How to Write Spanish Dates: A Complete Guide
Writing dates in Spanish may seem like a simple task, but it requires some knowledge of the language’s conventions. In this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to write Spanish dates correctly. We will also address some common questions related to this topic.
When writing a date in Spanish, it is essential to follow a specific format. Unlike in English, where the month usually comes before the day, Spanish dates are written with the day followed the month, and finally the year. Let’s take a look at an example:
Example 1: El 5 de julio de 2022 (July 5, 2022)
In this example, “5” represents the day, “julio” stands for the month of July, and “2022” represents the year. Note that the preposition “de” is used to separate the month from the year.
Now let’s delve deeper into how to write specific elements of a Spanish date:
1. Day: The day is always written in cardinal numbers (1, 2, 3…) rather than ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd…). For example, “5” represents “fifth” and not “5th.”
2. Month: In Spanish, the names of the months are not capitalized, unlike in English. For example, “enero” (January) is written with a lowercase initial letter.
3. Year: The year is written in its entirety, using all four digits. For example, “2022” represents the year 2022.
4. Preposition: The preposition “de” is used to separate the month from the year. It is always written in lowercase.
Now, let’s address some common questions related to writing Spanish dates:
1. How do you say “today’s date” in Spanish?
“Today’s date” is translated as “la fecha de hoy” in Spanish.
2. How do you say “yesterday’s date” in Spanish?
“Yesterday’s date” is translated as “la fecha de ayer” in Spanish.
3. How do you say “tomorrow’s date” in Spanish?
“Tomorrow’s date” is translated as “la fecha de mañana” in Spanish.
4. How do you say “What date is it today?” in Spanish?
“¿Qué fecha es hoy?” is the correct way to ask for the current date in Spanish.
5. How do you say “What is the date of your birthday?” in Spanish?
“¿Cuál es la fecha de tu cumpleaños?” is the correct way to ask for someone’s birthday date in Spanish.
6. How do you say “How old are you?” in Spanish?
“¿Cuántos años tienes?” is the correct way to ask someone’s age in Spanish.
7. How do you say “When is your wedding anniversary?” in Spanish?
“¿Cuándo es tu aniversario de bodas?” is the correct way to ask for someone’s wedding anniversary date in Spanish.
8. How do you say “Happy New Year” in Spanish?
“Feliz Año Nuevo” is the common greeting used to wish someone a Happy New Year in Spanish.
9. How do you say “Merry Christmas” in Spanish?
“Feliz Navidad” is the common greeting used to wish someone a Merry Christmas in Spanish.
10. How do you say “Have a great weekend” in Spanish?
“Que tengas un buen fin de semana” is the common phrase used to wish someone a great weekend in Spanish.
11. How do you say “What’s the date of the exam?” in Spanish?
“¿Cuál es la fecha del examen?” is the correct way to ask for the date of an exam in Spanish.
12. How do you say “When is your flight?” in Spanish?
“¿Cuándo es tu vuelo?” is the correct way to ask for the date of someone’s flight in Spanish.
13. How do you say “What’s the date of our meeting?” in Spanish?
“¿Cuál es la fecha de nuestra reunión?” is the correct way to ask for the date of a meeting in Spanish.
By following these guidelines and understanding the basic conventions, you can confidently write Spanish dates correctly. Remember to use cardinal numbers for the day, lowercase month names, and all four digits for the year. Additionally, the preposition “de” separates the month from the year. With this knowledge, you will be able to communicate dates effectively in Spanish.