Months
In German, the months are masculine nouns and take the definite article “der”. Here is a list of the months in German and their English equivalents:
German | English | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
Januar | January | yah-noo-ahr |
Februar | February | fay-broo-ahr |
März | March | mehrtz |
April | April | ah-pril |
Mai | May | my |
Juni | June | yoo-nee |
Juli | July | yoo-lee |
August | August | ow-goost |
September | September | sep-tem-ber |
Oktober | October | ok-to-ber |
November | November | no-vem-ber |
Dezember | December | detz-em-ber |
Days of the Week
In German, the days of the week are masculine nouns and take the definite article “der”. Here is a list of the days of the week in German and their English equivalents:
German | English | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
Montag | Monday | moh-tahk |
Dienstag | Tuesday | deen-tahk |
Mittwoch | Wednesday | mit-vock |
Donnerstag | Thursday | don-ers-tahk |
Freitag | Friday | fry-tahk |
Samstag (or less often, Sonnabend) | Saturday | zahms-tahk (or sonn-ah-bent) |
Sonntag | Sunday | zon-tahk |
Using Prepositions with Days of the Week
To say “on Monday” or “on Tuesday,” you use the preposition “am”. For example:
- Ich treffe dich am Montag. (I’ll meet you on Monday.)
- Ich gehe am Dienstag ins Kino. (I’m going to the movies on Tuesday.)
Using Prepositions with Months
To say “in May” or “in November,” you use the preposition “im”. For example:
- Ich bin im Mai in Berlin. (I’m in Berlin in May.)
- Wir fahren im November in die Schweiz. (We’re going to Switzerland in November.)
Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers are used to describe the position of something in a series. In German, ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix “-te” to the cardinal number. For example, the 10th month is der zehnte Monat, and the 2nd day of the week is der zweite Tag.
Here are some examples of how to use ordinal numbers with days of the week and months:
- Ich gehe jeden Montag ins Fitnessstudio. (I go to the gym every Monday.)
- Ich habe nächsten Montag einen wichtigen Termin. (I have an important appointment next Monday.)
- Der Januar ist der erste Monat des Jahres. (January is the first month of the year.)
- Der Februar ist der kürzeste Monat des Jahres. (February is the shortest month of the year.)
examples for you
Days (Tage):
- Montag (Monday):
- Example: Am Montag habe ich einen wichtigen Termin. (On Monday, I have an important appointment.)
- Dienstag (Tuesday):
- Example: Am Dienstag treffe ich mich mit Freunden zum Abendessen. (On Tuesday, I meet friends for dinner.)
- Mittwoch (Wednesday):
- Example: Mittwoch ist mein liebster Wochentag, weil die Woche dann fast vorbei ist. (Wednesday is my favorite day of the week because the week is almost over.)
- Donnerstag (Thursday):
- Example: Donnerstag ist mein langer Arbeitstag. (Thursday is my long working day.)
- Freitag (Friday):
- Example: Freitags gehe ich immer ins Fitnessstudio. (On Fridays, I always go to the gym.)
- Samstag (Saturday):
- Example: Am Samstag mache ich gerne Ausflüge in die Natur. (On Saturday, I like to go on trips to nature.)
- Sonntag (Sunday):
- Example: Sonntags entspanne ich mich und lese ein Buch. (On Sundays, I relax and read a book.)
Months (Monate):
- Januar (January):
- Example: Im Januar ist es oft kalt und schneereich. (In January, it is often cold and snowy.)
- Februar (February):
- Example: Im Februar feiern wir den Valentinstag. (In February, we celebrate Valentine’s Day.)
- März (March):
- Example: März ist der Frühlingsbeginn. (March is the beginning of spring.)
- April (April):
- Example: Im April blühen die Blumen. (In April, the flowers bloom.)
- Mai (May):
- Example: Im Mai beginnt die Gartensaison. (In May, the gardening season begins.)
- Juni (June):
- Example: Im Juni haben viele Menschen Sommerurlaub. (In June, many people have summer vacation.)
- Juli (July):
- Example: Juli ist der heißeste Monat des Jahres. (July is the hottest month of the year.)
- August (August):
- Example: Im August machen wir oft Sommerferien. (In August, we often have summer holidays.)
- September (September):
- Example: Im September startet die Schule wieder. (In September, school starts again.)
- Oktober (October):
- Example: Im Oktober färben sich die Blätter bunt. (In October, the leaves change color.)
- November (November):
- Example: November ist der Monat der Erntedankfeste. (November is the month of Thanksgiving festivals.)
- Dezember (December):
- Example: Im Dezember freuen wir uns auf Weihnachten. (In December, we look forward to Christmas.)
I hope these examples help you understand the terms for months and days in German!