German Phrase
Welches Datum haben wir heute?
Meaning
This question asks for the calendar date of the current day. It is the standard way to inquire about the day, month, and year in German.
When to use
Use it in everyday conversation when you need to know the exact date – for example at the start of a meeting, when planning an event, or when checking a schedule.
✦Grammar Breakdown
WelchesDatumhabenwirheute?
Welches (interrogative pronoun)
‘Welches’ is the neuter nominative form of ‘welch-’, used to ask about a neuter noun like ‘Datum’.
Datum (neuter noun)
‘Datum’ is a neuter noun (das Datum). In the nominative case it stays ‘Datum’.
haben (verb)
The verb ‘haben’ is used here because the subject ‘wir’ is plural; the literal translation is ‘do we have’, which in German is the normal way to ask for a date.
wir (personal pronoun)
‘wir’ means ‘we’ and is the subject of the sentence.
heute (adverb)
‘heute’ means ‘today’ and is placed at the end of the question for emphasis.
Word order in yes‑no and wh‑questions
In German wh‑questions the verb moves to the second position, so ‘haben’ follows the interrogative pronoun.
🗨In Conversation
Welches Datum haben wir heute?
What date is it today?
Heute ist der 15. März.
Today is the 15th of March.
✕Common Mistakes
Welches Datum ist wir heute?
The verb ‘sein’ is not used with ‘Datum’; German uses ‘haben’ in this construction.
Welches Datum haben heute wir?
The subject pronoun must stay after the verb in a wh‑question.
Heute welches Datum haben wir?
Placing ‘heute’ before the verb changes the emphasis and sounds unnatural.
↔Alternatives
Welches ist das heutige Datum?
What is today's date?
Wie lautet das Datum heute?
What is the date today?
Welches Datum haben wir gerade?
What date do we have right now?
Cultural Tip
In German-speaking countries the usual written format is day.month.year (e.g., 15.03.2024). When speaking, you typically say ‘der’ before the day: ‘Heute ist der 15. März.’ Remember that ‘Datum’ is neuter, so the article is ‘das Datum’ and the interrogative pronoun must match the neuter gender – ‘welches’. In informal settings you might also hear ‘Was ist das heutige Datum?’ but the construction with ‘haben’ is more idiomatic.