Days & Months in German
German days and months are capitalized -- because German capitalizes all nouns. That is the opposite of French, Spanish, and Italian. Beyond capitalization, German has specific prepositions for days (am) and months (im) that are non-negotiable. This guide covers all the vocabulary and the grammar rules that go with it.
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Days of the Week
The German week starts on Montag (Monday). Most day names end in -tag (day), making them easy to identify. The names trace back to Germanic gods and celestial bodies.
Mittwoch (Wednesday) literally means "mid-week" and is the only day that does not end in -tag. Saturday has two names: Samstag is used in southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, while Sonnabend ("Sunday eve") is used in northern and eastern Germany.
Months of the Year
German months are close cognates to English, making them among the easiest vocabulary to learn. All are masculine: der Januar, der Februar, etc.
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Essential Prepositions: am and im
German uses specific contracted prepositions with days and months. Getting these right is crucial for natural-sounding German.
- am Montag -- on Monday (am = an + dem)
- am Wochenende -- on the weekend
- im Januar -- in January (im = in + dem)
- im Sommer -- in summer
Never say "an dem Montag" or "in dem Januar" -- always use the contractions am and im. Using the uncontracted forms sounds unnatural and overly formal in modern German.
Writing Dates in German
German dates use a day-first format with periods as separators:
- 5.3.2026 or 05.03.2026 -- March 5, 2026 (numeric)
- der 5. März 2026 -- March 5, 2026 (written)
- Montag, der 5. März 2026 -- Monday, March 5, 2026
The period after the number indicates an ordinal: 5. is read as fünfter (fifth). This is the German equivalent of writing "5th."
Habitual Days: The -s Adverb
To express "every Monday" or "on Mondays," German adds -s to the day name and makes it lowercase (since it becomes an adverb, not a noun):
- montags -- on Mondays
- dienstags -- on Tuesdays
- freitags -- on Fridays
Useful Expressions
- Welcher Tag ist heute? -- What day is it today?
- Heute ist Mittwoch. -- Today is Wednesday.
- Den Wievielten haben wir heute? -- What is the date today?
- Heute ist der 5. März. -- Today is March 5th.
- Mein Geburtstag ist im Juli. -- My birthday is in July.
- Bis Freitag! -- See you Friday!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are days and months capitalized in German?
Yes. German capitalizes all nouns, including days of the week and months. This is different from French, Spanish, and Italian, which keep them lowercase. Montag, Januar -- always capitalized.
What prepositions do I use with days and months?
Use am (an + dem) for days: am Montag (on Monday). Use im (in + dem) for months: im Januar (in January). These contractions are standard and should always be used instead of the full forms.
How do I write a date in German?
German dates use the format day.month.year with periods: 5.3.2026 or 05.03.2026. In full written form: der 5. März 2026 or der fünfte März 2026. The day always comes first, as in most European countries.
How do I say "every Monday" in German?
Use montags (lowercase with -s): Montags gehe ich schwimmen (On Mondays I go swimming). Adding -s to a capitalized day and making it lowercase turns it into an adverb meaning "every [day]." You can also say jeden Montag (every Monday).