1 de marzo
March 1st in Spanish is 1 de marzo.
This phrase refers to the first day of March in the calendar year.
Which one should you use?
While 1 de marzo is the standard written form, it is common in many Spanish-speaking regions to say el primero de marzo when speaking. In informal contexts, native Spanish speakers often say primero de marzo instead of el primero de marzo.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the date as a subject or object in a sentence, you must include the definite article el before the number, such as in el 1 de marzo.
Did you know?
- While English speakers use ordinal numbers like 'first' for all dates, Spanish speakers use the ordinal primero only for the first day of the month. For every other day, they use cardinal numbers like dos or tres.
- The name marzo is a linguistic fossil of the Roman god Mars, the god of war. This connection is preserved in the word's roots, which link the month to the martial energy of its namesake.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, when writing the date, people often use the abbreviation 1º instead of just the number '1' to emphasize that it is the 'first' of the month. This is a visual cue for the ordinal form primero.
Examples in context
- Nos vemos el primero de marzo en el restauranteWe'll see each other on March 1st at the restaurant
- Creo que llegamos el uno de marzo a BarcelonaI think we arrive on March 1st in Barcelona
- Mi cumpleaños es el 1 de marzo.My birthday is March 1st.
- La reunión es el 1 de marzo.The meeting is on March 1st.
- Empezamos el curso el 1 de marzo.We start the course on March 1st.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are checking a physical calendar in an office.
- Mateo¿Cuándo es la conferencia?When is the conference?
- ElenaEs el 1 de marzo.It is March 1st.
- MateoPerfecto, lo anotaré en mi agenda.Perfect, I will write it in my planner.
- ElenaMuy bien, Mateo.Very well, Mateo.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, marzo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
