German Phrase
Es ist der 22. Oktober.
Meaning
This phrase is the standard way to state the current date in German. It uses the dummy subject 'es' followed by the definite article 'der' and an ordinal number to indicate the specific day of the month.
When to use
Use this phrase when someone asks for the date or when you are documenting a specific day in a conversation or journal. It is appropriate for both casual and professional contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Es istder22.Oktober
Es ist
The standard phrase for 'It is', used for time, dates, and general facts.
Der + Ordinal
Dates in the nominative case use the masculine article 'der' followed by an ordinal number ending in -te or -ste.
Oktober
Month names are masculine in German and must always be capitalized.
🗨In Conversation
Welches Datum haben wir heute?
What is today's date?
Es ist der 22. Oktober.
It is October 22nd.
✕Common Mistakes
Es ist 22. Oktober.
German requires the definite article 'der' before the date when stating 'It is...'.
Es ist der zweiundzwanzig Oktober.
You must use the ordinal form (zweiundzwanzigste) rather than the cardinal number (zweiundzwanzig) for dates.
↔Alternatives
Heute ist der zweiundzwanzigste Oktober.
Today is the twenty-second of October.
Wir haben heute den 22. Oktober.
Today's date is October 22nd (literally: We have today the 22nd).
Cultural Tip
In German-speaking countries, the date is always written in the order of day, then month, then year. When speaking the date, the ordinal number is essential, and the month name is always capitalized as it is a noun.