PHP | strtotime() Function
Last Updated :
11 Jul, 2025
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The strtotime() function is a built-in function in PHP which is used to convert an English textual date-time description to a UNIX timestamp. The function accepts a string parameter in English which represents the description of date-time. For e.g., "now" refers to the current date in English date-time description. The function returns the time in seconds since the Unix Epoch. We can return the English textual date-time in date format using the date() function.
Syntax:
php
Output:
php
Output:
php
Output:
strtotime ($EnglishDateTime, $time_now)Parameters: The function accepts two parameters as shown above and described below:
- $EnglishDateTime - This parameter specifies the English textual date-time description, which represents the date or time to be returned. The function parses the string and returns us the time in seconds. The parameter is mandatory
- $time_now This parameter specifies the timestamp used to calculate the returned value. It is an optional parameter.
<?php
// PHP program to demonstrate the strtotime()
// function when the english text is "now"
// prints current time in second
// since now means current
echo strtotime("now"), "\n";
// prints the current time in date format
echo date("Y-m-d", strtotime("now"))."\n";
?>
1525378260 2018-05-03Program 2: The below program demonstrates the strtotime() function when the english text is a date.
<?php
// PHP program to demonstrate the strtotime()
// function when the english text is a date
// prints the converted english text in second
echo strtotime("12th february 2017"), "\n";
// prints the above time in date format
echo date("Y-m-d", strtotime("12th february 2017"))."\n";
?>
1486857600 2017-02-12Program 3: The below program demonstrates the strtotime() function when the english text corresponds to any day.
<?php
// PHP program to demonstrate the strtotime()
// function when the english text corresponds to any
// day
// prints the converted english text in second
echo strtotime("next sunday"), "\n";
// prints the above time in date format
echo date("Y-m-d", strtotime("next sunday"))."\n";
?>
1525564800 2018-05-06
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