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Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn how to form dates in Italian using 'giorno + mese + anno', with key vocabulary like 'primo aprile' (April 1st), '15 agosto', and expressions such as 'Che giorno è oggi?'. Practice using both cardinal and ordinal numbers for days.
  1. The year is always written after the month without an article.
  2. The first day of the month is expressed with an ordinal number. The others are expressed with cardinal numbers. Example: 'primo aprile' (April 1st); '3 aprile' (April 3rd).
Formato (Format)Esempio (Example)
Data completa (Complete date)1 gennaio 2023 (1 January 2023)
Data senza l'anno (Date without the year)15 agosto (15 August)
Data con il giorno della settimana (Date with the day of the week)Martedì, 5 luglio 2022 (Tuesday, 5 July 2022)
Domanda (Question)Che giorno è oggi? - E' il 3 aprile. (What day is it today? - It's 3 April.)
Uso in contesto (Use in context)Le vacanze iniziano il 15 giugno. (The holidays start on 15 June.)

Exceptions!

  1. For holidays, the day is often used without the article: 'Natale', 'Pasqua'.

Exercise 1: Come si forma la data?

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

25 dicembre, 10 luglio, 1 ottobre, 1 gennaio, 5 maggio, 30 aprile, 25 aprile, 12 agosto

1. 5/5:
Oggi è il ....
(Today is the 5th of May.)
2. 30/4:
La festa è il ....
(The party is on 30 April.)
3. 1/10:
Il mio compleanno è il ....
(My birthday is on 1 October.)
4. 25/12:
Il Natale è il ....
(Christmas is on 25 December.)
5. 1/1:
Capodanno è il ....
(New Year's Day is 1 January.)
6. 25/4:
Il prossimo ponte è il ....
(The next bank holiday is the 25th of April.)
7. 10/7:
Il mio amico nasce il ....
(My friend was born on 10 July.)
8. 12/8:
La vacanza inizia il ....
(The holiday starts on 12 August.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Oggi è il ____ maggio.

(Today is the ____ of May.)

2. La festa è il ____ agosto.

(The holiday is on ____ August.)

3. Il mio compleanno è il ____ aprile.

(My birthday is on ____ April.)

4. La riunione è il ____ gennaio 2023.

(The meeting is on ____ January 2023.)

5. ____ è una festa importante.

(____ is an important holiday.)

6. Domani è martedì, ____ luglio 2022.

(Tomorrow is Tuesday, ____ July 2022.)

Understanding How to Form Dates in Italian

This lesson introduces you to the structure and usage of dates in Italian, focusing on how to properly express calendar dates in everyday contexts. The content is designed for beginner learners (A1 level), making it approachable and easy to follow.

Basic Date Format

In Italian, the format to write a date is day + month + year. Unlike in English, the day comes first, followed by the month, and then the year.

  • Example: 1 gennaio 2023 (January 1, 2023)
  • You usually do not use an article before the year.

Day Numbers: Ordinals vs. Cardinals

The first day of the month is expressed using the ordinal number primo (first). All other dates use cardinal numbers (3, 15, etc.).

  • primo aprile (April 1st)
  • 3 aprile (April 3rd)

Common Date Variations

  • Date without the year: For less formal contexts or when the year is understood, you can simply say 15 agosto (August 15).
  • Date with the weekday: Sometimes, you can include the day of the week, for example, Martedì, 5 luglio 2022 (Tuesday, July 5, 2022).
  • Asking about the date: Common question like Che giorno è oggi? (What day is it today?) with answers such as È il 3 aprile.

Using Dates in Context

In sentences, dates often follow the preposition il, which corresponds to the English "on." For example:

  • Le vacanze iniziano il 15 giugno. (The holidays start on June 15.)

Special Notes on Holidays

For Italian holidays, the date is often mentioned without the article il. For example, Natale (Christmas) and Pasqua (Easter) are used directly without "il."

Differences Between English and Italian Date Expressions

English typically writes dates with the month first, then day, then year (e.g., April 3rd, 2023), while Italian goes day first, then month, then year (3 aprile 2023). Additionally, English uses ordinal numbers with most dates (1st, 2nd, 3rd), whereas in Italian only the first day uses the ordinal primo, and all other days use cardinal numbers.

Useful Words and Phrases:

  • il primo maggio - May 1st
  • il 15 agosto - August 15
  • il 3 aprile - April 3rd
  • Che giorno è oggi? - What day is it today?
  • Pasqua - Easter

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This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Fabio Pirioni

Bachelor in Humanities

University of Udine

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 19:37