{"id":134,"date":"2026-01-07T15:54:36","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T15:54:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/?p=134"},"modified":"2026-01-07T15:54:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T15:54:36","slug":"german-dates-and-ordinal-numbers-how-to-fill-out-forms-and-plan-events","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/german-dates-and-ordinal-numbers-how-to-fill-out-forms-and-plan-events\/","title":{"rendered":"German Dates and Ordinal Numbers: How to Fill Out Forms and Plan Events"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mastering the Calendar: Dates and Ordinal Numbers<\/h2>\n

In Germany, punctuality and precise planning are cultural cornerstones. To function effectively, you must move beyond simple numbers (1, 2, 3) and master Ordinal Numbers<\/b> (1st, 2nd, 3rd). These are essential for saying the date, referring to floors in a building (Stockwerk<\/i>), or describing your place in a queue. In this lesson, we will learn how to form these numbers and, more importantly, how to use them with prepositions to talk about deadlines and appointments.<\/p>\n

1. How to Form Ordinal Numbers<\/h2>\n

The rule for forming ordinal numbers in German is quite simple and depends on whether the number is below or above 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Range<\/th>\nRule<\/th>\nExample<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1 – 19<\/b><\/td>\nAdd -te<\/b> to the number<\/td>\nvier -> vierte<\/b> (4th)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20+<\/b><\/td>\nAdd -ste<\/b> to the number<\/td>\nzwanzig -> zwanzigste<\/b> (20th)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The Irregular Exceptions:<\/b> Just like in English (1st, 2nd, 3rd), German has a few exceptions you must memorize:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • 1st: erste<\/b> (not einste)<\/li>\n
  • 3rd: dritte<\/b> (not dreite)<\/li>\n
  • 7th: siebte<\/b> (not siebente)<\/li>\n
  • 8th: achte<\/b> (only add -te because it already ends in t)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    2. Writing and Saying the Date<\/h2>\n

    In German, dates are written with a dot<\/b> after the number (e.g., 01.01.2024). This dot represents the “ordinal” ending. When you want to say “On the [Date],” we use the preposition Am<\/b>. This triggers a grammar change: the ending becomes -ten<\/b> or -sten<\/b>.<\/p>\n

    \n The “Am” Formula:<\/b> Am + [Number] + -ten\/-sten<\/b> + [Month]\n<\/div>\n
      \n
    • Am ersten<\/b> Januar (On the 1st of January).<\/li>\n
    • Am einundzwanzigsten<\/b> M\u00e4rz (On the 21st of March).<\/li>\n
    • Am dritten<\/b> Juli (On the 3rd of July).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      3. Months of the Year (Die Monate)<\/h2>\n

      All months in German are Masculine (Der)<\/b>. If you want to say “In January,” use the preposition Im<\/b> (In + dem).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
      Januar<\/td>\nFebruar<\/td>\nM\u00e4rz<\/td>\nApril<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Mai<\/td>\nJuni<\/td>\nJuli<\/td>\nAugust<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      September<\/td>\nOktober<\/td>\nNovember<\/td>\nDezember<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

      4. Practical Scenarios: Forms and Invitations<\/h2>\n

      A. Filling out a form (Geburtsdatum):<\/b>
      \nIf the form asks for your Geburtsdatum<\/i> (Date of birth), you write: 15.05.1990.
      \n
      When asked orally: “Ich bin am f\u00fcnfzehnten Mai<\/b> neunzehnhundertneunzig geboren.”<\/p>\n

      B. Discussing Deadlines:<\/b>
      \n“Die Frist ist am drei\u00dfigsten<\/b> September.” (The deadline is on the 30th of September).<\/p>\n

      C. Building Floors (Stockwerke):<\/b>
      \n“Ich wohne im ersten<\/b> Stock.” (I live on the first floor).
      \n
      Note: In Germany, the ‘first floor’ is usually the one above the ground floor (Erdgeschoss).<\/i><\/p>\n

      5. Essential Time Prepositions (From… To…)<\/h2>\n

      To express a range of time, use Von… bis…<\/b>:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • “Ich arbeite von<\/b> Montag bis<\/b> Freitag.” (I work from Monday to Friday).<\/li>\n
      • “Der Termin ist von<\/b> 14:00 bis<\/b> 15:00 Uhr.” (The appointment is from 2:00 to 3:00 PM).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        6. Practice Exercises<\/h2>\n

        A. Write out the following dates in German words (using “Am”):<\/b><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. 01.05. (On the 1st of May) -> Am _________ Mai.<\/li>\n
        2. 20.10. (On the 20th of October) -> Am _________ Oktober.<\/li>\n
        3. 03.12. (On the 3rd of December) -> Am _________ Dezember.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          B. Translate to German:<\/b><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. My birthday is in August.<\/li>\n
          2. The meeting is on the 4th of April.<\/li>\n
          3. I live on the 2nd floor (der zweite Stock).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Lesson Summary Checklist<\/h2>\n

            \n [ ] I can form ordinal numbers by adding -te (1-19) or -ste (20+).
            \n [ ] I remember the exceptions: erste, dritte, siebte, achte<\/i>.
            \n [ ] I know that “Am” triggers the -ten<\/b> or -sten<\/b> ending for dates.
            \n [ ] I can list the months of the year and use them with “Im”.
            \n [ ] I understand how to describe floors in a building.\n<\/p>\n

            \n

            What’s Next? Lesson 13<\/h3>\n

            You are becoming more fluent every day! In Lesson 13: The Dativ Case Deep Dive<\/b>, we will explore the second major German case. We’ve seen hints of it today; now we will learn why “Der” becomes “Dem” and how it changes the way you talk about giving, helping, and thanking people.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Mastering the Calendar: Dates and Ordinal Numbers In Germany, punctuality and precise planning are cultural cornerstones. To function effectively, you must move beyond simple numbers (1, 2, 3) and master Ordinal Numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd). These are essential for saying the date, referring to floors in a building (Stockwerk), or describing your place in a …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":137,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learn-german-a2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":138,"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134\/revisions\/138"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}