Teaching Russian, I meet all kinds of students—historians, travelers, and folks just curious about the language. One thing they all stumble on? Saying dates in Russian. Try to say “Serfdom was abolished on February 19, 1861” in Russian, and you’ll feel their pain. Numbers in a new language can feel like a mental hurdle.
I totally get it. I’m fluent in English, aced every ESL test during my immigration journey, but when it’s time to say a date or count something, my brain slips back to Russian. I read somewhere that most immigrants do this—numbers just hit differently in your native tongue. It’s like an unwritten rule of language learning.
Good news, though: you can master Russian dates with a bit (ok, with a lot) of practice. In this post, I’ll walk you through saying centuries, years, months, and full dates without stress.
Centuries: Keep It Simple
Let’s start with centuries. You might already say, “I was born in the 20th century, now I’m in the 21st.” In Russian, that’s:
“Я родился/родилась в двадцатом веке, а живу в двадцать первом.”
To say “in the NN century,” use “В” (meaning “in”) and the century number in the prepositional case. Try these:
- Слово ‘электричество’ появилось в семнадцатом веке.
(The word “electricity” appeared in the 17th century.) - Китай будто живёт в двадцать втором веке.
(Sometimes it feels like China’s in the 22nd century.)
BC and AD: A Bit of History
Before the Socialist revolution, Russians said “до Рождества Христова” (before Christ’s birth) for BC and “от Рождества Христова” (after Christ’s birth) for AD. For apparent reasons, the modern terms are not religious: “до нашей эры” (before our era, or BC) and “нашей эры” (of our era, or AD). Check these out:
- “Акрополь в Афинах построили в пятом веке до нашей эры.”
(The Athenian Acropolis was built in the 5th century BC.) - “Первая пандемия была в шестом веке нашей эры.”
(The first pandemic hit in the 6th century AD—that’s the Plague of Justinian.)
Years: Stay in the Zone
To talk about a specific year, use “В” and the year in the prepositional case, like pinning it to a timeline. Here’s how:
- “Уотергейтский скандал был в тысяча девятьсот семьдесят четвёртом году.”
(The Watergate scandal happened in 1974.) - “В две тысячи двенадцатом году все ждали конца света.”
(In 2012, everyone was waiting for the end of the world.)
Those long numbers can feel scary, but they get easier the more you say them.
Months and Years: A Small Twist
When you add a month, use “В” with the month in the prepositional case, but the year switches to the genitive case (like “of” the year). Like this:
- “В июне (prepositional) тысяча восемьсот двенадцатого (genitive) года Наполеон вошёл в Россию.”
(In June 1812, Napoleon entered Russia.) - “В декабре две тысячи десятого года был первый коммерческий космический полёт.”
(In December 2010, the first commercial space flight happened.)
Full Dates: Drop the Preposition
For a full date—day, month, year—skip the preposition and use the genitive case for everything. It’s like saying “on the second of February of 1977.” Examples:
- “Шакира родилась второго февраля тысяча девятьсот семьдесят седьмого года.”
(Shakira was born on February 2, 1977.) - “Владимир Высоцкий умер двадцать пятого июля тысяча девятьсот восьмидесятого года.”
(Vladimir Vysotsky died on July 25, 1980.)
Seasons and Days of the Week: Extra Flair
Seasons have special forms that act like adverbs: зимой (in winter), весной (in spring), летом (in summer), осенью (in fall). Try this:
- “Летом Италия полна туристов.”
(In summer, Italy’s full of tourists.)
Days of the week use “В” with the accusative case:
- “Урок будет во вторник.”
(The lesson’s on Tuesday.)
For regular events, use “ПО” with the dative plural:
- “Уроки по вторникам и четвергам.”
(Classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays.)
Practice Makes Perfect
Russian dates can feel like a puzzle, but they click with practice. Want to master them for good? My How to Say Dates in Russian Cheatsheet is your secret weapon—get it in my shop. It’s got all these rules, plus tons of examples to keep you on track, whether you’re chatting about history or planning a trip.
Try saying a few dates, like your birthday: “Я родился/родилась…” Or drop a historical or personal date you’ve practiced in the comments—I’d love to see how you’re doing! With a bit of practice, you’ll be tossing out Russian dates like a native. Happy learning!