Talking about time and dates is essential for everyday life in any language. This guide provides the fundamental Spanish vocabulary for the days of the week (los días de la semana), the months of the year (los meses del año), and the four seasons (las estaciones del año).

Understanding these basics, along with key grammar rules, will help you navigate schedules, make plans, and engage in basic conversations in Spanish.

Days of the Week (Los Días de la Semana)

The Spanish week traditionally starts on Monday (lunes).

• lunes - Monday
• martes - Tuesday
• miércoles - Wednesday
• jueves - Thursday
• viernes - Friday
• sábado - Saturday
• domingo - Sunday

Important Notes on Days:

• No Capitalization: Days of the week are not capitalized in Spanish unless they begin a sentence.
• Gender: All days of the week are masculine.
• Articles:
  • To talk about something happening habitually on a certain day ("on Mondays"), use the masculine definite article el (singular) or los (plural - for Saturday/Sunday, use los sábados/los domingos). Example: Voy al gimnasio el lunes. (I go to the gym on Mondays.) / Vamos al cine los sábados. (We go to the cinema on Saturdays.)
  • To refer to a specific day (e.g., "next Tuesday"), generally no article is needed. Example: Tenemos una reunión martes. (We have a meeting on Tuesday.) You can add el próximo (next) if needed: el próximo martes.

Months of the Year (Los Meses del Año)

Many Spanish months share similarities with their English counterparts.

• enero - January
• febrero - February
• marzo - March
• abril - April
• mayo - May
• junio - June
• julio - July
• agosto - August
• septiembre - September
• octubre - October
• noviembre - November
• diciembre - December

Important Notes on Months:

• No Capitalization: Months are also not capitalized in Spanish.
• Gender: Months are masculine.
• Preposition "en": Use the preposition en to mean "in" a specific month. Example: Mi cumpleaños es en agosto. (My birthday is in August.)
• "Month of...": To say "the month of [Month Name]", use el mes de + [month]. Example: Estamos en el mes de diciembre. (We are in the month of December.)

The Seasons (Las Estaciones del Año)

• la primavera - Spring
• el verano - Summer
• el otoño - Autumn / Fall
• el invierno - Winter

Important Notes on Seasons:

• Gender: Note that primavera is feminine (la), while the others are masculine (el).
• Preposition "en": Use en to mean "in [season]". Example: Me gusta nadar en verano. (I like to swim in summer.) / Las flores aparecen en primavera. (Flowers appear in spring.)
• Articles: When talking about seasons in general, use the definite article (la primavera, el verano, etc.). Example: El invierno es frío. (Winter is cold.)

Asking and Stating the Date

Asking:

• What day is it today?: ¿Qué día es hoy?
• What is today's date?: ¿Cuál es la fecha de hoy? or simply ¿A qué fecha estamos hoy?

Stating:

• Today is Monday: Hoy es lunes.
• The date structure is el + [cardinal number] + de + [month].
  • It's May 5th: Es el cinco de mayo.
  • It's December 20th: Es el veinte de diciembre.
  • **Exception:** For the first of the month, use the ordinal number primero. Example: It's January 1st: Es el primero de enero.

  Note: In writing, the date is often day/month/year: `5/5/2024` or `5 de mayo de 2024`.

Tips for Learning Spanish Days, Months & Seasons

• Use a Spanish Calendar: Change your phone or desk calendar to Spanish.
• Flashcards: Create cards for days, months, and seasons. Include the definite article (el/la) to remember gender.
• Say Dates Daily: Practice saying the current date (`Hoy es el...`) and your birthday (`Mi cumpleaños es en...`) out loud.
• Connect to Events: Associate months with holidays or personal events (Navidad es en diciembre - Christmas is in December).
• Listen Actively: Pay attention when dates are mentioned in Spanish news, songs, or conversations.
• Practice with Exercises: Utilize online quizzes and exercises from language learning resources or our online Spanish courses.

Conclusion

Learning the Spanish vocabulary for days, months, and seasons is a fundamental part of becoming conversational. While the words themselves are relatively easy to memorize, paying attention to capitalization rules and how to use articles and prepositions correctly is key.

With consistent practice, you'll soon be comfortable discussing dates, scheduling events, and talking about your favourite time of year in Spanish. ¡Sigue practicando!