tercer
Note: The ordinal form of 3 (tercero) is used before a noun, while the shorter form (tercer) is used before a number.
Formatting the Day and Month
In Spanish, the date is typically written in the following format: day, month, year.
Numbering the Day
The day of the month is written as a cardinal number. For example, the 1st of January is written as “uno de enero“. The numbers 1 to 15 are written as words, while the numbers 16 to 31 are written as numerals. For example, the 16th of February is written as “dieciséis de febrero“.
Formatting the Month
The month is written as a lowercase noun. For example, January is written as “enero“. The following table lists the Spanish names for the months of the year:
| Month | Spanish Name |
|---|---|
| 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 Abbreviations for Days and Months
Abbreviations can be used for both days of the week and months. This is especially useful in informal writing or when space is limited. The table below lists the standard abbreviations for days and months in Spanish:
| Day | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Lunes | Lun |
| Martes | Mar |
| Miércoles | Mié |
| Jueves | Jue |
| Viernes | Vie |
| Sábado | Sáb |
| Domingo | Dom |
| 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 using abbreviations, it is important to note that they are always written in lowercase. Additionally, when referring to a specific date, the abbreviation for the day is typically placed before the date, followed by the month and year. For example, to write “Thursday, March 8, 2023” in Spanish using abbreviations, you would write “Jue 8 de Mar de 2023.”
Punctuation and Capitalization Rules
The following rules govern the punctuation and capitalization of Spanish dates:
Numbers:
Cardinal numbers (such as 1, 2, 3, etc.) are used to express the day, month, and year. Ordinal numbers (such as first, second, third, etc.) are only used for the day.
Days of the Week:
Days of the week are capitalized and written with a lowercase “d” (e.g., domingo, lunes).
Months:
Months are not capitalized and are written with a lowercase “m” (e.g., enero, febrero).
Years:
Years are written with a lowercase “a” and are not punctuated with commas (e.g., 2023).
Numerals and Abbreviations
In informal writing, it is acceptable to use numerals (e.g., 2/14/23) and abbreviations (e.g., Feb. 14, 2023). However, in formal writing, numerals and abbreviations should be avoided.
Exceptions
The following exceptions apply to the above rules:
The seventh:
When referring to the seventh of a month, the ordinal number séptimo is used, and it is written with an uppercase “S” (e.g., El siete de julio). However, when referring to the seventh day of the week (Sunday), the cardinal number siete is used, and it is written with a lowercase “s” (e.g., El domingo siete).
Dates with prepositions:
When a date is preceded by a preposition (such as in or on), the preposition is not capitalized (e.g., en el ocho de marzo).
Inverted dates:
In some cases, dates may be inverted, with the day placed before the month (e.g., 14 de febrero).
Writing the Date in Spanish
Writing the date in Spanish differs from English in terms of word order and punctuation. Here’s a guide to writing the date correctly:
Examples of Date Formats
| Format | Example |
|---|---|
| DD/MM/YYYY | 10/03/2023 |
| MM-DD-YYYY | 03-10-2023 |
| Day, MM de YYYY | Lunes, 10 de marzo de 2023 |
Day of the Week
The day of the week is written before the date, followed by a comma. It is not capitalized unless it starts a sentence.
Example: Lunes, 10 de marzo de 2023
Month
The month is written in its Spanish form and is not abbreviated. It is capitalized.
Example: marzo
Day of the Month
The day of the month is written in Arabic numerals or spelled out. When spelled out, it agrees in gender with the month.
Example: 10 or diez
Year
The year is written in four digits.
Example: 2023
Ordinal Numbers
When the day of the month is written out, it takes an ordinal ending (-o, -a, -os, -as). The ending agrees in gender with the month.
Example: 10 de marzo (10th of March)
Ordinal Number 8
The ordinal number 8 is irregular in Spanish. Instead of ochoavo, it is octavo for masculine nouns and octava for feminine nouns.
Example: 8 de marzo (8th of March)
Writing the Date in a Letter
When writing the date in a letter in Spanish, you can follow these steps:
1. Place the Day of the Week First
The date begins with the day of the week in Spanish.
2. Include the Number
Next, add the number of the day, using either cardinal or ordinal numbers.
3. Add the Month
After the number, add the month in Spanish.
4. Include the Year
Finish the date with the year in Spanish.
9. Special Cases for the Number 9
When writing the number 9 in Spanish, you can use either the cardinal number nueve or the ordinal number noveno. However, there are some special cases to consider:
| Situation | Format |
|---|---|
| Days of the Month | Use noveno |
| Years | Use nueve |
| All Other Cases | Use whichever form you prefer |
Writing the Date on an Envelope
When writing the date on an envelope in Spanish, there are a few things to keep in mind.
- The day of the month is written as a number, followed by a period.
- The month is written as a word, followed by a period.
- The year is written as a four-digit number.
For example, the date March 15, 2023 would be written as:
15. marzo. 2023
Additional Notes
- If the day of the month is a single digit, it is usually written with a leading zero.
- The months of the year are capitalized.
- The period after the month is optional.
| Day of the Month | Month | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | marzo | 2023 |
How To Write The Date In Spanish
In Spanish, the date is written in the following order: day, month, year. For example, today’s date, March 8, 2023, would be written as 8 de marzo de 2023.
There are a few things to keep in mind when writing the date in Spanish:
- The day of the month is always written in Arabic numerals.
- The month is always written in lowercase letters.
- The year is always written in Arabic numerals.
- The preposition “de” (of) is always used between the day and the month.
Here are some examples of how to write the date in Spanish:
- March 8, 2023: 8 de marzo de 2023
- April 15, 2023: 15 de abril de 2023
- May 30, 2023: 30 de mayo de 2023
