Discover the months of the year and seasons in German! Our comprehensive guide covers vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural insights
Months and seasons in German
Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are just a few of the nations where the lovely language of German is extensively spoken. Learning the language is essential if you want to understand the culture and history of any of these nations or travel to any of them.
The seasons and months in the German language are significant features. To communicate with German speakers, you must be aware of this knowledge because they commonly utilize it in everyday speech.
The months of the year in German
Let’s start with the months of the year (die Monate des Jahres) in German:
- Month/Months Monat
- January – Januar
- February – Februar
- March – März
- April – April
- May – Mai
- June – Juni
- July – Juli
- August – August
- September – September
- October – Oktober
- November – November
- December – Dezember
Important to keep in mind is that the German months are not translated exactly and have an equivalent in German. Learn the German months if you want to communicate effectively with people who speak German.
Here are some instances of common conversations in German using the months of the year:
- Ich habe im Mai Geburtstag.
I have a birthday in May. - Das Treffen ist im Juni geplant.
The meeting is planned for June. - Wir fahren im August in den Urlaub.
We are going on vacation in August. - Die Schule beginnt im September.
School begins in September. - Der Filmstart ist im Oktober geplant.
The movie release is planned for October.
We have a simple rhyme that you may memorize in German, as well as many other languages, to remember how many days are in each month. Here you go:
- The Nursery Rhyme: Januar, Februar, März, April
Die Jahresuhr steht niemals still
Januar, Februar, März, April
Die Jahresuhr steht niemals still
Mai, Juni, Juli, August
Weckt in uns allen die Lebenslust
Mai, Juni, Juli, August
Weckt in uns allen die Lebenslust
September, Oktober, November, Dezember
Und dann, und dann
Fängt das Ganze schon wieder von vorne an - January, February, March, April
The Clock of the Year never stands still
January, February, March, April
The Clock of the Year never stands still
May, June, July, August
Wakes up in us the Mode for the Life
May, June, July, August
Wakes up in us the Mode for the Life
September, October, November, December
and then, and then
The whole thing restarts
The four seasons in German
Now let’s take a look at the seasons in German.
- Frühling – Spring
- Sommer – Summer
- Herbst – Autumn
- Winter – Winter
The seasons in German are quite similar to the English seasons, but they are not translated directly. It is essential to learn the German seasons to accurately describe the weather, climate, and natural phenomena when speaking with German-speaking people.
And, since we’re on the subject of rhymes, why not learn another to help you remember the seasons?
- Es war eine Mutter,
die hatte vier Kinder:
den Frühling, den Sommer,
den Herbst und den Winter. - Der Frühling bring Blumen,
Der Sommer den Klee,
Der Herbst, der bringt Trauben,
Der Winter den Schnee.
TRANSLATION
- There once was a mother
who had four children:
spring, summer,
fall, and winter. - Spring brings flowers,
Summer, the clover,
Fall, it brings grapes,
Winter, the snow.
Common doubts: capitals, articles, gender, and prepositions
German grammar can be challenging, especially for English speakers who are used to different rules. Here are some common doubts regarding capitals, articles, gender, and prepositions in German:
Capitals
Nouns are capitalized regardless of where they appear in a sentence in German. The initial word of a sentence in English is always capitalized, unlike this language.
Articles
German has three articles: “der” (masculine), “die” (feminine), and “das” (neuter). The gender of a noun determines which article to use, and this can be tricky for English speakers who are used to using only “the” as an article. In German, articles are also declined depending on their case.
Gender
German nouns can be masculine, feminine, or neuter depending on their gender. The gender of a noun cannot be determined simply, hence it must be remembered. Certain nouns, however, can offer hints, like as endings like “-heit” (feminine), “-keit,” and “-tum” (neuter).
Prepositions
In German, prepositions are used to express time, place, and direction, and they often require a specific case. For example, the preposition “in” requires the dative case, while “auf” requires the accusative case. This can be challenging for English speakers who are used to using prepositions differently.
