Learning Spanish opens doors to over 500 million speakers worldwide, and one of the first practical skills you'll need is understanding how to read and write dates, days, and numbers in Spanish. Whether you're planning a trip to Madrid, scheduling a business meeting in Mexico City, or simply expanding your language toolkit, mastering the Spanish calendar with numbers written out is an essential step toward fluency. This guide breaks down everything you need to know—from the days of the week to ordinal numbers used in formal dates—so you can confidently navigate any Spanish-language calendar.
Days of the Week in Spanish
The Spanish week begins on lunes (Monday), not Sunday as in many English-speaking countries. Here are all seven days:
- Lunes – Monday
- Martes – Tuesday
- Miércoles – Wednesday
- Jueves – Thursday
- Viernes – Friday
- Sábado – Saturday
- Domingo – Sunday
Note that days of the week in Spanish are not capitalized unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence. Also, lunes through viernes are considered masculine nouns and take the article el when referring to a specific day (e.g., el lunes = on Monday).
Months of the Year in Spanish
Just like days, months in Spanish are written in lowercase unless starting a sentence. The twelve months are:
- Enero – January
- Febrero – February
- Marzo – March
- Abril – April
- Mayo – May
- Junio – June
- Julio – July
- Agosto – August
- Septiembre – September
- Octubre – October
- Noviembre – November
- Diciembre – December
When writing a full date in Spanish, the format is typically day + de + month + de + year. For example: 15 de marzo de 2024 (March 15, 2024).
Numbers 1–31 Written Out in Spanish
To read or write any calendar date, you must know how numbers are spelled out. Below is a table covering numbers 1 through 31—the range needed for any day of the month:
| Number | Spanish Word |
|---|---|
| 1 | uno |
| 2 | dos |
| 3 | tres |
| 4 | cuatro |
| 5 | cinco |
| 6 | seis |
| 7 | siete |
| 8 | ocho |
| 9 | nueve |
| 10 | diez |
| 11 | once |
| 12 | doce |
| 13 | trece |
| 14 | catorce |
| 15 | quince |
| 16 | dieciséis |
| 17 | diecisiete |
| 18 | dieciocho |
| 19 | diecinueve |
| 20 | veinte |
| 21 | veintiuno |
| 22 | veintidós |
| 23 | veintitrés |
| 24 | veinticuatro |
| 25 | veinticinco |
| 26 | veintiséis |
| 27 | veintisiete |
| 28 | veintiocho |
| 29 | veintinueve |
| 30 | treinta |
| 31 | treinta y uno |
Notice that from 16 to 19 and 21 to 29, the numbers are written as single words (e.g., dieciséis, veintiuno). Starting at 30, they become two words connected by y (e.g., treinta y uno).
Ordinal Numbers for Dates
In formal or written Spanish, the first day of the month uses the ordinal number primero (first). After that, cardinal numbers are typically used. However, in very formal contexts—such as legal documents or invitations—you might see:
- Primero – First (1st)
- Segundo – Second (2nd)
- Tercero – Third (3rd)
But in everyday usage, even for the 1st, most speakers simply say uno or el uno de enero.
Putting It All Together: Full Date Examples
Here are sample dates written out fully in Spanish:
- El cinco de mayo de 2024 – May 5, 2024
- El veintiuno de diciembre de 2023 – December 21, 2023
- El treinta y uno de enero de 2025 – January 31, 2025
Remember: the structure is always el + day number + de + month + de + year. No commas are used between the month and year.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
English speakers often make these errors when writing Spanish dates:
- Capitalizing months or days (they stay lowercase)
- Using cardinal numbers for all days (only primero is ordinal)
- Placing the month before the day (Spanish puts the day first)
- Forgetting the preposition de between day and month, and month and year
Practice writing out your own birthday, today’s date, and upcoming holidays using the rules above. Repetition builds confidence—and soon, reading a Spanish calendar will feel completely natural.
