Dates (Leaving Cert German): Revision Notes
Dates
Learning how to express dates properly is essential when communicating in German. Whether you're making appointments, discussing birthdays, or talking about historical events, understanding German date formats will help you communicate more effectively.
Basic date structure
German dates follow a specific pattern that differs from English in several important ways. When expressing "today's date" in German, you use the structure "Heute ist der [ordinal number] [month] [year]".
Basic Date Structure Example:
Heute ist der vierzehnte März zweitausendsechs = Today is the fourteenth of March, two thousand six
Notice how German uses ordinal numbers (vierzehnte = fourteenth) rather than cardinal numbers, and these ordinal numbers take the masculine definite article "der" because "Tag" (day) is masculine.
The use of ordinal numbers with the definite article "der" is a fundamental rule in German date expression. This differs significantly from English, where we might say "March fourteenth" without the definite article.
Years after the year 2000
When expressing years from 2000 onwards, German uses a straightforward approach. You simply combine "zweitausend" (two thousand) with the additional number.
The rule is: 2000 + the year
Years After 2000 - Worked Examples:
- Gestern war der zehnte März zweitausendsechs = Yesterday was the tenth of March, two thousand six
- Am ersten Januar zweitausend begann das neue Jahrtausend = The new millennium began on January first, two thousand
Years before the year 2000
For dates before January 1st, 2000, German uses the "hundred" system, which is similar to how we might say "nineteen eighty" in English.
The rule is: XX hundred + the year
Years Before 2000 - Worked Examples:
- Sie wurde am vierzehnten Dezember neunzehnhundertachtzig geboren = She was born on December fourteenth, nineteen eighty
- Am zwanzigsten Juli neunzehnhundertneunundsechzig landete Neil Armstrong auf dem Mond = On July twentieth, nineteen sixty-nine, Neil Armstrong landed on the moon
Essential vocabulary for dates
The following vocabulary will be crucial for expressing dates and time-related concepts in German:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das Datum | date |
| heute | today |
| gestern | yesterday |
| morgen | tomorrow |
| der Tag | day |
| das Jahr | year |
| der Monat | month |
| die Woche | week |
| wann | when |
| am | on (for dates) |
| im | in (for months/years) |
| geboren | born |
| der Geburtstag | birthday |
| das Jahrtausend | millennium |
| begann | began |
Pay special attention to the prepositions "am" (on) and "im" (in) - these are essential for proper date expressions in German and are used differently than their English equivalents.
Using dates in context
Here are some practical examples that demonstrate how to use dates in everyday German conversations:
Practical Date Usage Examples:
- Wann hast du Geburtstag? = When is your birthday?
- Ich bin am fünften Mai neunzehnhundertneunzig geboren = I was born on May fifth, nineteen ninety
- Das neue Jahr beginnt am ersten Januar = The new year begins on January first
- Gestern war ein schöner Tag = Yesterday was a beautiful day
Example dialogue
Sample Conversation About Birthdays:
Anna: Wann hast du Geburtstag, Tom? Anna: When is your birthday, Tom?
Tom: Am zwanzigsten April zweitausendvier. Und du? Tom: On April twentieth, two thousand four. And you?
Anna: Ich bin am dritten Juni neunzehnhundertachtzig geboren. Anna: I was born on June third, nineteen eighty.
Tom: Dann bist du älter als ich! Tom: Then you're older than me!
Common mistakes and tips
Critical Mistakes to Avoid:
Mistake 1: Writing years with hyphens
- ❌ Don't write: zweitausend-sechs
- ✅ Write it as one word: zweitausendsechs
Mistake 2: Using cardinal instead of ordinal numbers
- ❌ Incorrect: Heute ist der vier März
- ✅ Correct: Heute ist der vierte März
Mistake 3: Forgetting the definite article
- ❌ Incorrect: Heute ist vierte März
- ✅ Correct: Heute ist der vierte März
Pronunciation tip: The word "zweitausend" is pronounced "TSVYE-tow-zent" with emphasis on the first syllable.
Key takeaways
Key Points to Remember:
- German dates use ordinal numbers with the definite article "der"
- Years from 2000 onwards use "zweitausend" + the number
- Years before 2000 use the "hundred" system (e.g., neunzehnhundert...)
- Always write German years as single words without hyphens
- The preposition "am" is used when saying "on" a specific date