A thing to remember when we talk about the date in Russian

What form to use: “первого января” or “первое января”? Actually, both forms are correct, but they are used in different contexts. Very often, students confuse them, so let’s figure it out!

Первое января

This form is in the nominative case and is used when referring to the date “January 1st” as the subject of the sentence. It is an answer to the question “What date is it today?”. For example:

• Первое января — это Новый год. = January 1st is New Year’s Day.
• — Какое сегодня число? = What date is it today?
  — Сегодня, первое января. = It is the first of January.

Первого января

This form is in the genitive case and is used when the date “January 1st” is in a descriptive context, typically to indicate a specific event or action that happened on that date. It is an answer to the question “When?”. For example:

• — Когда у тебя первый рабочий день? = When is your first day at work?
  — Первого января. = The first of January.
• Первого января мы каждый год ездим в гости к бабушке. = On January 1st every year, we go to visit grandma.”