Dates in Spanish
How to Say the Date in Spanish
To say the date in Spanish, you first say the number corresponding to that day's date, then the month and the year. You've also got to throw an eland some des in there. Let's take a look at the formula for saying dates.
Formula for Saying the Date in Spanish
el + day + de + month (+ de + year)
Note: When giving the date for the current year, the year is often omitted.
Here are some examples!
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How to Write the Date in Spanish
There are two common ways to write the date in Spanish. The first way uses only numerals, while the second uses a mix of numerals and words. Let's take a look at how to write the date using each method!
Only Numerals
To write the date using only numerals, you'll write the numerals corresponding to the day first, followed by the month and the year.
Formula for Writing the Date with Numerals in Spanish
DD/MM/YYYY
- You may also come across Spanish numeral dates written YYYY/DD/MM. The important thing to remember is that the day always precedes the month in Spanish!
- Much like in English, you can omit the "0" when writing one-digit days or months. You can also omit the first two digits of the year if writing the current year.
For example:
| Date with Numerals in Spanish | Date with Numerals in U.S. English |
|---|---|
| 31/12/2017 | 12/31/2017 |
| 15/06/2017 o 15/6/2017 | 06/15/2017 or 6/15/2017 |
| 27/11/1818 | 11/27/1818 |
| 14/10/2017 o 14/10/17 | 10/14/2017 or 10/14/17 |
| 04/12/1917 o 4/12/1917 | 12/04/1917 or 12/4/1917 |
| 25/12/2018 | 12/25/2018 |
U.K. vs U.S. English
In the U.K., dates tend to be written much as they are in Spanish: day + month + year.
For example:
| U.K. English | U.S. English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| 25/8/2017 | 8/25/2017 | 25/8/2017 |
| 16 October 2018 | October 16, 2018 | 16 de octubre de 2018 |
Punctuation
When writing the date with numerals, you can also use dashes or periods instead of slashes.
- 31/12/2017 = 31-12-2017 = 31.12.2017
Numerals and Words
To write the date using a combination of numerals and words, you'll use numerals for the day and year, and a word for the month.
Formula for Writing the Date with Numerals and Words in Spanish
numeral for the day + de + name of the month + de + numeral for the year
For example:
| Spanish | U.S. English |
|---|---|
| 31 de diciembre de 2017 | December 31, 2017 |
| 1 de octubre del 2017 | October 1, 2017 |
| 22 de mayo de 2018 | May 22, 2018 |
| 17 de marzo del 1904 | March 17, 1904 |
| 3 de junio de 1984 | June 3, 1984 |
Keep in mind that months are not capitalized in Spanish!
- 31 de diciembre de 2017
- 31 de Diciembre de 2017
How to Write the Date in a Letter
When writing a letter, the date is most often written using a combination of numerals and words.
Letter
17 de agosto de 2017
Estimado Sr. Hernández,
You may also see the date written after the location of the letter sender, separated using a comma or the word a.
Mérida, Yucatán a 17 de agosto de 2017
Estimado Sr. Hernández,
OR
Mérida, 17 de agosto de 2017
Estimado Sr. Hernández,
If you're going to talk about dates, you need to know your numbers. Think you know them all? Take a look at these resources to learn more about numbers in Spanish!
