The Months in Spanish: Talk About The Year in Spanish

Knowing the names of the months in Spanish will come in handy when you make plans or talk about celebrations, holidays, and seasons in Spanish. In this article, we’ll explore the twelve months of the year in Spanish. We’ll also look at the abbreviations, date order, and useful phrases to help you communicate with ease.

The Months of The Year in Spanish: Los Meses del Año 

First things first. Let’s start by looking at how to say the names of the 12 months of the year. Take a look at the chart below to see their names and English translations. Since the month names in English and Spanish are both derived from Latin, they might look familiar to you!

Let’s look at some examples of using months in context: 

• Mi cumpleaños es el 15 de agosto. / My birthday is on the 15th of August.
• Nos volveremos a ver en diciembre. / We’ll meet again in December.
• El evento está programado para octubre. / The event is scheduled for October.
• El proyecto comenzó en marzo. /  The project started in March.
• La fecha límite es el 5 de diciembre de 2024. / The deadline is December 5, 2024.

The Gender of Months in Spanish

Since all nouns in Spanish are masculine or feminine, the months are no exceptions. All of the months of the year are masculine and singular. This means they are accompanied by the article “el” when an articlce is necessary. However, the article is usually only used when we’re talking about specific dates such as “el 4 de julio.” Here are some other examples:

• El matrimonio es el 24 de julio. / The wedding is on July 24th.
• Ella cumple años todos los años en agosto. / She has a birthday every year in August.
• El boleto de tren es para el 20 de octubre. / The train ticket is for October 20th.
• Nosotros siempre pasamos marzo en la playa. / We always spend March at the beach.

Capitalization of Spanish Months

Different from English, the names of the months are never capitalized in Spanish unless they are used at the beginning of a sentence or in a title. For example, you would write, “Me gusta el mes de enero,” (I like the month of January) with a lowercase “e.” Let’s see some examples:

• Julio es un mes frío en Sudamérica. / July is a cold month in South America.
• En diciembre, nosotros celebramos Navidad. / In December, we celebrate Christmas.
• Tú siempre viajas en abril. / You always travel in April.
• Octubre es mi mes favorite. / October is my favorite month.

Abbreviations of Spanish Months

In Spanish, it’s also common to see the names of months abbreviated. You’re most likely to find these abbreviations in print documents like bills, ads, tickets, and product tags. Below, you’ll find a table with the Spanish abbreviation for each month. There isn’t one standard way to abbreviate the months so you may see other variations.

Here are some examples of how you can use month abbreviations in Spanish sentences:

• La tarjeta de crédito vence en ene. 2023. / The credit card expires in Jan. 2023.
• El informe debe ser enviado antes del 5 de feb. / The report must be submitted before Feb. 5th.
• El plazo para pagar la factura es el 15 de abr. / The deadline to pay the bill is Apr. 15th.
• El evento está programado para el 20 de ago. / The event is scheduled for Aug. 20th.

How to Write Dates in Spanish

In Spanish, we write dates in a slightly different format than in English. While the core elements remain the same, there are important differences to note. From structure to comma placement, these details matter for clear communication. Here are some grammar rules you must follow to write Spanish dates correctly.

Day-Month-Year Order

This might seem strange you if you’re new to Spanish, but Spanish and English have different formats for writing and saying dates. In Spanish, the standard format is to put the day before the month, whereas English typically says the month first. For example:

• 4 de julio del 2023. / July 4, 2023.
• 29 de marzo del 2002. / March 29, 2002.
• 18 de febrero de 1999. / February 18, 1999.

No Commas in Spanish Dates

Spanish dates are also different because they don’t use commas to separate elements. So, instead of “April 28, 2023”, we say “28 de abril del 2023.” This is a very small detail, but it’s important if you want to write dates with the correct grammar. For example:

• Yo vuelvo a casa el 5 de noviembre del 2025. / I return home on November 5, 2025.
• Nosotros veremos la pelicula el 11 de mayo del 2025. / We will watch the movie on May 11, 2025.
• Tú empiezas la escuela el 3 de marzo del 2026. / You start school on March 3, 2026.

No Ordinal Numbers With Dates

In English, we often use ordinal numbers (first, second, third) when talking about dates. But in Spanish, you’ll always use cardinal numbers (one, two three) to talk about dates. For example, you can’t translate “January 20th” to “Enero 20th” or “20th de Enero.” Instead, we only write or say the number as it is. Let’s look at some examples:

• Enrique nació el 3 de enero del 2001. / Enrique was born on January 3rd, 2001.
• La batalla ocurrió el 8 de octubre de 1879. / The battle took place on October 8th, 1879.
• El concurso termina el 23 de mayo. / The contest ends on May 23rd.

Talking About Months and Dates in Spanish: Useful Phrases

It’s not always easy to remember today’s date, so you might find yourself needing to ask somewhat what day it is. It’s a good idea to study the different Spanish question words to make sure you’re structuring your questions correctly. Let’s learn some essential phrases to ask about dates in Spanish:

How to Ask for the Date

If you’re not sure about the date of an event (or even today’s date), you can always use these phrases to ask other Spanish speakers for help:

Here are a few examples of how you can use these phrases in context. Note that the event you’re referring to is always placed at the end of the question:

• ¿Podría decirme qué día es el cumpleaños? / Could you tell me what date your birthday is?
• ¿Sabes qué día es el exámen? / Do you know what day the exam is?
• ¿Qué día es el aniversario de los abuelos? / What day is the grandparents’ anniversary?

Asking About Months of the Year

If you’re not sure what month it is, here are some questions you can ask to find out what month it is or in what month an event takes place:

While “¿En qué mes estamos?” and “¿Qué mes es este?” will help you get today’s date, you can use “¿En qué mes…?” to ask about different events. For example:

• ¿En qué mes se celebra el Día de Los Muertos? / In which month is the Day of the Dead celebrated?
• ¿En qué mes viajas tú a Paraguay? / In which month are you traveling to Paraguay?
• ¿En qué mes se conocieron ustedes? / In what month did you meet?

Ways to Practice Spanish

Now that you know how to say months and dates, it’s time to practice! Combining different ways to practice Spanish is the best way to ensure progress. You can mix and match different types of resources to make studying more interesting. For example, grammar books offer lots of examples of how to talk about the days and months in Spanish. But, if you like structure and guidance, an online Spanish course can take you step-by-step from the most basic topics.

You can also gamify your experience with Spanish learning apps. If you are not in a Spanish-speaking country, listening to native Spanish speakers in media like films and podcasts will help you improve your listening skills. Overall, try creating a study routine you enjoy to stay motivated throughout your journey.

Months in Spanish: Final Thoughts

Learning the months and dates is necessary to schedule appointments, celebrate special occasions, and plan events effectively in Spanish. Now that you’re familiar with the names for the months in Spanish, you can start making plans and make notes in your calendar. What months are you looking forward to? Remember that consistency is key, so keep practicing and you’ll make more progress than you ever imagined!