las fechas
/las fet͡ʃas/from spelling rules
The English phrase "the dates" is translated into Spanish as las fechas.
las fechas refers specifically to calendar dates. When writing dates in Spanish, a common format is using 'day / month / year', such as 10/01/2022. Note that months in Spanish are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence or appear in titles. For example, the phrase 10 de enero de 2022 means "10th of January, 2022" and El 4 de julio means "The 4th of July".
Which one should you use?
Use las fechas when you are referring to calendar dates. If you are referring to social or professional appointments, you should use las citas instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form of this phrase is la fecha (the date). When stating the day of the month, the number '1' can be expressed as primero instead of uno, as seen in the phrase el primero de mayo (the first of May).
How do you pronounce it?
/las fetʃas/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse las fechas (calendar dates) with los dátiles, which refers to the fruit of the date palm.
Did you know?
- The word fechas comes from the Latin 'factum', meaning 'something done', implying a 'fixed' or 'settled' point in time.
- In legal or formal Spanish documents, you will often see the phrase a la fecha, which means 'to this day' or 'as of now'.
- While 'fecha' refers to a calendar date, the word fecha can also mean 'deadline' or 'due date' in certain professional contexts.
Examples in context
- Tenemos que cambiar las fechas de nuestro viaje.We have to change the dates of our trip.This sentence shows how to use las fechas when talking about changing the dates of a trip.Tatoeba #9008430 by carlosalberto, translation #9008422 by carlosalberto
- No recuerdo las fechas del examen.I don't remember the dates of the exam.
- ¿Puedes confirmar las fechas de la conferencia?Can you confirm the dates of the conference?
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are planning a vacation together.
- JavierLucía, ¿ya elegiste las fechas para el viaje?Lucía, have you chosen the dates for the trip yet?
- LucíaTodavía no, estoy revisando mi calendario.Not yet, I am checking my calendar.
- JavierNecesitamos decidir las fechas pronto.We need to decide the dates soon.
- LucíaEstá bien, te aviso mañana.All right, I'll let you know tomorrow.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fechas, las, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
