Read and listen to these examples:
To say the date in Spanish, you need to use this structure:
Article El
Don't forget the definite article el before the date.
Note that dates are always masculine, so it's never la.
Number
The main difference between dates in English and Spanish is the numbers:
- English dates use ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th...)
- Spanish dates use cardinal numbers (dos, tres, cuatro, etc.) so, not segundo (2nd), tercero (3rd), cuarto (4th), etc.
- EXCEPTION For the first day of the month, you can use both cardinal (uno) and ordinal (primero) numbers. Both are correct.
Month
In Spanish, months are never capitalised:
| enero | mayo | septiembre |
| febrero | junio | octubre |
| marzo | julio | noviembre |
| abril | agosto | diciembre |
Year
In Spanish, years are always read as full numbers!
1789 (mil setecientos ochenta y nueve).
1789 (seventeen eighty-nine).
2018 (dos mil dieciocho).
2018 (twenty eighteen).
1920 (mil novecientos veinte).
1920 (nineteen twenty).
1972 (mil novecientos setenta y dos).
1972 (nineteen seventy-two).
Learn more about these related Spanish grammar topics
Examples and resources
1789 (mil setecientos ochenta y nueve).
1789 (seventeen eighty-nine).
El 7 de febrero de 1986.
7th February 1986.
El uno de octubre, el primero de octubre.
1st of April.
2018 (dos mil dieciocho).
2018 (twenty eighteen).
1972 (mil novecientos setenta y dos).
1972 (nineteen seventy-two).
El 23 de diciembre de 2001.
23rd December 2001.
1920 (mil novecientos veinte).
1920 (nineteen twenty).
El 15 de julio de 1949.
15th July 1949.
Carole
Kwiziq community member
23 July 2018
2 replies
El 15 de julio de 19 49. In writing is the year eg 1949 always expressed in figures or can it be words?
Inma
Kwiziq language super star
23 July 2018
23/07/18
Hi Carole
In Spanish, like in English, the year is generally written in numbers (1956, 2009, ...) but when you say it you need to literally say it as if it was a number, unlike in English which is expressed in "pairs".
So, in Spanish:
1975 ="mil / novecientos / setenta y cinco".
But in English:
1975 = "nineteen / seventy five"
Regards
Inma
Carole
Kwiziq community member
30 July 2018
30/07/18