Do you know how to say Monday in Japanese? How about Tuesday? In this article, you can learn each day of the week in Japanese and the meaning of each kanji. I will also cover how to use the days of the week naturally in conversations. Also be sure to check out our days of the month lesson to learn how to says dates in Japanese.
| Kanji | Hiragana | Rōmaji | English Translation |
| 月曜日 | げつようび | Getsuyōbi | Monday |
| 火曜日 | かようび | Kayōbi | Tuesday |
水曜日 | すいようび | Suiyōbi | Wednesday |
| 木曜日 | もくようび | Mokuyōbi | Thursday |
| 金曜日 | きんようび | Kinyōbi | Friday |
| 土曜日 | どようび | Doyōbi | Saturday |
| 日曜日 | にちようび | Nichiyōbi | Sunday |
Days of the Week in Japanese in More Detail
Let’s take a look at each of the days of the week and give examples of how to use them in natural sentences and conversations.
月曜日 (Getsuyōbi): Monday
Monday is 月曜日 (Getsuyōbi). The kanji 月 can also be pronounced as “tsuki” and means the moon.
Examples:
1. 月曜日にテストがある。
(Getsuyōbi ni tesuto ga aru)
I have a test on Monday.
2. 月曜日の午後にお会いできませんか？
(Getsuyōbi no gogo ni oai dekimasen ka)
Could you meet on Monday afternoon?
火曜日 (Kayōbi): Tuesday
Tuesday is 火曜日 (Kayōbi). The kanji 火 can also be pronounced as “hi” and means fire. The same characteristic is used in words like 火星 (kasei), which means Mars.
Examples:
1. 今日は火曜日だ。
(Kyō wa kayōbi da)
It’s Tuesday today.
2. 火曜日はお暇ですか？
(Kayōbi wa ohima desu ka)
Are you free on Tuesday?
水曜日 (Suiyōbi): Wednesday
Wednesday is 水曜日 (Suiyōbi). The kanji 水 is pronounced “sui” and can also be pronounced “mizu,” and means water. The same characteristic is used in the word 水星 (suisei), which means Mercury.
Examples:
- 水曜日に電話します。
(Suiyōbi ni denwa shimasu)
I will call you Wednesday.
2. 今週の水曜日はお休みでした。
(Konshū no suiyōbi wa oyasumi deshita)
This Wednesday was my day off.
木曜日 (Mokuyōbi): Thursday
Thursday is 木曜日 (Mokuyōbi). The kanji 木 is pronounced “moku” and can also be pronounced “ki,” and means tree. The same characteristic is used in the word 木星 (mokusei), which means Jupiter.
Examples:
1. 彼は木曜日に出社します。
(Kare wa mokuyōbi ni shussha shimasu)
He comes to the office on Thursdays.
2. 今度の木曜日は彼の誕生日です。
(Kondo no mokuyōbi wa kare no tanjyōbi desu)
Next Thursday is his birthday.
金曜日 (Kinyōbi): Friday
Friday is 金曜日 (Kinyōbi). The kanji 金 is pronounced “kin” and can also be pronounced “kane,” and means money. The same characteristic is used in the word 金星 (kinsei), which means Venus.
Examples:
1. できたら金曜日に来てください。
(Dekitara kinyōbi ni kite kudasai)
Please come on Friday, if possible.
2. 大学は金曜日に今学期が終わる。
(Daigaku wa kinyōbi ni kongakki ga owaru)
The college breaks up on Friday.
土曜日 (Doyōbi): Saturday
Saturday is 土曜日 (Doyōbi). The kanji 土 is pronounced “do” and can also be pronounced “tsuchi” and means soil. The same characteristic is used in the word 土星 (dosei), which means Saturn.
Examples:
1. 今度の土曜日は都合が悪くなってしまいました。
(Kondo no doyōbi wa tsugō ga waruku natte shimaimashita)
This Saturday is no longer convenient for me.
2. それを土曜日まで待ちます。
(Sore o doyōbi made machimasu)
I will wait for that until Saturday.
日曜日 (Nichiyōbi): Sunday
Sunday is 日曜日 (Nichiyōbi). The kanji 日 is pronounced “nichi” and can also be pronounced “hi,” and means the sun.
Examples:
1. 日曜日から雨が降り続いている。
(Nichiyōbi kara ame ga furitsuzuiteiru)
It has been raining since Sunday.
2. それでは日曜日に伺います。
(Sore dewa nichiyōbi ni ukagaimasu)
I will visit you on Sunday.
Using the Days of the Week Naturally: Short Forms
People sometimes write only the first kanji character of the day of the week: 月(Getsu), 火 (Ka), 水 (Sui), and so on instead of 月曜日 (Getsuyōbi), 火曜日 (Kayōbi), 水曜日 (Suiyōbi), etc.
You will also see a shortened form where they write the first two kanji characters (dropping the last 日 character): 月曜 (Getsuyō), 火曜 (Kayō), 水曜 (Suiyō), etc.
You might find this shorter form used on calendars, informal emails, and texts, or informal conversations.
Common Words Used Together with the Days of the Week
Let’s take a look at words that are commonly used together with the days of the week.
先週 (Senshū): Last week
先週の月曜日にテストがあった。
(Senshū no getsuyōbi ni tesuto ga atta)
I had a test last Monday.
今週 (Konshū): This Week
今週の火曜日に会議がある。
(Konshū no kayōbi ni kaigi ga aru)
I have a meeting this Tuesday.
来週 (Raishū): Next week
来週の水曜日は私の誕生日だ。
(Raishū no suiyōbi wa watashi no tanjōbi da)
Next Wednesday is my birthday.
再来週 (Saraishū): The Week After Next
再来週の月曜日にイギリスに行く。
(Saraishū no getsuyōbi ni igirisu ni iku)
I will leave for England two weeks from Monday.
毎週 (Maishū): Every Week
毎週火曜日は仕事が休みだ。
(Maishū kayōbi wa shigoto ga yasumi da)
I’m off every Tuesday.
隔週 (Kakushū): Every Other Week
隔週水曜日に漫画が発売される。
(Kakushū suiyōbi ni manga ga hatsubai sareru)
Comic books get published every other Wednesday.
ある ~ (Aru): On A Certain Day
ある木曜日に友人が訪ねてきた。
(Aru mokuyōbi ni yūjin ga tazunete kita)
My friend visited me on a Thursday.
〜の朝 (No Asa): The Morning of 〜
金曜日の朝は忙しい。
(Kinyōbi no asa wa isogashii)
I’m busy Friday morning.
〜の午後 (No Gogo): The Afternoon of 〜
土曜日の午後に昼寝をする。
(Doyōbi no gogo ni hirune o suru)
I nap on Saturday afternoon.
〜の夕方 (No yūgata): The evening of 〜
母は日曜日の夕方に買い物にいく。
(Haha wa nichiyōbi no yūgata ni kaimono ni iku)
My mom goes shopping on Sunday evening.
〜の夜 (No Yoru): The Night of 〜
日曜日の夜は早く寝ないと。
(Nichiyōbi no yoru wa hayaku nenai to)
I have to go to bed early Sunday night.
〜までに (Made Ni): By 〜
月曜日までに課題を終えなきゃ。
(Getuyōbi made ni kadai o oenakya)
I have to finish my assignment by Monday.
Commonly Used Sentences Using the Days of the Week
1. 今日は何曜日ですか？
(Kyō wa nanyōbi desu ka)
What day is it today?
2. に予定がありますか？
(Nan yōbi ni yotei ga arimasu ka)
What days do you have plans?
3. 毎週何曜日がお休みですか？
(Maishū nanyōbi ga oyasumi desu ka)
What day are you off every week?
4. 配達の曜日を指定してください。
(Haitatsu no yōbi wo shitei site kudasai)
Please specify a day for delivery.
5. 火曜日以降なら暇です。
(Kayōbi ikō nara hima desu)
I’m free after Tuesday.
Summary
What did you think of this lesson on the Japanese days of the week? It might take some practice to remember all of the days, but it is super beneficial to know since people use it on a daily basis in Japan. I hope this article helps you!
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave us a comment!
