Months of the year in Spanish with Pronunciation & Examples
The months of the year in English, as in any language, are twelve, running from January to December. They are essential vocabulary, and mastering them will allow you to speak about dates, events, and plans with complete confidence. This guide will teach you the names of the months, their correct pronunciation, and the key grammar rules for using them.
See also: Days of the week in Spanish.
The Twelve Months of the Year in Spanish
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Enero | January | ay-nair-oh |
| Febrero | February | fay-bray-roh |
| Marzo | March | mar-soh |
| Abril | April | ah-breel |
| Mayo | May | mi-oh |
| Junio | June | hoo-nee-oh |
| Julio | July | hoo-lee-oh |
| Agosto | August | ah-gohs-toh |
| Septiembre | September | sayp-tee-aim-bray |
| Octubre | October | ohk-too-bray |
| Noviembre | November | noh-bee-aim-bray |
| Diciembre | December | dee-see-aim-bray |
Important Grammatical Rules
1. Lowercase Usage: Unlike in English, months in Spanish are not capitalized unless they start a sentence. You can learn more in this guide to capitalization in Spanish.
- El día de San Valentín es en febrero. (Valentine’s Day is in February.)
- Diciembre es el mes del frío. (December is the month of cold.)
2. Using “en” for “in [month]”: To indicate that an event takes place during a month, we use the preposition “en”.
- Mi cumpleaños es en noviembre. (My birthday is in November.)
- Halloween es en octubre. (Halloween is in October.)
3. Using “on” for specific dates: When you refer to a specific date, you must use the article el.
- Mi cumpleaños es el 9 de agosto. (My birthday is on August 9th.)
- Justin se casó el 3 marzo. (Justin got married on March 3rd.)
Common Words and Expressions
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Month | Mes (m) |
| Year | Año (m) |
| Semester | Semestre (m) |
| Century | Siglo (m) |
| Decade | Década |
| Leap-year | Año bisiesto |
Example 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.
Exercises
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blank
Complete the sentences with the correct month in Spanish (lowercase):
• Mi cumpleaños es en _______ . (October)
• La Navidad es en _______ . (December)
• El verano es en _______ . (June)
Answers: octubre, diciembre, junio, julio.
Exercise 2: Translate to Spanish
1. My birthday is on March 5th.
2. Summer is in August.
3. The party is on May 15th.
Answers:
1. Mi cumpleaños es el 5 de marzo.
2. El verano es en agosto.
3. La fiesta es el 15 de mayo.