How Do You Write The Date In Arabic?

Q: How do you say "date of birth" in Arabic?

"Date of birth" in Arabic is تَارِيخ الْمِيلَاد ( tārīkh al-mīlād ). To give your own date of birth, say: تَارِيخ مِيلَادِي هُوَ… followed by the date in day–month–year format. The question form changes by gender: Matā waladta? (to a male) or Matā waladti? (to a female).

Learning how to write the date in Arabic is one of those practical skills that textbooks rush past — yet it comes up constantly, whether you’re filling out a form in Dubai, reading an Arabic newspaper, or messaging a colleague in Riyadh. Arabic uses two calendar systems, two sets of month names, and a different numeral convention depending on the context. Get any one of those wrong, and the date reads awkwardly to a native speaker.

This guide breaks the whole system down into eight focused steps. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to write the date in Arabic — in both the Gregorian and Hijri systems — and how to say your date of birth confidently in any Arab country.

1. Understand the Format: Day–Month–Year

The standard Arabic date format for the Gregorian calendar follows this order:

Day (number) — Month (name) — Year (number)

Example: 2 يُونْيُو 2025 (June 2, 2025)

This is the same sequence used in most of the world outside the United States. The day comes first, then the month name written out in Arabic, then the four-digit year. You do not write the month as a number in formal Arabic writing — you write its Arabic name.

To ask today’s date in Arabic, say:

مَا هُوَ تَارِيخُ الْيَوْم؟ (Mā huwa tārīkhu al-yawm?) — “What is today’s date?”

The reply follows the day–month–year structure above.

2. Learn the Two Systems of Arabic Month Names

This is where most learners stall. Arabic-speaking countries use two different sets of Gregorian month names depending on the region, and a native speaker notices immediately if you use the wrong system for their country.

The Levantine/Iraqi system preserves ancient Aramaic-origin names still used across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Palestine.

The Gulf/Egyptian system uses transliterations of the European month names and is standard in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and North Africa.

English	Levantine/Iraqi	Gulf/Egyptian
January	كَانُون الثَّانِي (Kānūn ath-Thānī)	يَنَايِر (Yanāyir)
February	شُبَاط (Shubāṭ)	فَبْرَايِر (Fabrāyir)
March	آذَار (ʾĀdhār)	مَارِس (Māris)
April	نَيْسَان (Naysān)	أَبْرِيل (ʾAbrīl)
May	أَيَّار (ʾAyyār)	مَايُو (Māyū)
June	حُزَيْرَان (Ḥuzayrān)	يُونْيُو (Yūnyū)
July	تَمُّوز (Tammūz)	يُولْيُو (Yūlyū)
August	آب (ʾĀb)	أَغُسْطُس (ʾAghusṭus)
September	أَيْلُول (ʾAylūl)	سِبْتَمْبَر (Sibtambar)
October	تِشْرِين الْأَوَّل (Tishrīn al-ʾAwwal)	أُكْتُوبَر (ʾUktūbar)
November	تِشْرِين الثَّانِي (Tishrīn ath-Thānī)	نُوفَمْبَر (Nūfambar)
December	كَانُون الْأَوَّل (Kānūn al-ʾAwwal)	دِيسَمْبَر (Dīsambar)

Practical rule: if you’re in or writing to someone in the Gulf, Egypt, or North Africa, use the Gulf/Egyptian column. If you’re in the Levant or Iraq, use the Levantine/Iraqi column. Both are correct Arabic — they just belong to different contexts.

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3. Learn How To Write Today’s Date in Arabic Numbers

Arabic uses two numeral systems that learners frequently confuse:

Eastern Arabic numerals (٠ ١ ٢ ٣ ٤ ٥ ٦ ٧ ٨ ٩) — used in print across Egypt, the Gulf, and the Levant, especially in handwritten and formal contexts.

Western Arabic numerals (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9) — the digits used globally, and also widely used in digital and informal Arabic contexts.

To write today’s date in Arabic numbers, the format stays the same — day first, then month name, then year. For example, the 15th of September 2025 written with Eastern Arabic numerals reads:

١٥ سِبْتَمْبَر ٢٠٢٥

And with Western Arabic numerals:

15 سِبْتَمْبَر 2025

Both are used in real-world Arabic writing. Formal printed documents and some newspapers prefer Eastern Arabic numerals; digital platforms and official government forms in the Gulf increasingly use Western numerals. Knowing both prevents confusion when you encounter either in the wild.

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4. Learn How to Write the Hijri Date in Arabic

The Islamic (Hijri) calendar — التَّقْوِيم الْهِجْرِيّ (at-Taqwīm al-Hijrī) — is a lunar calendar that began with the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. It runs approximately 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year, which means Hijri dates cycle through all seasons over a 33-year period.

The Hijri calendar has 12 lunar months:

مُحَرَّم (Muharram)
صَفَر (Safar)
رَبِيع الْأَوَّل (Rabī’ al-Awwal)
رَبِيع الثَّانِي (Rabī’ ath-Thānī)
جُمَادَى الْأُولَى (Jumādā al-ʾŪlā)
جُمَادَى الثَّانِيَة (Jumādā ath-Thāniyah)
رَجَب (Rajab)
شَعْبَان (Shaʿbān)
رَمَضَان (Ramaḍān)
شَوَّال (Shawwāl)
ذُو الْقَعْدَة (Dhū al-Qaʿdah)
ذُو الْحِجَّة (Dhū al-Ḥijjah)

To write the Hijri date in Arabic, use the same day–month–year format, followed by the abbreviation هـ (short for hijrī):

١ رَمَضَان ١٤٤٦ هـ

In Saudi Arabia, Hijri dates appear on official documents, employment contracts, and government correspondence alongside the Gregorian date. Learning to read and write Hijri dates is not optional if you work professionally in Arabic.

5. Learn the Days of the Week in Arabic

Dates often require the day of the week alongside the calendar date. Most Arabic day names are derived directly from numbers, which makes them logical once you see the pattern:

Day	Arabic	Transliteration
Sunday	الأَحَد	al-ʾAḥad
Monday	الاِثْنَيْن	al-Ithnayn
Tuesday	الثُّلَاثَاء	ath-Thulāthāʾ
Wednesday	الأَرْبِعَاء	al-ʾArbiʿāʾ
Thursday	الخَمِيس	al-Khamīs
Friday	الجُمُعَة	al-Jumuʿah
Saturday	السَّبْت	as-Sabt

Sunday through Thursday map to the numerals one through five (aḥad = one, ithnayn = two, etc.). Friday (Jumuʿah, from the root for “gathering”) and Saturday (Sabt, cognate with the Hebrew Sabbath) are the exceptions. Linking the number-based days to their numerals is one of the most effective memory shortcuts for this vocabulary set — and exactly the kind of grammatical logic pattern explored in our Arabic grammar courses.

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6. Write Your Date of Birth in Arabic

Stating your date of birth in Arabic comes up in introductions, official forms, and online profiles. The phrasing is straightforward once you know the structure.

To ask someone’s date of birth:

To a male: مَتَى وَلَدْتَ؟ (Matā waladta?)
To a female: مَتَى وَلَدْتِ؟ (Matā waladti?)
Formal (both): مَا هُوَ تَارِيخ مِيلَادِكَ؟ (Mā huwa tārīkh mīlādika?)

To state your date of birth:

تَارِيخ مِيلَادِي هُوَ… (Tārīkh mīlādī huwa…)

Example: “My date of birth is September 15, 1990.” تَارِيخ مِيلَادِي هُوَ ١٥ سِبْتَمْبَر ١٩٩٠. (Tārīkh mīlādī huwa 15 Sibtambar 1990.)

7. Practice With Real Contexts

Knowing the rules is only half the skill. Fluent date-writing in Arabic comes from encounter and repetition in real contexts.

Here are the four most effective practice methods:

A. Read Arabic news headlines

Arabic news sites use dates constantly — often in both Gregorian and Hijri formats. Al Jazeera Arabic, BBC Arabic, and regional newspapers are free resources for daily exposure.

B. Keep an Arabic calendar

Switch your phone or computer calendar to Arabic display. Seeing the day names and month names daily builds passive recognition faster than flashcard drills.

C. Practice the Arabic alphabet first

If reading Arabic script is still slow for you, work through the Arabic alphabet course before drilling date formats — fluent date recognition requires fluid letter recognition.

D. Write dates by hand

Typing Arabic trains your eyes; handwriting trains your hand and forces you to produce each letter intentionally. Write today’s date in both Gregorian and Hijri formats every morning for two weeks.

8. Avoid the Three Most Common Mistakes

Most learners who can recite month names still make these errors in real writing:

Mistake 1 — Using the wrong regional month system

Writing Kānūn ath-Thānī for January in an email to a colleague in Abu Dhabi reads as unusual — they expect Yanāyir. Match your month names to your audience’s region.

Mistake 2 — Reversing the date order

The American month–day–year habit (June 2 / 6-2-2025) bleeds into Arabic writing for learners whose first language is English. Arabic — like most of the world — uses day–month–year. Writing 6/2/2025 in a Gulf context means February 6th, not June 2nd.

Mistake 3 — Forgetting the هـ abbreviation on Hijri dates

Omitting the Hijri marker on an official document leaves the reader uncertain which calendar system you’re using. Always append هـ to Hijri years in formal contexts.

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Conclusion

Learning how to write the date in Arabic is a practical skill that makes everyday communication, travel, work, and study much easier. Once you understand the standard day–month–year format, recognize the regional differences in month names, and know when to use the Gregorian or Hijri calendar, you’ll be able to read and write dates with confidence in any Arabic-speaking environment.

Like any language skill, consistency is the key. Practice writing today’s date every day, pay attention to how dates appear in Arabic books, news articles, and official documents, and you’ll quickly develop the habit of using the correct format naturally.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions about writing dates in Arabic? Here are clear answers to the most common questions learners ask about Arabic date formats, Hijri dates, numerals, month names, and everyday usage.

How do you write the date in Arabic?

The standard Arabic date format is day–month name–year, written right to left. Example: 15 سِبْتَمْبَر 2025. The month is written as a word, not a number. In formal or official writing, Eastern Arabic numerals (١٥) are often used for the day and year.

How do you write the Hijri date in Arabic?

Write the Hijri date using the same day–month–year format, with the Hijri month name and the abbreviation هـ after the year. Example: ١ رَمَضَان ١٤٤٦ هـ. The هـ clarifies that the year is Hijri, not Gregorian.

How do you write today’s date in Arabic numbers?

Today’s date uses either Eastern Arabic numerals (١، ٢، ٣) or Western Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) depending on context. Both are correct. Formal printed documents and handwritten forms in the Arab world often prefer Eastern numerals; digital platforms and Gulf government portals frequently use Western ones.

Why do Arabic month names differ by country?

Arabic-speaking countries use two distinct systems for Gregorian months. The Levantine/Iraqi system preserves ancient Aramaic-origin names (كَانُون الثَّانِي for January). The Gulf/Egyptian system uses transliterations of European month names (يَنَايِر for January). Both are grammatically correct — the difference is regional convention, not formality.

How do you say “date of birth” in Arabic?

“Date of birth” in Arabic is تَارِيخ الْمِيلَاد (tārīkh al-mīlād). To give your own date of birth, say: تَارِيخ مِيلَادِي هُوَ… followed by the date in day–month–year format. The question form changes by gender: Matā waladta? (to a male) or Matā waladti? (to a female).

Is the Hijri calendar still used officially today?

Yes. Saudi Arabia uses the Hijri calendar on official documents, legal contracts, and government correspondence. Across the Muslim world, it determines the dates of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and Hajj. Civil and business matters in most countries use the Gregorian calendar alongside it.

How Do You Write the Date in Arabic?

1. Understand the Format: Day–Month–Year

2. Learn the Two Systems of Arabic Month Names

3. Learn How To Write Today’s Date in Arabic Numbers

4. Learn How to Write the Hijri Date in Arabic

5. Learn the Days of the Week in Arabic

6. Write Your Date of Birth in Arabic