1 de enero
January 1 in Spanish is 1 de enero.
This phrase refers to the first day of the first month of the calendar year.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase uses the preposition de (of) to connect the day and the month.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico or parts of Central America, it is common to say Uno de Enero instead of Primero de Enero. In parts of South America, it is acceptable to use Año Nuevo alone to refer to January 1 in informal contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the date in a sentence, you must use the definite article el before the number, such as in el 1 de enero. While 1 de enero is standard, you can also use the ordinal form el primero de enero to mean 'the first of January'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly capitalize months in Spanish. However, months like enero should be written in lowercase unless they start a sentence.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, January 1 is associated with the tradition of eating twelve grapes, one for each chime of the clock at midnight.
- Because the god Janus was depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions, the month enero symbolizes looking back at the past year and forward to the new one.
- The name of the month enero is actually a tribute to the Roman god of doorways and passages, Janus. Because Janus is the god of beginnings, the month was named after him to signify the start of the year.
Examples in context
- ¡Feliz día de Año Nuevo!Happy New Year's Day!
- Mi cumpleaños es el 1 de enero.My birthday is on January 1st.
- La fiesta es el 1 de enero.The party is on January 1st.
- El año empieza el 1 de enero.The year begins on January 1st.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are planning their New Year's travel.
- ElenaNos vemos el 1 de enero.I will see you on January 1st.
- AlejandroSí, nos vemos ese día.Yes, we will see each other that day.
- ElenaTengo un viaje el 1 de enero.I have a trip on January 1st.
- Alejandro¡Qué bien, Elena! Buen viaje.That's great, Elena! Have a good trip.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, enero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
