From booking an appointment to understanding an official document, learning how to use dates in Arabic is essential for daily life. Although the Arabic date system may seem complex at first, don’t worry, we’ll break it down into small, easy-to-follow pieces.
In this article, you will learn how to write and say dates in Modern Standard Arabic using Arabic numbers, month names, and years. Through clear explanations and practical examples, we will highlight common mistakes. With a bit of practice, you’ll be able to use Arabic dates confidently.
How Dates Are Structured in Arabic
Arabic format and the English structure.
- The Arabic date system follows a logical order: Day / Month / Year. You begin with the smallest unit (day) and finish with the largest unit (year). This structure is the opposite of the American English format, which follows Month/ Day / Year.
- Grammatically, Arabic dates use ordinal numbers for days of the month, follow strict number–noun agreement rules, and commonly use Eastern Arabic numbers (١، ٢، ٣).
- Culturally, in Saudi Arabia and most of the Arab world, the week starts on Sunday, and the weekend usually falls on Friday and Saturday, reflecting the religious importance of Friday in Islamic culture. To learn more about the Arabic days vocabulary, this guide will help you: Days of the Week in Arabic.
Writing Numbers for Dates (1st–31st) in Arabic
Arabic uses ordinal numbers when expressing dates. In Modern Standard Arabic, ordinal numbers—whether simple, compound, or conjoined—are used to indicate the day’s position within the month. Cardinal numbers cannot be used when expressing dates in Arabic.
English
Pronunciation
Arabic
the first
al-awwal
الأوّل
the second
al-thānī
الثاني
the third
al-thālith
الثالث
the fourth
al-rābiʿ
الرابع
the fifth
al-khāmis
الخامس
the sixth
al-sādis
السادس
the seventh
al-sābiʿ
السابع
the eighth
al-thāmin
الثامن
the ninth
al-tāsiʿ
التاسع
the tenth
al-ʿāshir
العاشر
the twelfth
al-thānī ʿashar
الثاني عشر
the twenty-fourth
al-rābiʿ wa-al-ʿishrūn
الرابع والعشرون
Arabic ordinal numbers fully agree with the noun they describe in gender. This means the shape of the number changes depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine.
English
Pronunciation
Arabic
the second day (masculine)
al-yawm al-thānī
اليوم الثاني (مذكر)
the second year (feminine)
al-sanah al-thāniyah
السنة الثانية (مؤنث)
Arabic Months and How to Use Them in Dates
You might think that Arabic-speaking countries primarily use the Islamic (Hijri) calendar, which is a lunar calendar that began with the migration (Hijra) of the Prophet Muhammad in 622 CE.
Today, many Arab countries use the two most common calendars as part of a dual-system approach. The Gregorian calendar serves as the standard for official documents and daily business, while the Islamic calendar remains essential for religious holidays.
In most Arab countries, including Egypt and the Gulf states, the Gregorian month names used in the Arabic calendar are similar to English ones because they share Latin origins. These names remain unchanged and do not have masculine or feminine forms.
English
Pronunciation
Arabic
January
yanāyir
يناير
February
fubrāyir
فبراير
March
māris
مارس
April
abrīl
أبريل
May
māyū
مايو
June
yūnyū
يونيو
July
yūlyū
يوليو
August
aghusṭus
أغسطس
September
sibtambir
سبتمبر
October
ʾUktūbar
أُكتوبر
November
Nūfambar
نوفمبر
December
Dīsambar
ديسمبر
However, in other Arab countries such as Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, different names are used for the months in Arabic. These Levantine month names are quite distinct from their English translations. Whether you use فبراير or شباط (February), the Arabic date format always follows the standard Day–Month–Year order.
English
Pronunciation
Arabic
January
Kānūn aṯ-Ṯānī
كانُون الثانِي
February
Šubāṭ
شُباط
March
ʾĀḏār
آذار
April
Naysān
نَيْسان
May
ʾAyyār
أَيّار
June
Ḥazīrān
حَزِيران
July
Tammūz
تَمُّوز
August
ʾĀb
آب
September
ʾAylūl
أَيْلُول
October
Tišrīn al-ʾAwwal
تِشْرِين الْأَوَّل
November
Tišrīn aṯ-Ṯānī
تِشْرِين الثانِي
December
Kānūn al-ʾAwwal
كانُون الْأَول
How to Say and Write Years in Arabic
When writing years in Arabic, it is important to know that there are two recognized patterns. In older Arabic usage, years could be read from right to left, starting with the units and ending with the thousands.
The most common and widely used method is to read years from left to right, starting with the thousands and moving toward the units.
English
Pronunciation
Arabic
the year two thousand and eighteen
sanat alfayn wa-thamāniyata ʿashar
سنة ألفين وثمانية عشر
Remember that written years in Arabic follow standard number and gender agreement rules. To learn more about Arabic number rules, check this guide: Numbers in Arabic.
Putting It All Together – Full Date Examples
Let’s apply the rules to a real example and use the preposition to naturally connect the day and the month.
Our example is September 1, 1992. We start with the number one, which becomes الأوّل after applying the ordinal rule. Then we use the preposition min من (from) and the month name سبتمبر.
Write the year from the largest value to the smallest and link the parts with (و). You may add سنة or عام (year) before the number to avoid confusion, though this is optional.
The same steps apply to a second example: February 23, 2018.
English
Pronunciation
Arabic
September 1st, 1992
al-awwal min sibtambir ʿām alf wa-tisʿa miʾa wa-ithnayn wa-tisʿīn
الأوّل من سبتمبر عام ألفٍ وتسعمائةٍ واثنين وتسعين
the twenty-third of February, two thousand and eighteen
al-thālith wa-al-ʿishrūn min fubrāyir alfān wa-thamāniyata ʿashar
الثالث والعشرون من فبراير ألفان وثمانية عشر
How Dates Are Read Aloud in Arabic
When it comes to saying and reading dates, it’s quite simple. Dates are spoken in the same order they are written, which makes them easy to read once you master how to write them.
You pronounce exactly what you see on the page, starting with the day, then the month, and finally the year. You read the date as a complete spoken phrase, not as separate numbers. Don’t forget that using an Arabic preposition to connect the parts of the date makes your sentence clearer and more official.
Common Mistakes English Speakers Make with Arabic Dates
To sound fluent when using dates in Arabic, you must avoid several common pitfalls. The most frequent error is applying English word order, such as placing the month before the day, which is grammatically incorrect in formal Arabic.
Additionally, failing to use ordinal numbers or ignoring gender agreement will result in unnatural phrases. Finally, incorrect pronunciation can lead to misunderstandings regarding time and dates.
Start Learning Arabic Dates with AlifBee App
Using dates in Arabic may seem like a complex mathematical process for learners at first, but once you understand the key rules and follow the correct steps, everything will feel easier.
The AlifBee App helps you start learning ordinal numbers and months, so you can easily move on to structuring dates.
Ready to practice? Download the AlifBee app and enjoy Arabic lessons with a free 14-day trial.
