How are dates formed?

1. The basic Spanish date formula

In Spanish, dates follow one clear pattern:

• day + de + month + de + year

Compare:

• English: April 3, 2024
• Spanish: 3 de abril de 2024

Key points you always need:

• No commas in the Spanish date.
• Always use “de” between day–month and month–year.
• Months are not capitalized: abril, not Abril.

2. Saying a full date vs. only day and month

Use the same structure. You only remove the part you do not need.

• Full date: día + de + mes + de + año
  → 15 de junio de 2025
• Day and month only: día + de + mes
  → 15 de junio

With a verb, usually add the article el before the date:

• Las vacaciones empiezan el 15 de junio.
• La reunión es el 3 de abril de 2024.

Think: “on the 15th of June” → el 15 de junio.

3. The first day of the month: 1 / 1.º / primero

Spanish has a small special rule for the first day of the month.

• You can say:
  → el 1 de enero
  → el 1.º de enero (with the ordinal sign)
  → el primero de enero

At A1 level, choose one form and use it consistently. The most practical is:

• el 1 de enero

Examples:

• El año nuevo comienza el 1 de enero.
• Mi contrato empieza el 1 de julio.

4. Adding the day of the week

You can add the weekday at the beginning.

• day of week + , + day + de + month + de + year

Example:

• Martes, 5 de julio de 2022

Important details:

• In Spanish, days of the week are not capitalized: lunes, martes…
• In a full sentence you normally keep el before the date:

• Mi contrato termina el lunes, 5 de julio de 2022.

5. Typical English → Spanish mistakes to avoid

• Never put the month before the day in Spanish.
• Never say el diciembre 25. Always el 25 de diciembre.
• Do not translate English “on” as en for dates. Spanish uses the article el.

6. Talking about something every year

To say that something happens on that date every year, Spanish often uses:

• cada año el + día + de + mes

Examples:

• Cada año el 6 de enero hay fiesta.
• Cada año celebramos la Navidad el 25 de diciembre.

Notice you still keep el before the date.

7. Small writing rules (quick checklist)

• Months and days of the week: lowercase
  → enero, febrero, lunes, martes
• No commas inside the date itself.
  → 3 de abril de 2024, not 3 de abril, 2024
• Use digits for the day at this level.
  → 3 de abril, not tres de abril (both exist, but digits are easier and very common).

8. Step-by-step: convert your own dates

Use this mini-procedure to check yourself when you see a date in “number format” (03/04/2023, 15-06, etc.).

1. Identify the order in your language.
   Is it day / month / year or month / day / year?
2. Write the Spanish order:
   → day + de + month + (de + year)
3. Add the article “el” if it is inside a sentence with a verb.
   → Empiezo el 15 de junio.
4. Check 3 things:
   • Day before month?
   • All “de” in the right places?
   • Month in lowercase?

Example: “01/09/2024”

• Step 1: 1 (day), 9 (month), 2024 (year)
• Step 2: 1 de septiembre de 2024
• Step 3 (in a sentence): La reunión es el 1 de septiembre de 2024.

9. Quick self-check: do you have it?

Answer these questions mentally. If you can answer “yes”, you are ready to use dates in conversation.

• Can you say today’s date in Spanish with the full pattern?
  → Hoy es el … de … de …
• Can you say your birthday only with day and month?
  → Mi cumpleaños es el … de …
• Can you explain in Spanish when your next holiday starts?
  → Mis vacaciones empiezan el … de …
• Can you say one holiday that happens every year on the same day?
  → Cada año el … de …

If one of these is difficult, go back to the pattern:

el + día + de + mes (+ de + año)

and build your sentence slowly from there.