Ever found yourself in Germany, looking at your phone, and wondering what today's date is in German? You're not alone! Getting familiar with the German date format can be quite helpful, especially when communicating with locals or understanding German documents. So, let's dive into how to say today's date in German.
The German date format follows the day-month-year sequence, similar to many European countries. For instance, if today is the 15th of March, 2023, it would be written as '15.03.2023' in German.
Understanding German Date Components
The German date format is quite straightforward once you get the hang of it. It's composed of three main parts: the day, the month, and the year.
However, there's a catch. Unlike English, where we usually say 'fifteenth of March' for '15.03.', in German, numbers one to nineteen are spelled out, while twenty up to ninety-nine are abbreviated and combined with the appropriate suffix (-er, -te, -ste, -nte).
Spelling Out Numbers One to Nineteen
Here's a simple list of German numbers one to nineteen: 'eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn, elf, zwölf, dreizehn, vierzehn, fünfzehn, sechzehn, siebzehn, achtzehn, neunzehn'.
For example, '3rd of April' in German would be '3. April', while '18th of July' would be '18. Juli'.
Using Abbreviations for Numbers Twenty to Ninety-Nine
For numbers twenty to ninety-nine, the tens place is abbreviated while the units place is spelled out. The abbreviated tens place is followed by the appropriate suffix (-er, -te, -ste, -nte). Here are a few examples:
- '20. April' (20th of April)
- '31. Mai' (31st of May)
- '42. Oktober' (42nd of October)
Putting It All Together: Saying Today's Date in German
Now that you understand the components, let's put them together. Using the current date as an example, let's say today is 17. März 2023. Here's how you can say it:
You can say 'Heute ist der 17. März 2023.', which translates to 'Today is the 17th of March 2023'.
Asking for Today's Date in German
If you want to ask someone for today's date, you can say 'Was IST heute für ein Tag?' (What is today's date?). Here's how you might respond:
- 'Heute ist der 17. März 2023.' (Today is the 17th of March 2023.)
- 'Heute ist Samstag der 17. März 2023.' (Today is Saturday, the 17th of March 2023.)
Remember, practice makes perfect! Don't be discouraged if it takes a bit of time to become comfortable with the German date format. With a bit of practice and patience, you'll be saying today's date in German like a local in no time.
