In this guide, we’ll explore how to say the months of the year in Spanish. Whether you want to learn the formal or informal ways, we’ve got you covered! Throughout the different regions, there may be slight variations in pronunciation or usage, but we will primarily focus on the most widely used terms. Let’s dive into it!
Table of Contents
Formal Spanish Months
The formal way to express the months in Spanish is by using the uppercase initial letters. Here’s a list of the months, along with their English translations:
- Enero – January
- Febrero – February
- Marzo – March
- Abril – April
- Mayo – May
- Junio – June
- Julio – July
- Agosto – August
- Septiembre – September
- Octubre – October
- Noviembre – November
- Diciembre – December
For example, you would say “Enero” for January, “Septiembre” for September, and so on.
Informal Spanish Months
When it comes to the informal way of mentioning the months in Spanish, the same names apply, but there is a common abbreviation convention in use. Here are the abbreviated forms:
- Ene. – January
- Feb. – February
- Mar. – March
- Abr. – April
- May. – May
- Jun. – June
- Jul. – July
- Ago. – August
- Sept. – September
- Oct. – October
- Nov. – November
- Dic. – December
For instance, you can say “Ene.” for January, “Sept.” for September, and so forth, particularly in casual conversations or in writing where brevity is preferred.
Additional Tips
Here are a few additional tips to keep in mind when talking about the months in Spanish:
1. Don’t capitalize the months in the middle of sentences: Unlike in English, where months are typically capitalized regardless of their position in a sentence, in Spanish, they are only capitalized when starting a sentence or used in titles.
For example, you would write “Voy a visitarte en febrero” (I will visit you in February), rather than “Voy a visitarte en Febrero.”
2. Proper gender agreement: Remember that the Spanish language assigns gender to each noun, and this also applies to the months. The months ending in “-o” are masculine, while those ending in “-a” are feminine. This is important when using adjectives or articles with the months.
For example, you would say “Mi cumpleaños es en mayo” (My birthday is in May), but “Mi aniversario es en junio” (My anniversary is in June).
Examples
Here are a few examples using the Spanish months in different contexts:
- Hoy es octubre y hace frío. (Today is October and it’s cold.)
- Voy a viajar a México en agosto. (I’m going to travel to Mexico in August.)
- Los cumpleaños de mis primos son en abril. (My cousins’ birthdays are in April.)
- ¡Feliz enero! ¡Que tengas un gran año nuevo! (Happy January! Have a great New Year!)
Remember, these examples showcase the formal way of expressing the months. However, you can apply the same principles to the informal versions as well.
Congratulations! You’ve learned the formal and informal ways to say the months of the year in Spanish. Remember to be mindful of gender agreement and when to capitalize. Keep practicing and soon you’ll be comfortable incorporating these terms into your Spanish conversations!
