🗓️ Days - ～ようび
Learning days of the week is essential for making plans, talking about schedules, and understanding when things happen. In Japanese, all days follow the same pattern, making them easier to remember than you might think!
🧩 Understanding the Pattern
Japanese days of the week are based on traditional elements and celestial bodies, similar to many languages. Understanding the meaning behind each day can help you remember them better!
🌟 The Magic Formula:
[Element/Planet] + ようび = Day of the Week
For example: げつ (moon) +ようび = げつようび (Monday)
🌙 Celestial Bodies:
- • にち = Sun (Sunday)
- • げつ = Moon (Monday)
- • か = Fire/Mars (Tuesday)
- • すい = Water/Mercury (Wednesday)
🌍 Elements & Planets:
- • もく = Wood/Jupiter (Thursday)
- • きん = Metal/Venus (Friday)
- • ど = Earth/Saturn (Saturday)
📅 Complete Days of the Week
Here are all seven days of the week with their meanings, pronunciations, and memory tips to help you remember them easily.
| Japanese | Romaji | English | Meaning | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
にちようび | nichiyoubi | Sunday | Sun day | Sunday = Sun day (just like English!) |
げつようび | getsuyoubi | Monday | Moon day | Monday blues under the moon |
かようび | kayoubi | Tuesday | Fire day | Fire day - Tuesday is on fire! |
すいようび | suiyoubi | Wednesday | Water day | Water day - Midweek, stay hydrated |
もくようび | mokuyoubi | Thursday | Wood day | Tree/wood day - Almost weekend, knock on wood |
きんようび | kinyoubi | Friday | Metal/Gold day | Gold day - Friday is golden! |
どようび | doyoubi | Saturday | Earth day | Earth/soil day - Ground yourself on Saturday |
🎯 Pro Learning Tips:
Practice Order:
- 1. Learn Sunday & Monday first (sun & moon)
- 2. Add Tuesday & Wednesday (fire & water)
- 3. Finish with Thursday-Saturday
Memory Tricks:
- • Say them with their meanings (sun, moon, fire, etc.)
- • Practice daily: "Today is..."
- • Connect to your weekly routine
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📆 Talking About Days - Past, Present, Future
Beyond specific day names, you need to know how to talk about days relative to today. These words are used constantly in daily conversation!
⏰ Essential Time Words:
きのう
kinou - Yesterday
The day that just passed
きょう
kyou - Today
Right now, this day
あした
ashita - Tomorrow
The next day coming
📅 Extended Time Words:
おととい
ototoi - The day before yesterday
Two days ago
あさって
asatte - The day after tomorrow
Two days from now
まいにち
mainichi - Every day
Daily routine
📊 Visual Timeline:
おととい
Day before yesterday
きのう
Yesterday
きょう
TODAY
あした
Tomorrow
あさって
Day after tomorrow
💬 Using Days in Sentences
Now let's learn how to use days in actual sentences! We'll use the AはBです pattern you already know, plus introduce past tense with でした.
📐 Sentence Patterns:
Present/Future: [Time] は [Day] です
きょうはげつようびです (Today is Monday)
あしたはかようびです (Tomorrow is Tuesday)
Past: [Time] は [Day] でした
きのうはにちようびでした (Yesterday was Sunday)
おとといはどようびでした (The day before yesterday was Saturday)
| Japanese Sentence | Romaji | English | Grammar Note |
|---|---|---|---|
きのうはにちようびでした。 | Kinou wa nichiyoubi deshita. | Yesterday was Sunday. | Past tense with でした |
きょうはげつようびです。 | Kyou wa getsuyoubi desu. | Today is Monday. | Present tense with です |
あしたはかようびです。 | Ashita wa kayoubi desu. | Tomorrow is Tuesday. | Future tense with です |
あさってはすいようびです。 | Asatte wa suiyoubi desu. | The day after tomorrow is Wednesday. | Future tense, longer time phrase |
おとといはきんようびでした。 | Ototoi wa kinyoubi deshita. | The day before yesterday was Friday. | Past tense, longer time phrase |
🎯 Real-World Usage & Practice
Let's see how you can use these day expressions in real conversations and daily situations. Practice these common scenarios!
📞 Common Questions:
きょうはなんようびですか？
What day is today?
あしたはなんようびですか？
What day is tomorrow?
きのうはなんようびでしたか？
What day was yesterday?
💭 Daily Conversation Starters:
Planning:
どようびはいそがしいです
Saturday is busy
Routine:
まいにちべんきょうします
I study every day
Scheduling:
げつようびにあいましょう
Let's meet on Monday
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid:
❌ Don't do this:
- • Forgetting は:
きょうはげつようび - • Using です for past:
きのうはにちようびです - • Wrong pronunciation:
geCHUyoubi - • Mixing up similar days
✅ Do this instead:
- • Always use は: きょうはげつようび
- • Use でした for past: きのうはにちようびでした
- • Correct pronunciation: GETSUyoubi
- • Practice daily to build confidence
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🧠 Memory Techniques & Study Tips
🎵 Memory Tricks:
- • Create a weekly song: "Sunday is にちようび..."
- • Use visual associations: Sunday = Sun = にち
- • Practice with your actual schedule
- • Connect to your favorite activities per day
- • Write a diary using day names
📝 Daily Practice Routine:
Morning: Say "Today is..." in Japanese
Planning: Use days when making plans
Evening: Reflect "Today was..." in Japanese
Weekly: Review all 7 days in order
Challenge: Say the day without thinking
Practice Quiz
Test your knowledge of days, time expressions, and sentence patterns!
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