Excel MONTH function
Returns the month of a date, from 1 (January) to 12 (December). In Spanish Excel it is called MES.
Syntax
English Excel
=MONTH(serial_number)
Spanish Excel (Mexico)
=MES(núm_de_serie)
Spanish Excel (Spain, Latin America)
=MES(núm_de_serie)
| Argument | What it is |
|---|---|
| serial_number | The date. |
Example
To Excel a date is a number: the days since January 1, 1900 (10/30/2026 is 46325). That is why dates can be added and subtracted. YEAR, MONTH and DAY pull out each part.
=MONTH(A2)
Common mistake
It returns a number, not the month name. For the name use TEXT(date,"mmmm").
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Practice MONTH
Type the formula in the sheet and check it instantly. Spanish or English function names both work. See all lessons
YEAR, MONTH and DAY
To Excel a date is a number: the days since January 1, 1900 (10/30/2026 is 46325). That is why dates can be added and subtracted. YEAR, MONTH and DAY pull out each part.
In B2, extract the year from the sale date.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sale date | Year | Month | |
| 2 | 11/28/2025 | |||
| 3 | 01/15/2026 | |||
| 4 | 03/02/2026 | |||
| 5 | 07/19/2026 | |||
| 6 | 12/24/2026 | |||
| 7 |
Tip: while typing, click a cell or drag across several to insert their reference.
Frequently asked questions
- What is MONTH called in Spanish?
- In Spanish Excel it is MES. The formula =MONTH(A2) is written =MES(A2) (or with commas in Mexico).
- Why does MONTH use semicolons in some Excel versions?
- It depends on regional settings. Where the comma is the decimal mark (Spain, much of South America), Excel separates arguments with semicolons. English Excel and Mexican Spanish Excel use commas.
- What is the most common MONTH mistake?
- It returns a number, not the month name. For the name use TEXT(date,"mmmm").