The months of the year are essential Italian vocabulary for dates, travel plans, reservations, and everyday conversation. From January to December, they are gennaio, febbraio, marzo, aprile, maggio, giugno, luglio, agosto, settembre, ottobre, novembre, and dicembre.
January to December: gennaio, febbraio, marzo, aprile, maggio, giugno, luglio, agosto, settembre, ottobre, novembre, dicembre.
Months in Italian: January to December
Here are the twelve month names in order, with their English equivalents:
- gennaio — January
- febbraio — February
- marzo — March
- aprile — April
- maggio — May
- giugno — June
- luglio — July
- agosto — August
- settembre — September
- ottobre — October
- novembre — November
- dicembre — December
Some names look similar to their English equivalents, including marzo and dicembre, while others have distinct spelling and pronunciation. A practical way to memorize them is to say the full list aloud, then practice it in reverse or group the months by season.
Capitalization and Gender
Italian month names are normally written with lowercase initial letters: gennaio, aprile, and dicembre. Capitalize a month only when it begins a sentence or appears in a title that uses title-style capitalization. This is different from English, where month names are capitalized in ordinary text.
Month names are masculine nouns, so an article may appear in certain phrases: il gennaio scorso means “last January.” In a date, however, the month is commonly used without a separate article: il 12 maggio (“May 12”).
Using Months in Dates
Italian dates usually put the day before the month. If a calendar entry includes the weekday, see the Italian days of the week. For example, il 5 maggio means “May 5,” and il 10 settembre means “September 10.” For the first day of a month, Italian commonly uses the ordinal primo: il primo giugno (“June 1”).
Use a before a month when saying that something takes place in that month: Vado in Italia a settembre means “I’m going to Italy in September.” The phrase nel mese di (“in the month of”) is another option, though it sounds more explicit: nel mese di luglio, “in the month of July.”
When writing a date numerically, Italian commonly puts the day first, followed by the month and year. Always check the surrounding context when reading dates in an international booking or form, since numeric conventions can vary.
Months and Seasons
Knowing the seasons helps you remember which months belong together. L’inverno (winter) includes dicembre, gennaio, and febbraio; la primavera (spring) includes marzo, aprile, and maggio; l’estate (summer) includes giugno, luglio, and agosto; and l’autunno (autumn) includes settembre, ottobre, and novembre.
To say “in summer” or “in winter,” Italian often uses in estate and in inverno. For a specific month, use a: a luglio (“in July”), a dicembre (“in December”).
Example Sentences Using Months
These sentences show how month names appear in plans, dates, and conversation:
- Partiamo a giugno. — We are leaving in June.
- Il mio compleanno è a novembre. — My birthday is in November.
- Il corso inizia il 10 settembre. — The course starts on September 10.
- Ad agosto fa caldo in molte città italiane. — It is hot in many Italian cities in August.
- Ci vediamo il primo dicembre. — See you on December 1.
- La prenotazione è per marzo. — The reservation is for March.
- Preferiamo visitare Roma in aprile. — We prefer to visit Rome in April.
- Il festival dura da maggio a luglio. — The festival lasts from May to July.
Common Mistakes
- Capitalizing every month: Italian month names usually begin with lowercase letters.
- Putting the month before the day: dates normally put the day first, as in il 10 settembre.
- Using the wrong preposition: say a giugno for “in June.”
- Forgetting the form for the first: use il primo for the first day of a month.
- Confusing similar names: giugno is June and luglio is July; practice them as a pair.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tap a question below to see the answer.
Are months capitalized in Italian?
Usually not. Write month names in lowercase unless they begin a sentence or are capitalized by a title convention.
How do you say “in June” in Italian?
Say a giugno. The preposition a is used with a specific month.
How do you write May 5 in Italian?
Write il 5 maggio, putting the day before the month.
How do you say the first of June?
Say il primo giugno. Italian commonly uses primo for the first day of the month.
What are the Italian words for June and July?
June is giugno, and July is luglio. They are spelled similarly, so practicing them together can help.
Summary: Months of the Year in Italian
The Italian months run from gennaio (January) through dicembre (December). They are normally lowercase, and dates put the day before the month. Use a with a month, as in a settembre (“in September”), and il primo for the first day of a month.
