Day 89 - Dates

Question 1

There are two ways to ask for the date in German. The latter example is more natural: What is the date? WAS IST DAS DATUM? What is the date? WELCHES DATUM HABEN WIR HEUTE? (Lit. What date do we have today?)

English adds -th to numbers to make them dates or ranks. German adds -te, or -ste (deca-numbers). There are two exceptions, erste (first), and dritte (third).

Though the numbers themselves are feminine, dates are masculine.

first erste
second zweite
third dritte
fourth vierte
fifth fünfte
sixth sechste
seventh siebte
eighth achte
ninth neunte
tenth zehnte
DECA NUMBERS:
twentieth zwanzigste
thirtieth dreißigste

The day will always come first when saying dates. When this is done in English, OF is added, but German doesn’t add a preposition.

To say ON THE, German uses AN, which takes the dative case, and since dates are masculine, will become AM (an + dem).

Study the following examples:

On the first. Am ersten.
The first of January. Der erste Januar.
On the fourth of July. Am vierten Juli.
On the twenty-fifth of December. Am fünfundzwanzigsten Dezember.

Like English, years by themselves take the preposition in in the dative case, which becomes IM (in + dem) and will also add JAHR (year).

Like English, if you are saying a complete date with the day, month, and year, you don’t need a preposition.

Study the following examples:
In two thousand ten.
Im Jahre zweitausendzehn.
On the twenty-fifth of December, two thousand ten.
Am fünfundzwanzigsten Dezember, zweitausendzehn.
Today is May seventh, two thousand three.
Heute ist der siebte Mai zweitausenddrei.

Question 2

Day 89 Grammar Cards

1. Dates or ranks (-th) Masculine. -te / -ste (deca-numbers)
2. first / third erste / dritte
3. on the (date) am (date)
4. in (year) im Jahre (year)

Question 3

1. FEIERN…to celebrate feiern
2. DER FEIERTAG…holiday der Feiertag (-e)
3. FROH…glad
   *Also used in the phrases: FROHES NEUES JAHR (Happy New Year) and FROHE WEIHNACHTEN (Merry Christmas).
4. DAS DATEM…date das Datum (die Daten)
5. ENTSPANNEN SICH…to relax sich entspannen
6. AUS.RUHEN SICH…to rest sich ausruhen
7. BERUHIGEN SICH…to calm down sich beruhigen
8. DER URLAUB…vacation der Urlaub (-e)
   *English uses the preposition ON with vacation, German uses IN. To say take a vacation, use the verb FAHREN or GEHEN.
9. DER HERBST…autumn der Herbst (-e)
10. DER FRÜHLING…spring der Frühling (e)

Question 4

1. Do you celebrate Christmas?

Answer 4

Feierst du Weihnachten?

Question 5

2. What is your favorite holiday?

Answer 5

Was ist dein Lieblingsfeiertag?

Question 6

3. He is always glad.

Answer 6

Er ist immer froh.

Question 7

4. What is the date today?

Answer 7

Welches Datum haben wir heute?

Question 8

5. I have to relax more.

Answer 8

Ich muss mich mehr entspannen.

Question 9

6. Sometimes I rest in the living room.

Answer 9

Manchmal ruhe ich mich im Wohnzimmer aus.

AUS.RUHEN

Question 10

7. She needs to calm down.

Answer 10

Sie muss sich beruhigen.

Question 11

8. He is on vacation.

Answer 11

Er ist im Urlaub.

Question 12

9. I take a vacation in autumn.

Answer 12

Im Herbst fahre ich in den Urlaub.

Question 13

10. Spring is so beautiful.

Answer 13

Der Frühling ist so schön.