The 12 Months in German
The months in German are Januar, Februar, März, April, Mai, Juni, Juli, August, September, Oktober, November, and Dezember. All months are masculine nouns and always capitalized. Most resemble their English equivalents, making them easy to learn for beginners.
Knowing the months is essential for everyday German conversation. Whether you are booking appointments, discussing birthdays, planning travel, or simply talking about the weather and seasons, you will use month names constantly. German month names share Latin roots with English, so many look familiar.
German treats months as masculine nouns, each taking the article der. You will encounter them in dates, time expressions, and prepositional phrases. Learning all twelve now gives you a foundation for discussing when events happen and understanding written dates in German-speaking countries.
Word list
Tips
- All months are masculine and take the article der. You say der Januar, der Februar, and so on. Always capitalize month names in German.
- Use im with months to say in a month: im Januar means in January, im Dezember means in December. This contraction of in dem is standard.
- Pay attention to März, Mai, Juni, and Juli. März has an umlaut, Mai is short, and Juni and Juli sound similar but differ by one letter.
FAQ
Are German months masculine, feminine, or neuter?
All twelve months in German are masculine nouns. Each takes the definite article der, so you say der Januar, der Februar, der März, and so on through der Dezember.
How do you say in January or in December in German?
Use the preposition im, a contraction of in dem. For example, im Januar means in January and im Dezember means in December. This pattern works for all months.
Which German months are hardest to pronounce for English speakers?
März can be tricky because of the ä sound and the rz combination. Juni and Juli sound very similar, so listen carefully to distinguish them. Februar also requires practice with the r sounds.