Januar
/ˈjanuaːr/masculine
In German, the word for January is Januar. Wiktionary also lists Jänner and Hartung.
Meaning: first month of the Gregorian calendar (name)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Januar | /ˈjanuaːr/ | masculine |
| Jänner | /ˈjɛnːɐ/ /ˈjɛnːər/ |
Austria, Southern Germany, Switzerland, masculine, southern Germany |
| Hartung | masculine, poetic |
The word refers to the first month of the Gregorian calendar.
Which one should you use?
While Januar is the standard form, Jänner is used in specific regions and Hartung is used in poetic contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Hartung is a poetic or archaic form.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Austria and parts of Southern Germany, as well as in Switzerland, the form Jänner is commonly used instead of Januar.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a masculine noun, Januar appears as den Januar when it functions as the direct object (accusative case) in a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈjanuaːr/
Did you know?
- The archaic term Hartung does not come from a Roman deity, but describes the physical state of the earth during the month, specifically that the ground is 'hard' and frozen.
- While Januar is the official standard, using Jänner in Northern Germany might mark a speaker as being from Austria or Bavaria.
- In German, months are always masculine, so Januar is treated as a 'he' in grammatical terms.
Examples in context
- Es ist schon Januar.It's already January.This sentence shows how to state that it is currently the month of Januar.Tatoeba #12467732 by Waldelfe, translation #12467074 by rul
- Wir haben schon Januar.It's January already.This sentence is another way to express that it is currently the month of Januar.Tatoeba #8497984 by Luiaard, translation #8497986 by Luiaard
- Wir haben jetzt Januar.We're now in January.This sentence is a way to say that we are now in the month of Januar.Tatoeba #10184340 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10191231 by sundown
- Der Monat Januar ist der Beginn des JahresThe month of January is the beginning of the year
- Wir machen Urlaub im JännerWe're going on vacation in January
- 98 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Laura are discussing their travel plans.
- LukasWann fliegst du nach Spanien?When are you flying to Spain?
- LauraIch fliege im Januar nach Spanien.I am flying to Spain in January.
- LukasDas ist eine gute Idee.That is a good idea.
- LauraJa, das Wetter dort ist toll.Yes, the weather there is great.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “January” translations and entries Januar, Jänner, Hartung, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Hartung, Januar, Jänner, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
