Asking "On what date?"
To ask exactly when an event happens, use Какого числа? (literally "Of what date?"). This is the Genitive form of какое число.
| What date is your birthday? | Какого числа твой день рождения? |
| What date is the party at the office? | Какого числа вечеринка в офисе? |
Stating "On the..."
To state that an event happens on a specific date, the ordinal number for the day changes to the Genitive case.
The neuter ordinal endings -ое or -ее change to -ого or -его (the letter г in these endings is pronounced like an English v). The month also remains in the Genitive case.
| My birthday is on the thirtieth of August. | Мой день рождения тридцатого августа. |
| The appointment is on the twentieth of February. | Приём двадцатого февраля. |
Compound Dates
For compound dates like the 21st or 25th, only the final word is an ordinal number. The first word is a standard number and does not change. For example, to say "on the twenty-first," only "first" changes to the Genitive: двадцать первого.
| Our departure is on the twenty-first of June. | Наш отъезд двадцать первого июня. |
Planning Events
You will frequently use this grammar to schedule events such as an arrival (приезд), departure (отъезд), formal meeting (совещание), or wedding (свадьба).
To state that a scheduled event "will take place," use the verb состояться.
| to take place | состояться |
| The meeting will take place on the second of September. | Совещание состоится второго сентября. |
| Their wedding will take place on the twelfth of July. | Их свадьба состоится двенадцатого июля. |
| On what date is the director's arrival? — On the twentieth of August. | Какого числа приезд директора? — Двадцатого августа. |