How to write the date in English
All numbers
The Translation Bureau recommends that a date containing only numbers be written in the following order:
- year-month-day
- 2008-03-04 represents March 4, 2008
- 2008-04-03 represents April 3, 2008
Note: Use a hyphen to separate the elements of the date.
Words and numbers
The Translation Bureau recommends that a date containing words and numbers be written in the following order:
- month-day-year
- January 2, 2008 (not 2 January 2008)
How to write the date in French
All numbers
The Translation Bureau recommends that a date containing only numbers be written in the following order, just as in English:
- year-month-day
- 2008-03-04 represents March 4, 2008
- 2008-04-03 represents April 3, 2008
Note: Use a hyphen to separate the elements of the date.
Words and numbers
Write the date using the following order:
- day-month-year
- le 2 janvier 2008
For a breakdown of the rules for writing the date in French, see the article date (règles d’écriture) (in French only).
Additional information
For more information on writing a date in numbers, see the article date: numeric.
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© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
A tool created and made available online by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada
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