Months in Spanish
Last reviewed on October 11, 2026.
The twelve months of the year in Spanish are enero, febrero, marzo, abril, mayo, junio, julio, agosto, septiembre, octubre, noviembre and diciembre. Most look a lot like their English names because both come from Latin. Unlike English, they are written in lowercase, they are all masculine, and dates put the day before the month. This guide gives you the pronunciation of each month, how to say and write dates, and the phrases you need to talk about when something happens.
All 12 Months of the Year in Spanish
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation | IPA | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | enero | eh-NEH-roh | /eˈneɾo/ | ene. |
| February | febrero | feh-BREH-roh | /feˈβɾeɾo/ | feb. |
| March | marzo | MAR-soh | /ˈmaɾso/ | mar. |
| April | abril | ah-BREEL | /aˈβɾil/ | abr. |
| May | mayo | MAH-yoh | /ˈmaʝo/ | may. |
| June | junio | HOO-nyoh | /ˈxunjo/ | jun. |
| July | julio | HOO-lyoh | /ˈxuljo/ | jul. |
| August | agosto | ah-GOHS-toh | /aˈɣosto/ | ago. |
| September | septiembre | sep-TYEM-breh | /sepˈtjembɾe/ | sept. |
| October | octubre | ok-TOO-breh | /okˈtuβɾe/ | oct. |
| November | noviembre | noh-BYEM-breh | /noˈβjembɾe/ | nov. |
| December | diciembre | dee-SYEM-breh | /diˈsjembɾe/ | dic. |
None of the months has a written accent. The ones learners mix up most are junio (June) and julio (July): junio has the n of June and julio the l of July. In Spain, the z of marzo and the c of diciembre are pronounced like English th.
Rule 1: Months Are Lowercase
English capitalizes January; Spanish does not. You write Mi cumpleaños es en enero (My birthday is in January), never en Enero. A month only takes a capital letter at the start of a sentence or as part of a name, such as the Avenida 9 de Julio in Buenos Aires.
Rule 2: “In January” Is en enero
To say that something happens during a month, use en and no article:
- en enero — in January
- a principios de marzo — at the beginning of March
- a mediados de julio — in mid-July
- a finales de octubre — at the end of October
- el mes que viene / el próximo mes — next month
- el mes pasado — last month
Months are masculine (un enero muy frío — a very cold January), but in everyday sentences they don’t take el: Me caso en junio, not en el junio.
How to Say and Write Dates in Spanish
Spanish dates follow the pattern el + day + de + month + de + year, using ordinary numbers rather than “first, second, third”:
- el 5 de mayo (el cinco de mayo) — May 5th
- el 23 de abril de 2026 (el veintitrés de abril de dos mil veintiséis) — April 23rd, 2026
- el 1 de enero — January 1st, read as el uno de enero or, very commonly in Latin America, el primero de enero
In numbers, the day also comes first: 3/12/2026 means 3 December 2026, not March 12th. This is the most common date mix-up between English and Spanish speakers, so double-check it on tickets, forms and bookings. With a weekday, the day name goes first: el lunes 3 de marzo (Monday, March 3rd). See the days of the week in Spanish for the full list.
Asking About Dates
- ¿Qué fecha es hoy? — What’s the date today?
- ¿A cuántos estamos? — What’s the date today? (common in Spain)
- Hoy es 14 de febrero. / Estamos a 14 de febrero. — Today is February 14th.
- ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? — When is your birthday?
- ¿En qué mes naciste? — What month were you born in?
Months and Seasons in Both Hemispheres
Spanish is spoken on both sides of the equator, so the same month can mean opposite weather. Christmas in Buenos Aires is a beach holiday, while August in Santiago de Chile is mid-winter.
| Season | Spanish | Spain, Mexico, US | Argentina, Chile, Uruguay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | la primavera | marzo – junio | septiembre – diciembre |
| Summer | el verano | junio – septiembre | diciembre – marzo |
| Autumn / fall | el otoño | septiembre – diciembre | marzo – junio |
| Winter | el invierno | diciembre – marzo | junio – septiembre |
Near the equator, in countries such as Colombia, Ecuador and much of Central America, people usually talk about la temporada de lluvias (rainy season) and la temporada seca (dry season) instead of four seasons.
Where the Month Names Come From
Both English and Spanish took their month names from Latin, which is why they are so easy to recognize:
- enero — Jano (Janus), god of doorways
- febrero — the Roman purification festival Februa
- marzo — Marte (Mars)
- abril — probably Latin aperire, to open (as buds do)
- mayo — the goddess Maya
- junio — the goddess Juno
- julio — Julio César (Julius Caesar)
- agosto — the emperor Augusto (Augustus)
- septiembre — Latin septem, seven
- octubre — Latin octo, eight
- noviembre — Latin novem, nine
- diciembre — Latin decem, ten
September to December are named after the numbers seven to ten because the oldest Roman calendar began in March.
Holidays by Month
- enero — el Día de Reyes (January 6th), when children in Spain and much of Latin America receive gifts
- febrero — el Carnaval and el Día de San Valentín (in Mexico, el Día del Amor y la Amistad)
- marzo / abril — la Semana Santa (Holy Week), one of the biggest holidays of the year
- mayo — el Día del Trabajador (May 1st) and, in Mexico, el Día de la Madre (May 10th)
- junio — la Noche de San Juan (June 23rd) with bonfires in Spain
- julio — independence days in Venezuela, Argentina, Colombia and Peru
- septiembre — Mexico’s independence (the 16th) and Chile’s Fiestas Patrias (the 18th)
- octubre — October 12th, el Día de la Hispanidad in Spain
- noviembre — el Día de Muertos (November 1st–2nd) in Mexico
- diciembre — la Nochebuena (24th), la Navidad (25th), el Día de los Santos Inocentes (28th) and la Nochevieja (31st)
Keep Learning
Each month links to its own page with example sentences, common phrases and usage notes. To build complete dates, learn the days of the week in Spanish and numbers in Spanish from 1 to 100. You can also browse our Spanish vocabulary lists or look up any word with the English to Spanish translator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 12 months of the year in Spanish?
They are enero (January), febrero (February), marzo (March), abril (April), mayo (May), junio (June), julio (July), agosto (August), septiembre (September), octubre (October), noviembre (November) and diciembre (December).
Are months capitalized in Spanish?
No. Months are written in lowercase in Spanish unless they begin a sentence: el 5 de mayo, not el 5 de Mayo.
How do you say "in January" in Spanish?
Use en: en enero (in January), en agosto (in August). For a specific date use el + number + de + month: el 15 de enero.
How do you write the date in Spanish?
Spanish puts the day first: el 3 de marzo de 2026, written 3/3/2026 or 03/03/2026 in day/month/year order.
Is it septiembre or setiembre?
Both are correct according to the Real Academia Española. Septiembre is more common in writing; setiembre is widely used in Peru and Uruguay.
Are months masculine or feminine in Spanish?
All months are masculine, but they are normally used without an article: Enero es frío, Me caso en junio.