primero de diciembre
/pɾimeɾo de diθjembɾe/from spelling rules
December 1 in Spanish is primero de diciembre.
This phrase refers to the first day of the twelfth month of the year. It is common to use the preposition de between the day and the month when referring to dates.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the date as a specific point in time, such as 'on December 1', you must include the definite article el before the phrase: el primero de diciembre. Note that primera is the feminine form of primero.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾimeɾo de diθjembɾe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to use ordinal numbers for all days of the month, but in Spanish, primero is typically only used for the first day. For all other days, you should use cardinal numbers, such as dos de diciembre instead of segundo de diciembre.
Did you know?
- The word diciembre comes from the Latin word decem, which means 'ten'. This is because December was the tenth month in the original Roman calendar.
- While primero is the traditional way to say the first of the month, many speakers in different Spanish-speaking regions simply say el uno de diciembre.
- The Spanish word primero is a direct relative of the English word 'primary'.
Examples in context
- Mañana es el primero de diciembre.Tomorrow is December 1.
- ¡Hoy cumplimos años el 1 de diciembre!Today we have our birthdays on December 1!
- El primero de diciembre es un día especial para nuestra familia.December 1 is a special day for our family.
- Mi cumpleaños es el primero de diciembre.My birthday is December 1st.
- La fiesta es el primero de diciembre.The party is December 1st.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are checking their calendar for a trip.
- Daniel¿Cuándo es el vuelo?When is the flight?
- LucíaEs el primero de diciembre.It is December 1st.
- Daniel¡Perfecto, ya tengo mi maleta lista!Perfect, I already have my suitcase ready!
- Lucía¡Qué emoción, Daniel!How exciting, Daniel!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, diciembre, primero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
