Talking About Dates in Spanish: From “Ayer” to “Antier”

One of the first things I found confusing when learning Spanish was how people talk about dates and time. Words like ayer (yesterday), hoy (today), and mañana (tomorrow) are easy enough. But then you hear things like antier or pasado mañana and suddenly you’re not so sure anymore.

Let’s go over some common ways to talk about time and dates in Spanish so you can sound more natural when speaking with natives.

Basic Time References

• Hoy – Today
• Ayer – Yesterday
• Mañana – Tomorrow
• Ahora – Now

Slightly More Advanced

• Antier / Anteayer – The day before yesterday
• Pasado mañana – The day after tomorrow
• Hace dos días – Two days ago
• En dos días – In two days

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Real-Life Examples

• Vi esa película antier. – I saw that movie the day before yesterday.
• Vamos a viajar pasado mañana. – We’re traveling the day after tomorrow.
• Hace dos días comí en ese restaurante. – I ate at that restaurant two days ago.
• En dos días es mi cumpleaños. – My birthday is in two days.

Some of these phrases don’t have a direct equivalent in English, which is what makes them tricky. But with practice, they become second nature. Try using one or two of these in your next conversation and pay attention when native speakers use them!

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