día.” For example, “el 14 de julio” (July 14th) or “la 28 de febrero” (February 28th).
How To Write Dates In Spanish
Expressing Dates Numerically
When writing dates numerically in Spanish, there are two main formats: the European format (day/month/year) and the American format (month/day/year). The European format is more commonly used in Spain, while the American format is more commonly used in Latin America.
To write the day of the month, use cardinal numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.). For days between 11 and 19, use the words “once” (11), “doce” (12), “trece” (13), etc. followed by the cardinal number. For days 21 and above, use the word “veinti” (20) followed by the cardinal number.
To write the month, use the following words:
| Month | Spanish Word |
|---|---|
| January | enero |
| February | febrero |
| March | marzo |
| April | abril |
| May | mayo |
| June | junio |
| July | julio |
| August | agosto |
| September | septiembre |
| October | octubre |
| November | noviembre |
| December | diciembre |
To write the year, use cardinal numbers. For years between 2000 and 2999, you can either write the full number (e.g. “dos mil cinco”) or use the abbreviation “2005”. For years before 2000, you must write the full number.
Writing Dates in Ordinal Numbers
In Spanish, ordinal numbers are used to write dates, indicating the day of the month. These numbers are formed by adding the suffix “º” to the cardinal number.
Days 1 – 15
From 1st to 15th, the ordinal numbers are formed by adding “º” to the cardinal numbers.
| Cardinal Number | Ordinal Number |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1º |
| 2 | 2º |
| 3 | 3º |
| 4 | 4º |
| 5 | 5º |
| 6 | 6º |
| 7 | 7º |
| 8 | 8º |
| 9 | 9º |
| 10 | 10º |
| 11 | 11º |
| 12 | 12º |
| 13 | 13º |
| 14 | 14º |
| 15 | 15º |
Separating Day, Month, and Year
In Spanish, the day, month, and year are typically separated by commas. For example, the date “June 25, 2023” would be written as “25 de junio de 2023” in Spanish.
Using Ordinal Numbers
When writing dates in Spanish, ordinal numbers are used for the day of the month. Ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix “-o” or “-a” to the cardinal number. For example, “25” would be written as “vigésimo quinto” (masculine) or “vigésimo quinta” (feminine) in Spanish.
Using the Definite Article
The definite article “el” or “la” is used before the month in Spanish. For example, the date “June 25, 2023” would be written as “el 25 de junio de 2023” in Spanish.
For dates that fall on the first of the month, the definite article is not used. For example, the date “June 1, 2023” would be written as “1 de junio de 2023” in Spanish.
Using Prepositions
The preposition “de” is used to connect the month and the year in Spanish. For example, the date “June 25, 2023” would be written as “25 de junio de 2023” in Spanish.
Table of Date Formats
The following table shows the different formats for writing dates in Spanish:
| Format | Example |
|---|---|
| Day, Month, Year | 25 de junio de 2023 |
| Month, Day, Year | Junio 25, 2023 |
| Year, Month, Day | 2023 de junio 25 |
Avoiding Ambiguous Dates
Spanish has a unique way of writing dates that can be confusing for non-native speakers. In Spanish, the day of the week is followed by the date, then the month, and finally the year. For example, the date “January 1, 2023” would be written as “lunes 1 de enero de 2023” in Spanish. This can lead to confusion when reading or writing dates, as it is easy to accidentally switch the order of the day, month, and year.
There are a few things you can do to avoid writing ambiguous dates in Spanish:
- Use the correct order of day, month, and year.
- Use the correct abbreviations for the months.
- Use the correct punctuation.
- Use a leading zero before single-digit dates.
- Do not use commas to separate the day, month, and year.
- Always use the 24-hour clock when writing time.
Here is a table that summarises the rules for writing dates in Spanish:
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| Use the correct order of day, month, and year. | lunes 1 de enero de 2023 |
| Use the correct abbreviations for the months. | ene., feb., mar., abr., may., jun., jul., ago., sep., oct., nov., dic. |
| Use the correct punctuation. | lunes 1 de enero de 2023 |
| Use a leading zero before single-digit dates. | 01 de enero de 2023 |
| Do not use commas to separate the day, month, and year. | lunes 1 de enero de 2023 (not lunes, 1 de enero de 2023) |
| Always use the 24-hour clock when writing time. | 13:00 (not 1:00 PM) |
By following these rules, you can avoid writing ambiguous dates in Spanish and ensure that your writing is clear and easy to understand.
Differences from English Date Writing
Day and Month Order
In English, the month comes first, followed by the day. But in Spanish, the day comes first, and then the month.
Abbreviations
In English, month abbreviations are typically three letters long (e.g., Jan, Feb, Mar). In Spanish, however, month abbreviations are typically four letters long (e.g., ene, feb, mar).
Numbers
Spanish uses different number formats for dates than English. For example, in English, we might write "2023-03-07" for March 7, 2023. But in Spanish, we would write "07/03/2023."
The Number 8
The number 8 is especially tricky in Spanish. In English, we write it as "8." But in Spanish, it can be written as either "8" or "ocho."
- In dates, "8" is typically used before a day of the month.
For example, to write "August 8, 2023," we would write "8 de agosto de 2023."
- "Ocho" is used after a day of the month.
For example, to write "the eighth of August, 2023," we would write "el ocho de agosto de 2023."
The Word "de"
The word "de" is often used in Spanish dates to separate the day and the month. For example, to write "March 7, 2023," we would write "7 de marzo de 2023."
Examples
Here are some examples of Spanish dates:
| English | Spanish |
| March 7, 2023 | 7 de marzo de 2023 |
| August 8, 2023 | 8 de agosto de 2023 |
| The eighth of August, 2023 | El ocho de agosto de 2023 |
Tips for Writing Dates Clearly
To ensure clarity when writing dates in Spanish, consider the following tips:
1. Spell Out the Numbers for Days and Months
For days and months that are singular, spell them out. For example, write “lunes” for Monday and “enero” for January. For plural days, add an “s” to the end of the word (e.g., “lunes” becomes “lunes”).
2. Use Cardinal Numbers for Dates
When writing the date, use cardinal numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) instead of ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd). For example, write “el 12 de marzo” (the 12th of March) instead of “el 12º de marzo”.
3. Use “de” Before the Month
Include the preposition “de” before the month when writing the date. For example, write “el 12 de marzo” (the 12th of March).
4. Capitalize the Days of the Week and Months
Capitalize the names of days of the week and months in Spanish. For example, write “Lunes, 12 de marzo” (Monday, March 12).
5. Use the Correct Punctuation
Use a comma after the number when writing the date. For example, write “el 12 de marzo,” (the 12th of March).
6. Include the Year
When writing the complete date, include the year. For example, write “el 12 de marzo de 2023” (the 12th of March, 2023).
7. Use the 24-Hour Clock
In Spanish-speaking countries, the 24-hour clock is commonly used. For example, 3:00 PM would be written as “15:00”.
8. Use Abbreviations for Months
When writing dates in a more casual or informal context, you can use abbreviations for months. For example, you could write “12/mar/23” instead of “12 de marzo de 2023” (the 12th of March, 2023).
9. Avoid Using the Ordinal
Avoid using the ordinal form of numbers when writing dates. For example, instead of writing “el primero de enero,” write “el 1 de enero” (the 1st of January).
10. Other Formats
There are variations in how dates are written and ordered in Spanish depending on the specific region and format used. For example, in some contexts, you may see the following formats:
| Format | Example |
|---|---|
| ISO 8601 | 2023-03-12 |
| Spanish format | 12/03/2023 |
| American format | 03/12/2023 |
How To Write Dates In Spanish
In Spanish, the date is written in the following order: day, month, year. The day is written as a number, followed by the month, which is written as a word. The year is written as a four-digit number.
For example, the date June 10, 2023 would be written as “10 de junio de 2023”.
There are some exceptions to this rule. For example, the months of January and February are always written as “enero” and “febrero”, respectively. Additionally, the day of the week is often written before the date. For example, the date “Tuesday, June 10, 2023” would be written as “martes, 10 de junio de 2023”.
When writing dates in Spanish, it is important to use the correct prepositions. The preposition “de” is used before the month and the year. For example, “el 10 de junio de 2023”.
People Also Ask
How do you write the date in Spanish in numbers?
To write the date in Spanish in numbers, you would write the day as a two-digit number, followed by a slash (/), followed by the month as a two-digit number, followed by another slash, followed by the year as a four-digit number. For example, the date June 10, 2023 would be written as “10/06/2023”.
How do you say the date in Spanish?
To say the date in Spanish, you would say the day, followed by the month, followed by the year. For example, to say the date June 10, 2023, you would say “diez de junio de dos mil veintitrés”.
What is the correct order to write the date in Spanish?
The correct order to write the date in Spanish is day, month, year. For example, the date June 10, 2023 would be written as “10 de junio de 2023”.
