Days, months, seasons
A1 · Beginner · Basics
The rule
All days and months are masculine. Use am for days, im for months.
How it works
Days, months and seasons are all masculine: der Montag, der Januar, der Sommer. Use am with days (am Montag), im with months and seasons (im Januar, im Sommer), and im with time-of-day expressions for the past. Dates are written in the order day, month, year, with a dot after the day number.
When to use it
Name days, months and seasons, and use am (days), im (months and seasons) and other prepositions correctly.
Use cases
- Making plans with days: Am Freitag gehen wir ins Kino
- Talking about birthdays: Mein Geburtstag ist im März
- Describing the weather in each season
Examples
- am Montag – on Monday
- im Juli – in July
- Wir fahren im August in den Urlaub. – We go on holiday in August.
- Am Samstag habe ich frei. – On Saturday I am off.
- Im Winter ist es kalt. – In winter it is cold.
Common mistake
Using the wrong preposition, for example "am Januar" instead of "im Januar".
Memory tip
Days use am (am Montag), months and seasons use im (im Januar, im Sommer).