This article will comprehensively review how to say the date in Russian. We’ll go over key date and calendar concepts, essential vocab, as well as some grammar you’ll need to understand.
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Key concepts for saying the date in Russian
How to ask what date it is
When you ask the date, you literally say "what is the number?" (какое число?)
For example:
- Какое сегодня число? = What date is it today?
- Какое число было вчера? = What was the date yesterday?
- Какое число (будет) завтра? = What will be the date tomorrow?
How to ask a specific date
Asking a specific date is a little different in Russian. You can either use когда? (when?) or какого числа? (what date?).
For example:
- Когда у тебя день рождения? = When is your birthday?
- Какого числа ты будешь в Лондоне? = What day will you be in London?
How to say what date it is
There are two ways to say the date in Russian:
- Saying when something happens: в + prepositional case
- Describing the date of something: genitive case
Saying when something happens
This is how say something happens in / on a date:
- Day: сегодня / завтра / вчера + ordinal neuter
- Month: в + month in prepositional case
- Year: в + year in prepositional case
For example:
- Сегодня двадцать девятое марта. = Today is the 29th of March.
- Я родился в августе. = I was born in August.
- Я родился в тысяча девятсот девяностосто третом году. = I was born in 1993.
Describing the date of something
This is how you describe the date of something:
- Day: ordinal day in genitive case
- Month: month in genitive case
- Year: year number + год (year) in genitive case
For example:
- У меня игра двадцать девятого. = I have a game on the 29th.
- Я родился одиннадцатого августа. = I was born on the 11th of August.
- Я родился двадцать второго июня тысяча девятсот девяносто третего года. = I was born on the 20th of June in 1993.
Essential vocab for saying the date
Important date words
- день = day
- неделя = week
- месец = month
- год = year
- век = century
- число = date
- сутки = day (formal; 24-hour period; rarely used)
- Он и его люди искали круглые сутки. = He and his men have been searching round the clock.
Russian days of the week
- понедельник = Monday
- вторник = Tuesday
- среда = Wednesday
- четверг = Thursday
- пятница = Friday
- суббота = Saturday
- воскресенье = Sunday
Saying on a day of the week
To say "on a certain day of the week," use "в" + accusative case
- в понедельник
- во втнорник
- в среду
- в четверг
- в пятницу
- в субботу
- в воскресенье
Russian months
- январь = January
- февраль = February
- март = March
- апрель = April
- май = May
- июнь = June
- июль = July
- август = August
- сентябрь = September
- октябрь = October
- ноябрь = November
- декабрь = December
Using prepositions with months
When you want to say something happened during a certain month, use "" + prepositional case:
- в феврале = in February
- в сентябре = in September
When you want to say something has been happening since a certain month, use "" + genitive case:
- с мая = since May
- с ноября = since November
