Kyou, Ashita, and Kinou: Today, Tomorrow, and Yesterday in Japanese

Hello, I’m Kodak.

Three of the most useful Japanese time words are:

In this article, you will learn:

How to Say Today, Tomorrow, and Yesterday in Japanese

今日は暑いです。
Kyō wa atsui desu.
It is hot today.

明日は休みです。
Ashita wa yasumi desu.
Tomorrow is a day off.

昨日は雨でした。
Kinō wa ame deshita.
It rained yesterday.

今日 (Kyou): How to Say “Today” in Japanese

今日 is the standard everyday word for “today.”

今日、何をしますか。
Kyō, nani o shimasu ka?
What are you doing today?

今日は仕事があります。
Kyō wa shigoto ga arimasu.
I have work today.

今日の夜、電話します。
Kyō no yoru, denwa shimasu.
I will call tonight.

Today Is…: 今日は

Use 今日は when “today” is the topic of the sentence.

今日 (Kyou) vs 今日 (Konnichi)

The same spelling can also be read こんにち (konnichi) in formal or literary contexts.

今日では、スマートフォンが広く使われています。
Konnichi de wa, sumātofon ga hiroku tsukawarete imasu.
Today, smartphones are widely used.

明日 (Ashita): How to Say “Tomorrow” in Japanese

明日 (ashita) is the most common conversational word for “tomorrow.”

明日、学校へ行きます。
Ashita, gakkō e ikimasu.
I will go to school tomorrow.

また明日。
Mata ashita.
See you tomorrow.

明日は何時に起きますか。
Ashita wa nanji ni okimasu ka?
What time will you wake up tomorrow?

Ashita, Asu, and Myounichi: Three Readings of 明日

明日 has several common readings, and their tone differs.

昨日 (Kinou): How to Say “Yesterday” in Japanese

昨日 (kinō) is the standard everyday word for “yesterday.”

昨日、友達に会いました。
Kinō, tomodachi ni aimashita.
I met a friend yesterday.

昨日はとても寒かったです。
Kinō wa totemo samukatta desu.
It was very cold yesterday.

昨日の夜、映画を見ました。
Kinō no yoru, eiga o mimashita.
I watched a movie last night.

Kinou vs Sakujitsu

昨日 can also be read さくじつ (sakujitsu).

昨日、買い物に行きました。
Kinō, kaimono ni ikimashita.
I went shopping yesterday.

昨日はお電話をいただき、ありがとうございました。
Sakujitsu wa o-denwa o itadaki, arigatō gozaimashita.
Thank you for calling yesterday.

Why Are 今日, 明日, and 昨日 Read as Whole Words?

These readings are difficult to predict from the individual kanji.

They are commonly taught as special whole-word readings. The Japanese government’s Jōyō Kanji materials place words such as 今日, 明日, and 昨日 in a supplementary list containing readings that are difficult to assign one kanji at a time.

Do 今日, 明日, and 昨日 Use the Particle に?

Normally, 今日, 明日, and 昨日 do not take the time particle に when they simply tell us when an action happens.

Using は with Today, Tomorrow, and Yesterday

Add は when you want to make the day the topic or contrast it with another day.

Using の: Today’s, Tomorrow’s, and Yesterday’s

Add の when the time word modifies a following noun.

今日の予定を確認します。
Kyō no yotei o kakunin shimasu.
I will check today’s schedule.

明日の天気はどうですか。
Ashita no tenki wa dō desu ka?
What will tomorrow’s weather be like?

昨日の試合を見ましたか。
Kinō no shiai o mimashita ka?
Did you watch yesterday’s game?

Today, Tomorrow, and Yesterday with Morning, Afternoon, and Night

今朝、コーヒーを飲みました。
Kesa, kōhī o nomimashita.
I drank coffee this morning.

明日の朝、早く起きます。
Ashita no asa, hayaku okimasu.
I will wake up early tomorrow morning.

昨日の夜、よく眠れませんでした。
Kinō no yoru, yoku nemuremasen deshita.
I could not sleep well last night.

The Day Before and the Day After

Japanese also has useful words for moving farther away from today.

一昨日、日本に着きました。
Ototoi, Nihon ni tsukimashita.
I arrived in Japan the day before yesterday.

明後日、試験があります。
Asatte, shiken ga arimasu.
I have an exam the day after tomorrow.

Formal Alternatives

Kyou vs Honjitsu: Two Ways to Say “Today”

本日 (honjitsu) is a formal alternative to 今日 (kyō).

今日は休みです。
Kyō wa yasumi desu.
I am off today.

本日はご来店いただき、ありがとうございます。
Honjitsu wa go-raiten itadaki, arigatō gozaimasu.
Thank you for visiting us today.

How to Ask “What Day Is It Today?”

Japanese has different questions for the weekday and the calendar date.

For all seven weekday names, see Days of the Week in Japanese.

To learn why Japanese weekday names correspond to the Sun, Moon, and five planets, see Japanese Days of the Week Meaning.

Useful Questions and Answers

What Are You Doing Today?

Are You Free Tomorrow?

What Did You Do Yesterday?

Today, Tomorrow, and Yesterday in Anime and Casual Speech

These basic words appear constantly in anime, dramas, games, and everyday conversations.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Mistake 1: Reading 今日 as Ima Hi

Mistake 2: Adding に to Simple Relative Days

Mistake 3: Using Ashita in Very Formal Business Language

Ashita is not rude, but myōnichi may better match a highly formal message.

Mistake 4: Using Sakujitsu with Friends

Sakujitsu is correct but formal. Use kinō in ordinary conversation.

Mistake 5: Confusing 何曜日 and 何日

Mistake 6: Forgetting the Long Vowels

Mistake 7: Assuming Every Kanji Compound Is Read Character by Character

Relative-day words contain several special readings. Memorize the full written word with its full pronunciation.

Natural Example Sentences

今日は天気がいいですね。
Kyō wa tenki ga ii desu ne.
The weather is nice today, isn’t it?

今日、駅で友達に会いました。
Kyō, eki de tomodachi ni aimashita.
I met a friend at the station today.

今日の授業は三時に終わります。
Kyō no jugyō wa sanji ni owarimasu.
Today’s class ends at three.

明日、一緒に昼ご飯を食べませんか。
Ashita, issho ni hirugohan o tabemasen ka?
Would you like to have lunch together tomorrow?

明日は朝から雨でしょう。
Asu wa asa kara ame deshō.
It will probably rain from the morning tomorrow.

明日までに宿題を出してください。
Ashita made ni shukudai o dashite kudasai.
Please submit the homework by tomorrow.

昨日、新しい靴を買いました。
Kinō, atarashii kutsu o kaimashita.
I bought new shoes yesterday.

昨日は忙しかったですが、今日は暇です。
Kinō wa isogashikatta desu ga, kyō wa hima desu.
I was busy yesterday, but I am free today.

昨日のメールを確認してください。
Kinō no mēru o kakunin shite kudasai.
Please check yesterday’s email.

一昨日から少し熱があります。
Ototoi kara sukoshi netsu ga arimasu.
I have had a slight fever since the day before yesterday.

明後日は父の誕生日です。
Asatte wa chichi no tanjōbi desu.
The day after tomorrow is my father’s birthday.

また明日、同じ時間に会いましょう。
Mata ashita, onaji jikan ni aimashō.
Let’s meet again tomorrow at the same time.

FAQ About Kyou, Ashita, and Kinou

How do you say “today” in Japanese?

The standard everyday word is 今日 (きょう / kyō or kyou). A formal alternative is 本日 (ほんじつ / honjitsu).

How do you say “tomorrow” in Japanese?

The most common conversational word is 明日 (あした / ashita). The reading あす (asu) is common in writing and announcements, while みょうにち (myōnichi) is formal.

How do you say “yesterday” in Japanese?

The everyday word is 昨日 (きのう / kinō or kinou). The formal reading is さくじつ (sakujitsu).

Do 今日, 明日, and 昨日 use に?

Normally not when they simply indicate when an action happens. Say 明日、行きます, not 明日に行きます, in a basic time sentence.

What is the difference between ashita and asu?

Both mean tomorrow. Ashita is the most common everyday conversational form. Asu is concise and often appears in writing, forecasts, announcements, and set expressions.

What is the difference between ashita and myounichi?

Ashita is everyday language. Myōnichi is a formal reading used in business, customer service, official announcements, and polite speech.

What is the difference between kinou and sakujitsu?

Both mean yesterday. Kinō is conversational, while sakujitsu is formal or written.

What is the difference between kyou and honjitsu?

Both mean today. Kyō is the normal everyday word. Honjitsu is more formal and often used in business or public announcements.

How do you say “the day after tomorrow” in Japanese?

Say 明後日 (あさって / asatte). A formal reading is みょうごにち (myōgonichi).

How do you say “the day before yesterday” in Japanese?

Say 一昨日 (おととい / ototoi). A formal reading is いっさくじつ (issakujitsu).

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

Ask 今日は何曜日ですか for the weekday. Ask 今日は何日ですか for the numbered date.

Why is 今日 read kyou?

It is an established reading of the whole word. It is difficult to derive by reading 今 and 日 separately, so learners should memorize 今日＝きょう as one vocabulary item.

How do you write kyou, ashita, and kinou in hiragana?

They are written きょう, あした, and きのう.

How do you write them in katakana?

They can be written キョウ, アシタ, and キノウ for stylistic effect, but normal Japanese uses kanji or hiragana.

Summary: Today, Tomorrow, and Yesterday in Japanese

References

• Agency for Cultural Affairs: Jōyō Kanji Reading Index — lists special established readings including 今日, 明日, and 昨日.
• Agency for Cultural Affairs: Explanation of the Jōyō Kanji Table — explains that the supplementary table includes whole-word readings that are difficult to assign character by character.
• The Japan Foundation, Irodori: Grammar Notes — explains that specific times use に, while relative expressions such as 明日, 今晩, and 来週 do not.
• Kanjipedia: 今日 (きょう) — meaning and the alternative reading こんにち.
• Kanjipedia: 明日 (あす) — meaning and the alternative readings あした and みょうにち.
• Kanjipedia: 昨日 (きのう) — everyday meaning and related vocabulary.
• Kotobank: 明日 — usage differences among あした, あす, and みょうにち, and the historical connection with morning.