primero de diciembre
/pɾimeɾo de diθjembɾe/from spelling rules
The English phrase "december first" is translated into Spanish as primero de diciembre.
The word primero means "first" and diciembre means "December".
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the day is stated before the month, unlike the English "December first" structure. When using the date in a sentence, it is common to include the definite article el before the ordinal number. While primero is the standard ordinal for the first of the month, uno is also frequently used in many Spanish-speaking regions to denote the first day.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾimeɾo de diθjembɾe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the English word order diciembre primero. Instead, use the correct Spanish order primero 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 of the original Roman calendar.
- While primero is the standard for the first of the month, in most Spanish-speaking countries, every day after the first is referred to by a cardinal number like dos or tres rather than ordinals like 'second' or 'third'.
- In Spanish, the word primero changes its ending to primer if it comes immediately before a masculine singular noun, such as el primer día.
Examples in context
- La reunión está programada para el primero de diciembre.The meeting is scheduled for December first.
- Vamos a celebrar mi cumpleaños el uno de diciembre.We are going to celebrate my birthday on December first.
- Tenemos una fiesta el primero de diciembre en mi casa.We have a party on December first at my place.
- Mi cumpleaños es el primero de diciembre.My birthday is December first.
- El examen es el primero de diciembre.The exam is December first.
- Nos vemos el primero de diciembre.We will see each other on December first.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are discussing a planned trip.
- Alejandro¿Cuándo empieza el viaje, Elena?When does the trip start, Elena?
- ElenaEmpieza el primero de diciembre.It starts on December first.
- Alejandro¡Perfecto! Entonces reservo los vuelos hoy.Perfect! Then I will book the flights today.
- ElenaSí, por favor, hazlo pronto.Yes, please, do it soon.
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.
