diff --git a/django/forms/widgets.py b/django/forms/widgets.py
index e944091f0d155..c8ec3c35d515d 100644
--- a/django/forms/widgets.py
+++ b/django/forms/widgets.py
@@ -979,7 +979,11 @@ def get_context(self, name, value, attrs):
         date_context['year'] = self.select_widget(attrs, choices=year_choices).get_context(
             name=year_name,
             value=context['widget']['value']['year'],
-            attrs={**context['widget']['attrs'], 'id': 'id_%s' % year_name},
+            attrs={
+                **context['widget']['attrs'],
+                'id': 'id_%s' % year_name,
+                'placeholder': _('Year') if self.is_required else False,
+            },
         )
         month_choices = list(self.months.items())
         if not self.is_required:
@@ -988,7 +992,11 @@ def get_context(self, name, value, attrs):
         date_context['month'] = self.select_widget(attrs, choices=month_choices).get_context(
             name=month_name,
             value=context['widget']['value']['month'],
-            attrs={**context['widget']['attrs'], 'id': 'id_%s' % month_name},
+            attrs={
+                **context['widget']['attrs'],
+                'id': 'id_%s' % month_name,
+                'placeholder': _('Month') if self.is_required else False,
+            },
         )
         day_choices = [(i, i) for i in range(1, 32)]
         if not self.is_required:
@@ -997,7 +1005,11 @@ def get_context(self, name, value, attrs):
         date_context['day'] = self.select_widget(attrs, choices=day_choices,).get_context(
             name=day_name,
             value=context['widget']['value']['day'],
-            attrs={**context['widget']['attrs'], 'id': 'id_%s' % day_name},
+            attrs={
+                **context['widget']['attrs'],
+                'id': 'id_%s' % day_name,
+                'placeholder': _('Day') if self.is_required else False,
+            },
         )
         subwidgets = []
         for field in self._parse_date_fmt():
diff --git a/tests/forms_tests/widget_tests/test_selectdatewidget.py b/tests/forms_tests/widget_tests/test_selectdatewidget.py
index f9921af5f9cf1..a05c6a66fad7d 100644
--- a/tests/forms_tests/widget_tests/test_selectdatewidget.py
+++ b/tests/forms_tests/widget_tests/test_selectdatewidget.py
@@ -314,6 +314,66 @@ class GetRequiredDate(Form):
         self.assertFalse(GetNotRequiredDate().fields['mydate'].widget.is_required)
         self.assertTrue(GetRequiredDate().fields['mydate'].widget.is_required)
 
+    def test_selectdate_placeholder(self):
+        class TestForm(Form):
+            mydate = DateField(widget=SelectDateWidget(years=('2018', '2019')), required=True)
+
+        self.check_html(TestForm().fields['mydate'].widget, 'mydate', '', html=(
+            """
+            <select name="mydate_month" id="id_mydate_month" placeholder="Month">
+                <option value="1">January</option>
+                <option value="2">February</option>
+                <option value="3">March</option>
+                <option value="4">April</option>
+                <option value="5">May</option>
+                <option value="6">June</option>
+                <option value="7">July</option>
+                <option value="8">August</option>
+                <option value="9">September</option>
+                <option value="10">October</option>
+                <option value="11">November</option>
+                <option value="12">December</option>
+            </select>
+            <select name="mydate_day" id="id_mydate_day" placeholder="Day">
+                <option value="1">1</option>
+                <option value="2">2</option>
+                <option value="3">3</option>
+                <option value="4">4</option>
+                <option value="5">5</option>
+                <option value="6">6</option>
+                <option value="7">7</option>
+                <option value="8">8</option>
+                <option value="9">9</option>
+                <option value="10">10</option>
+                <option value="11">11</option>
+                <option value="12">12</option>
+                <option value="13">13</option>
+                <option value="14">14</option>
+                <option value="15">15</option>
+                <option value="16">16</option>
+                <option value="17">17</option>
+                <option value="18">18</option>
+                <option value="19">19</option>
+                <option value="20">20</option>
+                <option value="21">21</option>
+                <option value="22">22</option>
+                <option value="23">23</option>
+                <option value="24">24</option>
+                <option value="25">25</option>
+                <option value="26">26</option>
+                <option value="27">27</option>
+                <option value="28">28</option>
+                <option value="29">29</option>
+                <option value="30">30</option>
+                <option value="31">31</option>
+            </select>
+            <select name="mydate_year" id="id_mydate_year" placeholder="Year">
+                <option value="2018">2018</option>
+                <option value="2019">2019</option>
+            </select>
+            """
+        ))
+
     def test_selectdate_empty_label(self):
         w = SelectDateWidget(years=('2014',), empty_label='empty_label')