Days of the Week in Japanese: Kanji, Hiragana, Pronunciation & Song

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If you want to make plans, talk about school, understand opening hours, or read a Japanese calendar, you need the seven days of the week.

In this article, you will learn:

Days of the Week in Japanese: Complete Chart

Days of the Week in Japanese Hiragana

Here are all seven weekdays written entirely in hiragana.

Days of the Week in Japanese Kanji

The first kanji changes, but the final two—曜日—stay the same.

For the full origin story, see Japanese Days of the Week Meaning: Why Are They Named After Planets?

How to Pronounce Japanese Weekdays

All seven words end in ようび (yōbi). The よう contains a long vowel.

Nichiyoubi: Sunday

Getsuyoubi: Monday

For a complete guide to Monday, see Getsuyoubi Meaning: How to Say Monday in Japanese.

Kayoubi: Tuesday

Suiyoubi: Wednesday

Mokuyoubi: Thursday

Kin’youbi: Friday

Doyoubi: Saturday

What Does Youbi Mean?

今日は何曜日ですか。
Kyō wa nan-yōbi desu ka?
What day of the week is it today?

誕生日は何曜日ですか。
Tanjōbi wa nan-yōbi desu ka?
What day of the week is your birthday?

What Day Is It Today in Japanese?

Today, Tomorrow, and Yesterday in Japanese

今日は金曜日です。
Kyō wa kin’yōbi desu.
Today is Friday.

明日は土曜日です。
Ashita wa doyōbi desu.
Tomorrow is Saturday.

昨日は木曜日でした。
Kinō wa mokuyōbi deshita.
Yesterday was Thursday.

For alternative readings and particle rules, see Kyou, Ashita, and Kinou: Today, Tomorrow, and Yesterday in Japanese.

How to Say “On Monday,” “On Tuesday,” and So On

Use the particle に to mark the weekday when an action happens.

月曜日に学校へ行きます。
Getsuyōbi ni gakkō e ikimasu.
I will go to school on Monday.

水曜日に試験があります。
Suiyōbi ni shiken ga arimasu.
There is an exam on Wednesday.

土曜日に友達と会います。
Doyōbi ni tomodachi to aimasu.
I will meet a friend on Saturday.

Weekday + は: Talking About or Contrasting a Day

Use は when the weekday is the topic or when you contrast it with another day.

月曜日は忙しいですが、火曜日は暇です。
Getsuyōbi wa isogashii desu ga, kayōbi wa hima desu.
I am busy on Monday, but I am free on Tuesday.

Weekday + の: Monday Morning, Friday Night, and More

Use の when the weekday modifies a following noun.

金曜日の夜は空いています。
Kin’yōbi no yoru wa aite imasu.
I am free on Friday night.

日曜日の予定は何ですか。
Nichiyōbi no yotei wa nan desu ka?
What are your plans for Sunday?

From Monday to Friday in Japanese

Use から for “from” and まで for “until” or “through.”

月曜日から金曜日まで働きます。
Getsuyōbi kara kin’yōbi made hatarakimasu.
I work from Monday through Friday.

図書館は火曜日から日曜日まで開いています。
Toshokan wa kayōbi kara nichiyōbi made aite imasu.
The library is open from Tuesday through Sunday.

Every Monday, Every Tuesday, and Every Weekend

Add 毎週 (maishū), meaning “every week.”

毎週水曜日に日本語を勉強します。
Maishū suiyōbi ni Nihongo o benkyō shimasu.
I study Japanese every Wednesday.

毎週日曜日に家族と食事をします。
Maishū nichiyōbi ni kazoku to shokuji o shimasu.
I eat with my family every Sunday.

Next Monday, This Friday, and Last Sunday

来週の月曜日に会いましょう。
Raishū no getsuyōbi ni aimashō.
Let’s meet next Monday.

今週の金曜日は休みです。
Konshū no kin’yōbi wa yasumi desu.
I am off this Friday.

先週の日曜日に映画を見ました。
Senshū no nichiyōbi ni eiga o mimashita.
I watched a movie last Sunday.

Japanese Calendar Abbreviations

Japanese calendars often show only one kanji for each weekday.

For a deeper explanation of 月, see Tsuki Meaning: Why 月 Means Both “Moon” and “Month”.

Easy Japanese Days of the Week Song

A rhythm makes long vocabulary easier to remember. The following is an original learning chant that you can sing to a simple steady beat.

Short Rhythm Chant

How to Remember the Seven Japanese Weekdays

Method 1: Remember the Shared Ending

Method 2: Learn the First-Kanji Sequence

Method 3: Connect the Kanji to Celestial Bodies

Method 4: Use Your Real Weekly Schedule

Useful Conversations About the Week

Asking Someone’s Day Off

Making a Plan

Asking About a Regular Schedule

Checking Business Hours

Common Beginner Mistakes

Mistake 1: Forgetting the Long Vowel in Yōbi

Mistake 2: Reading 月曜日 as Tsuki-youbi

Mistake 3: Saying Nani-youbi

Mistake 4: Using に When the Weekday Is the Topic

Mistake 5: Omitting の in Monday Morning

Mistake 6: Confusing the Date and the Weekday

Mistake 7: Assuming a One-Kanji Abbreviation Always Has Its Dictionary Meaning

On a calendar, 火 means Tuesday, not simply fire. The layout determines the meaning.

Mistake 8: Assuming 月曜日 Means Every Monday

Mistake 9: Confusing 金曜日 with “Money Day”

The kanji 金 can mean money or metal in other words, but in the weekday system it represents 金星, Venus.

Natural Example Sentences

今日は火曜日です。
Kyō wa kayōbi desu.
Today is Tuesday.

明日は水曜日です。
Ashita wa suiyōbi desu.
Tomorrow is Wednesday.

昨日は月曜日でした。
Kinō wa getsuyōbi deshita.
Yesterday was Monday.

木曜日に病院へ行きます。
Mokuyōbi ni byōin e ikimasu.
I will go to the hospital on Thursday.

金曜日の夜に友達と会います。
Kin’yōbi no yoru ni tomodachi to aimasu.
I will meet a friend on Friday night.

土曜日は家でゆっくりします。
Doyōbi wa ie de yukkuri shimasu.
I relax at home on Saturdays.

日曜日に何をしますか。
Nichiyōbi ni nani o shimasu ka?
What will you do on Sunday?

毎週火曜日に英語を教えています。
Maishū kayōbi ni Eigo o oshiete imasu.
I teach English every Tuesday.

来週の水曜日は祝日です。
Raishū no suiyōbi wa shukujitsu desu.
Next Wednesday is a public holiday.

月曜日から金曜日まで学校があります。
Getsuyōbi kara kin’yōbi made gakkō ga arimasu.
I have school from Monday through Friday.

木曜日までに返事をしてください。
Mokuyōbi made ni henji o shite kudasai.
Please reply by Thursday.

店は毎週水曜日が休みです。
Mise wa maishū suiyōbi ga yasumi desu.
The store is closed every Wednesday.

土曜日か日曜日に会いませんか。
Doyōbi ka nichiyōbi ni aimasen ka?
Would you like to meet on Saturday or Sunday?

今週の金曜日は空いています。
Konshū no kin’yōbi wa aite imasu.
I am free this Friday.

FAQ About the Days of the Week in Japanese

What are the seven days of the week in Japanese?

They are 日曜日 (Sunday), 月曜日 (Monday), 火曜日 (Tuesday), 水曜日 (Wednesday), 木曜日 (Thursday), 金曜日 (Friday), and 土曜日 (Saturday).

How do you write the days of the week in Japanese hiragana?

They are にちようび, げつようび, かようび, すいようび, もくようび, きんようび, and どようび.

How do you write the days of the week in Japanese kanji?

They are 日曜日, 月曜日, 火曜日, 水曜日, 木曜日, 金曜日, and 土曜日.

What does yōbi mean?

曜日 (yōbi) means a day of the week.

How do you ask “What day is it today?” in Japanese?

Say 今日は何曜日ですか (Kyō wa nan-yōbi desu ka?).

Why are Japanese weekdays named after planets?

The names come from the seven luminaries: the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. The five planet names use 火, 水, 木, 金, and 土.

How do you say “on Monday” in Japanese?

Say 月曜日に (getsuyōbi ni). The particle に can sometimes be omitted when the time is already clear.

How do you say “every Friday” in Japanese?

Say 毎週金曜日 (maishū kin’yōbi).

How do you say “Monday through Friday” in Japanese?

Say 月曜日から金曜日まで (getsuyōbi kara kin’yōbi made).

How are weekdays abbreviated on Japanese calendars?

Calendars commonly use 日, 月, 火, 水, 木, 金, and 土, often inside parentheses after the date.

What is the Japanese word for weekdays?

平日 (heijitsu) means weekdays.

What is the Japanese word for weekend?

週末 (shūmatsu) means weekend.

Does the Japanese week start on Sunday or Monday?

It depends on the calendar or standard. Some calendars display Sunday first, while ISO-style and many business schedules treat Monday as day one.

How can I memorize the Japanese weekdays?

Learn the shared ending ようび, memorize the sequence 日・月・火・水・木・金・土, use a rhythm chant, and connect each word to your real weekly schedule.

Is there a Japanese days-of-the-week song?

Many learning songs exist. You can also use the original chant in this article: repeat にち・げつ・か・すい・もく・きん・ど, then add ようび to each reading.

Related Guides

Summary: The Days of the Week in Japanese

References

• The Japan Foundation, Minna no Kyōzai: Dates and Days of the Week — standard spellings and readings for the seven weekdays.
• The Japan Foundation: に for Time — examples of weekdays with the time particle に and its possible omission.
• National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Calendar Wiki: Names of the Weekdays — the celestial-body origins of Japanese weekday names.
• National Astronomical Observatory of Japan: The Beginning of the Week — Sunday-first and Monday-first week conventions.
• Kanjipedia: 曜 — meanings related to the seven luminaries and weekdays.