Days of the week in Japanese

Learning the days of the week in Japanese is essential for navigating daily life, scheduling events, or simply having conversations about time. In this lesson, you’ll discover how to say each day of the week in Japanese, along with related words like “today”, “tomorrow”, and “weekend.” The Japanese naming system for days is both logical and fascinating—it even reflects elements from nature and ancient astronomy.

Whether you’re a beginner or brushing up your skills, mastering this vocabulary will give you a solid foundation for understanding calendars, dates, and everyday conversations in Japanese.

Days of the Week in Japanese

In Japanese, each day of the week ends with the word 曜日 (yōbi), meaning “day of the week.” The first part of the word refers to a classical element or celestial body, such as the moon (月), fire (火), or gold/metal (金).

Useful Words Related to the Week

To reinforce your knowledge and help you talk about days in everyday conversations, here are some useful words like “today”, “tomorrow”, and “weekend” in Japanese:

Tips for Learning Japanese Days

• All days end in 曜日 (yōbi), which makes memorization easier once you learn the base kanji.
• Use mnemonics to connect the kanji with the day: for example, 月 (moon) for Monday, 火 (fire) for Tuesday, and so on.
• Practice using them in full sentences, such as:
  今日は金曜日です。 (Kyō wa kinyōbi desu.) – Today is Friday.
  日曜日に会いましょう。 (Nichiyōbi ni aimashō.) – Let’s meet on Sunday.

Continue Learning Japanese

Now that you’ve mastered the days of the week in Japanese, continue expanding your vocabulary! Check out our next lessons:

• Seasons and Months of the Year in Japanese
• Japanese Colours