SPANISH

Months of the year in Spanish with Pronunciation & Examples

Months of the year in spanish

Just like in English, the months of the year in Spanish consist of twelve distinct periods. These meses are a fundamental part of Spanish vocabulary, allowing you to place yourself accurately in time and discuss schedules, events, and personal milestones.

To use the months of the year correctly in Spanish, it’s helpful to know their pronunciation and the basic grammatical rules that apply to them. Let’s dive in!

See also: days of the week

The Twelve Months of the Year in Spanish

Here’s a list of the months in Spanish, their English equivalents, and a guide to their pronunciation:

SpanishEnglishPronunciation
EneroJanuaryay-nair-oh
FebreroFebruaryfay-bray-roh
MarzoMarchmar-soh
AbrilAprilah-breel
MayoMaymi-oh
JunioJunehoo-nee-oh
JulioJulyhoo-lee-oh
AgostoAugustah-gohs-toh
SeptiembreSeptembersayp-tee-aim-bray
OctubreOctoberohk-too-bray
NoviembreNovembernoh-bee-aim-bray
DiciembreDecemberdee-see-aim-bray

Important Grammatical Rules

Keep these simple rules in mind when writing and speaking about the months.

  • Lowercase Usage: Unlike in English, the months of the year in Spanish are always written in lowercase letters. The only exception is when they are the first word of a sentence.

    • El día de San Valentín es en febrero. (Valentine’s Day is in February.)

    • Diciembre es el mes del frio. (December is the month of cold.)

  • Using “en” for “in [month]”: When you want to indicate that an event takes place in a specific month, you use the preposition “en” (in).

    • Mi cumpleaños es en noviembre. (My birthday is in November.)

    • Halloween es en octubre. (Halloween is in October.)

  • Using “on” for specific dates: When you refer to a specific date that includes the day and the month, you use the preposition “on” instead of “en.”

    • Mi cumpleaños es el 9 de agosto. (My birthday is on August 9th.)

    • Justin se casó en marzo.  (Justin got married in March.)

Common Words and Expressions

To enrich your vocabulary when talking about dates and time periods, here are some useful words:

EnglishSpanish
MonthMes (m)
YearAño (m)
SemesterSemestre (m)
CenturySiglo (m)
MillenniumMilenio (m)
DecadeDécada
October 1stPrimero – 1ro de Octubre
Leap-yearAño bisiesto

Example Sentences Using the Months of the Year

See how the months are used in everyday Spanish sentences:

  • ¿En qué mes cumples año? – What’s the month of your birthday?
  • Mi cumpleaños es en mayo. – My birthday is in May.
  • Ha pasado una década. – It’s been a decade.
  • Me encanta diciembre. – I love December.
  • Te toma un siglo vestirte. – It takes you a century to get dressed.
  • Es el último semestre de mi universidad. – It’s the last semester of my university.

Exercises

Test what you’ve learned with these simple exercises.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blank

Complete the sentence with the correct month in Spanish, remembering the lowercase rule.

  1. Mi cumpleaños es en __________ (October).
  2. La Navidad es en __________ (December).
  3. El verano es en __________ (June).
  4. Me encanta el mes de __________ (July).

Exercise 2: Translate to Spanish

Translate the following sentences into Spanish.

  1. My birthday is on March 5th.
  2. Summer is in August.
  3. The party is on May 15th.
  4. The course begins in September.

Answers

Exercise 1

  1. octubre
  2. diciembre
  3. junio
  4. julio

Exercise 2

  1. Mi cumpleaños es el 5 de marzo.
  2. El verano es en agosto.
  3. La fiesta es el 15 de mayo.
  4. El curso comienza en septiembre.

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