Learning the days of the week and how to talk about important dates is essential for daily conversation in Japanese. This lesson covers the basic vocabulary and expressions you need. We'll build upon the "Time to Learn: Hours & Minutes" lesson and prepare you for discussing family events in the next lesson, "My Family & Friends".
The days of the week in Japanese all end with 曜日 (ようび - youbi), which literally means "day of the week." The kanji used for each day corresponds to elements of nature or celestial bodies, making them easy to remember.
| English | Japanese | Hiragana | Romaji | Kanji | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 日曜日 | にちようび | nichiyoubi | 日 | Sun |
| Monday | 月曜日 | げつようび | getsuyoubi | 月 | Moon |
| Tuesday | 火曜日 | かようび | kayoubi | 火 | Fire |
| Wednesday | 水曜日 | すいようび | suiyoubi | 水 | Water |
| Thursday | 木曜日 | もくようび | mokuyoubi | 木 | Wood/Tree |
| Friday | 金曜日 | きんようび | kin'youbi | 金 | Gold/Metal |
| Saturday | 土曜日 | どようび | doyoubi | 土 | Earth/Soil |
今日(きょう)は月曜日(げつようび)です。
Kyou wa getsuyoubi desu.
Today is Monday.
明日(あした)は何曜日(なんようび)ですか？
Ashita wa nan youbi desu ka?
What day is it tomorrow?
先週(せんしゅう)の金曜日(きんようび)は楽(たの)しかった。
Senshuu no kin'youbi wa tanoshikatta.
Last Friday was fun.
週末(しゅうまつ)は土曜日(どようび)と日曜日(にちようび)です。
Shuumatsu wa doyoubi to nichiyoubi desu.
The weekend is Saturday and Sunday.
毎日(まいにち)木曜日(もくようび)に日本語(にほんご)を勉強(べんきょう)します。 Mainichi mokuyoubi ni nihongo o benkyou shimasu. I study Japanese every Thursday.
To ask what day of the week it is, you can use these phrases:
The months in Japanese are straightforward: simply add 月 (がつ - gatsu, meaning "month") to the number of the month. For example, 一月 (いちがつ - ichigatsu) is January (first month).
| English | Japanese | Hiragana | Romaji |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1月 | いちがつ | ichigatsu |
| February | 2月 | にがつ | nigatsu |
| March | 3月 | さんがつ | sangatsu |
| April | 4月 | しがつ | shigatsu |
| May | 5月 | ごがつ | gogatsu |
| June | 6月 | ろくがつ | rokugatsu |
| July | 7月 | しちがつ | shichigatsu |
| August | 8月 | はちがつ | hachigatsu |
| September | 9月 | くがつ | kugatsu |
| October | 10月 | じゅうがつ | juugatsu |
| November | 11月 | じゅういちがつ | juuichigatsu |
| December | 12月 | じゅうにがつ | juunigatsu |
While most days of the month follow a simple pattern (number + 日 (にち - nichi)), the first ten days and the 20th have unique readings. It's important to memorize these!
| Date | Japanese | Hiragana | Romaji |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 一日 | ついたち | tsuitachi |
| 2nd | 二日 | ふつか | futsuka |
| 3rd | 三日 | みっか | mikka |
| 4th | 四日 | よっか | yokka |
| 5th | 五日 | いつか | itsuka |
| 6th | 六日 | むいか | muika |
| 7th | 七日 | なのか | nanoka |
| 8th | 八日 | ようか | youka |
| 9th | 九日 | ここのか | kokonoka |
| 10th | 十日 | とおか | tooka |
| 11th | 十一日 | じゅういちにち | juuichinichi |
| 12th | 十二日 | じゅうににち | juuninichi |
| 13th | 十三日 | じゅうさんにち | juusannichi |
| 14th | 十四日 | じゅうよっか | juuyokka |
| 15th | 十五日 | じゅうごにち | juugonichi |
| 16th | 十六日 | じゅうろくにち | juurokunichi |
| 17th | 十七日 | じゅうしちにち | juushichinichi |
| 18th | 十八日 | じゅうはちにち | juuhachinichi |
| 19th | 十九日 | じゅうくにち | juukunichi |
| 20th | 二十日 | はつか | hatsuka |
| 21st | 二十一日 | にじゅういちにち | nijuuichinichi |
| 22nd | 二十二日 | にじゅうににち | nijuuninichi |
| 23rd | 二十三日 | にじゅうさんにち | nijuusannichi |
| 24th | 二十四日 | にじゅうよっか | nijuuyokka |
| 25th | 二十五日 | にじゅうごにち | nijuugonichi |
| 26th | 二十六日 | にじゅうろくにち | nijuurokunichi |
| 27th | 二十七日 | にじゅうしちにち | nijuushichinichi |
| 28th | 二十八日 | にじゅうはちにち | nijuuhachinichi |
| 29th | 二十九日 | にじゅうくにち | nijuukunichi |
| 30th | 三十日 | さんじゅうにち | sanjuunichi |
| 31st | 三十一日 | さんじゅういちにち | sanjuuichinichi |
For the days between 11th and 19th, and 21st-31st (excluding 20th), you simply combine the tens place (じゅう - juu for ten, にじゅう - nijuu for twenty, さんじゅう - sanjuu for thirty) with the appropriate number + にち. Note the changes in pronunciation for 14th (じゅうよっか - juuyokka) and 24th (にじゅうよっか - nijuuyokka) similar to the 4th (よっか - yokka).
When writing or saying the date in Japanese, the order is Year, Month, Day. For example, July 4th, 2024 would be:
2024年7月4日 (にせん twenty twenty よねん shizatsu tsukashi yokka) Nisen nijuyonen shichigatsu yokka.
私(わたし)の誕生日(たんじょうび)は六月三日(ろくがつみっか)です。
Watashi no tanjoubi wa rokugatsu mikka desu.
My birthday is June 3rd.
今日(きょう)は何日(なんにち)ですか？
Kyou wa nannichi desu ka?
What is the date today?
会議(かいぎ)は五月(ごがつ)二十日(はつか)に行(おこな)われます。 Kaigi wa gogatsu hatsuka ni okonawaremasu. The meeting will be held on May 20th.
2023年(にせんtwenty-threeねん)十二月(じゅうにがつ)二十五日(にじゅうごにち)はクリスマスです。 Nisen nijusan nen juunigatsu nijuugonichi wa kurisumasu desu. December 25th, 2023 is Christmas.
Knowing about important Japanese holidays and events enriches your understanding of the culture and provides opportunities for conversation. Here are a few examples:
元日 (がんじつ - ganjitsu) - January 1st (New Year's Day): A major holiday in Japan, celebrated with family gatherings and special foods.
成人の日 (せいじんのひ - seijin no hi) - Second Monday of January (Coming of Age Day): Celebrates those who have turned 20, the age of adulthood in Japan.
建国記念の日 (けんこくきねんのひ - kenkoku kinen no hi) - February 11th (National Foundation Day): A national holiday celebrating the founding of Japan.
春分の日 (しゅんぶんのひ - shunbun no hi) - Around March 20th or 21st (Vernal Equinox Day): A day to visit family graves and commemorate ancestors.
昭和の日 (しょうわのひ - showa no hi) - April 29th (Showa Day): Celebrates the birthday of Emperor Showa and reflects on the Showa era.
憲法記念日 (けんぽうきねんび - kenpou kinenbi) - May 3rd (Constitution Memorial Day): Commemorates the enactment of the Japanese constitution.
こどもの日 (こどものひ - kodomo no hi) - May 5th (Children's Day): Celebrates the health and happiness of children. Families often display koinobori (carp streamers).
海の日 (うみのひ - umi no hi) - Third Monday of July (Marine Day): Celebrates the ocean and maritime industries.
敬老の日 (けいろうのひ - keirou no hi) - Third Monday of September (Respect for the Aged Day): Honors the elderly.
秋分の日 (しゅうぶんのひ - shuubun no hi) - Around September 23rd (Autumnal Equinox Day): Similar to the Spring Equinox Day, people visit family graves.
文化の日 (ぶんかのひ - bunka no hi) - November 3rd (Culture Day): Promotes culture, the arts, and academic endeavors.
勤労感謝の日 (きんろうかんしゃのひ - kinrou kansha no hi) - November 23rd (Labor Thanksgiving Day): A day to give thanks for labor and production.
天皇誕生日 (てんのうたんじょうび - tennou tanjoubi) - February 23rd (Emperor's Birthday): Celebrates the birthday of the current Emperor. Note: this date can change.