Some examples and tips on C# DateTime formatting using string.Format() or .ToString() methods.
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) // 3/26/2025
// Long date:
string.Format("{0:D}", date) // Wednesday, March 26, 2025
// Short time:
string.Format("{0:t}", date) // 9:42 AM
// Long time:
string.Format("{0:T}", date) // 9:42:39 AM
// Full date/time (short time):
string.Format("{0:f}", date) // Wednesday, March 26, 2025 9:42 AM
// Full date/time (long time):
string.Format("{0:F}", date) // Wednesday, March 26, 2025 9:42:39 AM
// General date/time (long time):
string.Format("{0:g}", date) // 3/26/2025 9:42 AM
// General date/time (long time):
string.Format("{0:G}", date) // 3/26/2025 9:42:39 AM
// Sortable date/time:
string.Format("{0:s}", date) // 2025-03-26T09:42:39
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) // 03/26/2025
string.Format("{0:MMMM dd, yyyy}", date)// March 26, 2025
string.Format("{0:MMM yyyy}", date) // Mar 2025
string.Format("{0:hh:mm tt}", date) // 09:42 AM
// Year patterns:
string.Format("{0:yy yyy yyyy}", date) // 25 2025 2025
// Month patterns:
string.Format("{0:MM MMM MMMM}", date) // 03 Mar March
// Day patterns:
string.Format("{0:dd ddd dddd}", date) // 26 Wed Wednesday
// Hour
string.Format("{0:hh HH tt}", date) // 09 09 AM
// Minute, second, second fraction
string.Format("{0:mm ss ffff}", date) // 42 39 8103
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, 26 March 2025 09:42
date.ToString("d", invC) // 03/26/2025
date.ToString("t", invC) // 09:42
// German CultureInfo
CultureInfo deC = new CultureInfo("de-De");
date.ToString("f", deC) // Mittwoch, 26. März 2025 09:42
date.ToString("d", deC) // 26.03.2025
date.ToString("t", deC) // 09:42
// French CultureInfo
CultureInfo frC = new CultureInfo("fr-FR");
date.ToString("f", frC) // mercredi 26 mars 2025 09:42
date.ToString("d", frC) // 26/03/2025
date.ToString("t", frC) // 09:42
// Spanish CultureInfo
CultureInfo esC = new CultureInfo("es-ES");
date.ToString("f", esC) // miércoles, 26 de marzo de 2025 9:42
date.ToString("d", esC) // 26/03/2025
date.ToString("t", esC) // 9:42
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: 2025 m: 3 d: 26
// Force time format to use ':' as separator ()
string.Format("{0:HH':'mm}", date) // 09:42
A simple tool for test your format string.