[C#] Format DateTime as String Examples

Some examples and tips on C# DateTime formatting using string.Format() or .ToString() methods.

Standard DateTime format

Standard formats are typically used when you need a fast string representation of your DateTime object based on current culture.

DateTime date = DateTime.Now;
// Short date:
string.Format("{0:d}", date)   // 7/17/2019
// Long date:
string.Format("{0:D}", date)   // Wednesday, July 17, 2019 
// Short time:
string.Format("{0:t}", date)   // 1:04 AM
// Long time:
string.Format("{0:T}", date)   // 1:04:08 AM
// Full date/time (short time):
string.Format("{0:f}", date)   // Wednesday, July 17, 2019 1:04 AM
// Full date/time (long time):
string.Format("{0:F}", date)   // Wednesday, July 17, 2019 1:04:08 AM
// General  date/time (long time):
string.Format("{0:g}", date)   // 7/17/2019 1:04 AM
// General  date/time (long time):
string.Format("{0:G}", date)   // 7/17/2019 1:04:08 AM
// Sortable date/time:
string.Format("{0:s}", date)   // 2019-07-17T01:04:08

Custom DateTime format

Custom formats are useful when you need more flexibility on the output string format.

DateTime date = DateTime.Now;
string.Format("{0:MM/dd/yyyy}", date)   // 07/17/2019
string.Format("{0:MMMM dd, yyyy}", date)// July 17, 2019
string.Format("{0:MMM yyyy}", date)     // Jul 2019
string.Format("{0:hh:mm tt}", date)     // 01:04 AM

// Year patterns:
string.Format("{0:yy yyy yyyy}", date)  // 19 2019 2019
// Month patterns:
string.Format("{0:MM MMM MMMM}", date)  // 07 Jul July
// Day patterns:
string.Format("{0:dd ddd dddd}", date)  // 17 Wed Wednesday
// Hour
string.Format("{0:hh HH tt}", date)     // 01 01 AM
// Minute, second, second fraction 
string.Format("{0:mm ss ffff}", date)   // 04 08 4830

Format DateTime for a specific culture

When you format a DateTime with DateTime.ToString() you can also specify the culture to use.


using System.Globalization;
// ...
DateTime date = DateTime.Now;
// InvariantCulture 
CultureInfo invC = CultureInfo.InvariantCulture;
date.ToString("f", invC)        // Wednesday, 17 July 2019 01:04 
date.ToString("d", invC)        // 07/17/2019 
date.ToString("t", invC)        // 01:04 
// German CultureInfo 
CultureInfo deC = new CultureInfo("de-De");
date.ToString("f", deC)        // Mittwoch, 17. Juli 2019 01:04 
date.ToString("d", deC)        // 17.07.2019 
date.ToString("t", deC)        // 01:04 
// French CultureInfo 
CultureInfo frC = new CultureInfo("fr-FR");
date.ToString("f", frC)        // mercredi 17 juillet 2019 01:04 
date.ToString("d", frC)        // 17/07/2019 
date.ToString("t", frC)        // 01:04 
// Spanish CultureInfo 
CultureInfo esC = new CultureInfo("es-ES");
date.ToString("f", esC)        // miércoles, 17 de julio de 2019 1:04 
date.ToString("d", esC)        // 17/07/2019 
date.ToString("t", esC)        // 1:04

Character escape and text

Any characters not used by the formatter is reported in the result string. If you need to enter text with reserved characters that must be inserted between two ' (single quote).

DateTime date = DateTime.Now;
// Escaped date text
string.Format("{0:'y:' yyyy' m:' M 'd:' d}", date)  // y: 2019 m: 7 d: 17 
// Force time format to use ':' as separator ()
string.Format("{0:HH':'mm}", date)                  // 01:04

TOOL: Test you format string

A simple tool for test your format string.