Days, Months, Dates (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Days, months and dates
Days of the week
In Spanish, the days of the week are masculine nouns and never begin with a capital letter (unless they start a sentence). This is different from English, where we always capitalise days of the week.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el lunes | Monday |
| el martes | Tuesday |
| el miércoles | Wednesday |
| el jueves | Thursday |
| el viernes | Friday |
| el sábado | Saturday |
| el domingo | Sunday |
Example sentences:
- Hoy es lunes. (Today is Monday.)
- Mañana es martes. (Tomorrow is Tuesday.)
- Mi cumpleaños es el viernes. (My birthday is on Friday.)
Grammar note: Notice that all days use the masculine article "el". When talking about a specific day, you say "el lunes", "el martes", etc.
Months of the year
Like days of the week, months in Spanish are masculine and don't take capital letters unless they begin a sentence. The months follow a similar pattern to English but with Spanish spelling and pronunciation.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el enero | January |
| el febrero | February |
| el marzo | March |
| el abril | April |
| el mayo | May |
| el junio | June |
| el julio | July |
| el agosto | August |
| el septiembre | September |
| el octubre | October |
| el noviembre | November |
| el diciembre | December |
Example sentences:
- Mi cumpleaños es en octubre. (My birthday is in October.)
- Enero es el primer mes del año. (January is the first month of the year.)
- Me gusta julio porque hace calor. (I like July because it's hot.)
Asking about days and dates
There are several useful questions you can ask about time and dates. These are essential phrases for everyday conversation.
Key phrases:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué día es hoy? | What day is today? |
| ¿Qué fecha es hoy? | What date is today? |
| ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? | When is your birthday? |
| el hoy | today |
| la mañana | tomorrow (also means 'morning') |
| el ayer | yesterday |
Example conversation:
- ¿Qué día es hoy? - Hoy es miércoles. (What day is today? - Today is Wednesday.)
- ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? - Mi cumpleaños es el dos de julio. (When is your birthday? - My birthday is on the 2nd of July.)
- Ayer fue domingo. (Yesterday was Sunday.)
How to say dates
When expressing dates in Spanish, you use a specific pattern that's different from English. The structure follows the pattern: el + [number] + de + [month] + de + [year].
Important rule: For the first day of any month, you can use either the cardinal number (uno) or the ordinal number (primero). For all other dates, you must use cardinal numbers.
Examples:
- el uno de marzo / el primero de marzo (the 1st of March)
- el dos de julio (the 2nd of July)
- el veinte de agosto (the 20th of August)
- el treinta de marzo (the 30th of March)
Grammar note: Unlike English, Spanish uses cardinal numbers (dos, tres, cuatro) rather than ordinal numbers (second, third, fourth) for most dates. Only the first of the month can use an ordinal number.
Common errors and fixes
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
❌ Incorrect: El Lunes es mi día favorito.
✅ Correct: El lunes es mi día favorito.
Fix: Don't capitalise days of the week unless they start a sentence.
❌ Incorrect: Mi cumpleaños es en Diciembre.
✅ Correct: Mi cumpleaños es en diciembre.
Fix: Don't capitalise months unless they start a sentence.
❌ Incorrect: Hoy es el segundo de marzo.
✅ Correct: Hoy es el dos de marzo.
Fix: Use cardinal numbers (dos, tres, cuatro) for dates, not ordinals, except for "primero".
Phrase bank
Essential conversational phrases you'll actually use:
- ¿Qué día es hoy? (What day is today?)
- Hoy es lunes. (Today is Monday.)
- ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? (When is your birthday?)
- Mi cumpleaños es el cinco de mayo. (My birthday is on the 5th of May.)
- ¿Qué fecha es hoy? (What date is today?)
- Mañana es martes. (Tomorrow is Tuesday.)
Translation practice
Translate into English:
- Mi cumpleaños es el primero de septiembre.
- ¿Qué día es mañana?
Translate into Spanish: 3. Today is Wednesday, the 15th of June. 4. When is your birthday?
Answers:
- My birthday is on the 1st of September.
- What day is tomorrow?
- Hoy es miércoles, el quince de junio.
- ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?
Key takeaways
Key Points to Remember:
- Days and months never have capital letters in Spanish (unless starting a sentence)
- All days of the week are masculine and use "el"
- Use cardinal numbers (dos, tres, cuatro) for most dates
- Only the 1st of the month can use "primero" instead of "uno"
- The date pattern is: el + number + de + month + de + year