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How to Make and Understand Date Expressions in German

Learning how to express dates in German might seem tricky at first, but with a little practice, it becomes second nature. Whether you’re planning a trip, scheduling appointments, or chatting with German-speaking friends, knowing how to handle dates correctly is essential. This guide will help you understand the basics of German date expressions.

The Basics of German Dates

In German, the standard date format is day.month.year. For example:

  • 02.06.2021 → June 2nd, 2021

When writing the date in full, Germans often write the day as a number and the month as a word:

  • 2. Juni 2021 → der zweite Juni zweitausendeinundzwanzig

This format is widely used in both casual and formal contexts.

Common Vocabulary for Dates

To talk about dates in German, you need to know some basic words:

  • Heute – today

  • Gestern – yesterday

  • Morgen – tomorrow

  • Montag – Monday

  • Dienstag – Tuesday

  • Mittwoch – Wednesday

  • Donnerstag – Thursday

  • Freitag – Friday

  • Samstag – Saturday

  • Sonntag – Sunday

  • Heute ist der 2. Juni. – Today is June 2nd.
    Reading aloud: Heute ist der zweite Juni.

  • Gestern war der 1. Juni. – Yesterday was June 1st.
    Reading aloud: Gestern war der erste Juni.

  • Morgen ist der 3. Juni. – Tomorrow is June 3rd.
    Reading aloud: Morgen ist der dritte Juni.

Here’s a full reference for ordinal numbers in German from 1 to 31:

1 → erste
2 → zweite
3 → dritte
4 → vierte
5 → fünfte
6 → sechste
7 → siebte
8 → achte
9 → neunte
10 → zehnte
11 → elfte
12 → zwölfte
13 → dreizehnte
14 → vierzehnte
15 → fünfzehnte
16 → sechzehnte
17 → siebzehnte
18 → achtzehnte
19 → neunzehnte
20 → zwanzigste
21 → einundzwanzigste
22 → zweiundzwanzigste
23 → dreiundzwanzigste
24 → vierundzwanzigste
25 → fünfundzwanzigste
26 → sechsundzwanzigste
27 → siebenundzwanzigste
28 → achtundzwanzigste
29 → neunundzwanzigste
30 → dreißigste
31 → einunddreißigste

Using Prepositions with Dates

German often uses prepositions to talk about dates in relation to other events:

  • Am Montag – on Monday

  • Vor einer Woche – a week ago

  • Nächste Woche – next week

Examples:

  • Ich habe letzte Woche einen Arzttermin. – I had a doctor’s appointment last week.

  • Ich habe nächste Woche einen wichtigen Termin. – I have an important appointment next week.

Tips for Practicing Dates in German

  1. Read German calendars or websites to see how dates are written in real life.

  2. Practice speaking aloud to get used to pronunciation.

  3. Use date expressions in sentences to describe past, present, or future events.

Conclusion

Mastering date expressions in German is easier than it seems. By learning the correct format, vocabulary, and prepositions, you’ll be able to talk about dates confidently in everyday situations. With regular practice, discussing schedules, appointments, and events in German will become natural.

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