primero de noviembre
/pɾimeɾo de nobjembɾe/from spelling rules
The English phrase "November 1st" is translated into Spanish as primero de noviembre.
This phrase is used to denote the first day of the month of November.
Which one should you use?
You may also see the written abbreviation 1 de noviembre. In Argentina, it is common to use the cardinal number in the phrase uno de noviembre rather than the ordinal number primero.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the phrase uno de noviembre is a common regional variation.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you use this phrase as a specific date within a sentence, it is preceded by the definite article el, as in el primero de noviembre.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾimeɾo de nobjembɾe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly say uno de noviembre (one of November) when they mean the first day of the month.
When do people say it?
In many Spanish-speaking cultures, November 1st is closely associated with the celebration of the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos).
Did you know?
- The word noviembre comes from the Latin word novem, which means 'nine', even though November is the eleventh month of the year.
- Unlike English, where the month is often capitalized, noviembre is written with a lowercase letter in Spanish unless it starts a sentence.
- In Spanish, the date primero de noviembre is often associated with Todos los Santos, a solemn Catholic feast day that differs from the more festive Día de los Muertos.
Examples in context
- ¿Vamos a celebrar el primero de noviembre en tu casa?Are we going to celebrate on November 1st at your place?
- Mi cumpleaños es el primero de noviembre.My birthday is November 1st.
- La fiesta es el primero de noviembre.The party is on November 1st.
- Tenemos una cita el primero de noviembre.We have an appointment on November 1st.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are checking their shared calendar.
- Daniel¿Cuándo es la reunión?When is the meeting?
- ElenaEs el primero de noviembre.It is November 1st.
- DanielPerfecto, lo anotaré en mi agenda.Perfect, I will note it in my planner.
- ElenaMuy bien, Daniel.Very well, Daniel.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, noviembre, primero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
