Learn to say the days of the week and the date! / Japanese Learning Support LLC
Let's talk schedule.
Today we'll learn dates and days of the week so you can talk about your schedule and invite someone to an event!
For beginners, there are so many things to remember that it may seem overwhelming! However, being able to say the date correctly is the first step towards "good Japanese," so please read today's blog and try to remember in order to improve your Japanese!
●Day of the week
First, let's study by day of the week.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Are your days off Saturday and Sunday?
Saturday and Sunday can also be considered the weekend.
We work from Monday to Friday, also called weekdays.
Sample1 I have a meeting on Monday.
Sample2 I go to the gym every Tuesday.
Sample 3 I study in the library on Thursday.
Sample 4 Would you like to go out for drinks on Friday night?
Sample5 I have the weekend off, so I'm going to my grandmother's house.
When talking about schedules, the particle "ni" often comes after the days of the week, but it's okay if you don't include "ni" as in Sample 3.
You can also say "Friday" for short instead of "Friday" as in Sample 4, or you can combine "Saturday and Sunday" to say "Do-Nichi" as in Sample 5.
●Date
Next, let's learn how to say the months.
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Be careful, the numbers for April, July, and September are called differently!
Sample1 I will graduate from university next March.
Sample2: Mr. Sato is getting married in June.
Sample3 I'm going on a trip with my family in September.
Sample 4 I will return to Japan in late December and spend New Year's in my country.
If you look at the sample above, you'll see that all of the sentences contain "ni."
When it comes to days of the week, it is often not necessary to include "ni", but when it comes to months, "ni" is required.
Next, the date.
1st (Tsuitachi)
2nd day
3rd day
4th (Yokka)
5th (someday)
6th (Muika)
7th (is it?)
8th (Yoka)
9th (Kokonoka)
10th (Tooka)
11th (11th)...
20th (first day)
For other days, just add the date to the number.
However, some people call the 14th and 24th "juuyonkka" and "nijuyonkka" respectively.
When combined with the month, it would be something like "January 1st."
Sample1 Well, see you again on the 2nd of next month!
Sample2 I'm going to a concert on November 5th.
Sample3 There's a festival on the 24th of next month. Do you want to come along?
Sample 4 Every year on January 1st, I go to a shrine for the first visit of the year.
When writing dates, add "ni".
There are some sentences whose meaning changes depending on whether or not "ni" is included.
For example, in Sample 1, the sentence "I'll meet you on the 2nd" means 2nd, but "I'll meet you on the 2nd" means 2 days.
In this way, when "ni" is used, it can express the date, and when "ni" is not used, it can express the length of time, such as a certain number of days.
for example…
I work all day from morning to night.
・I haven't eaten anything for three days.
The trip is planned for four days.
These are all lengths of time.
However, although it is rare, in news reports etc., dates are sometimes expressed without "ni," such as "On the 14th, the government announced that..."
Be sure to look at the context carefully before making your decision.
Also, before "day," you can be specific and say "month," or you can use words like "last month," "this month," or "next month."
Now let's look at some conversations using the days of the week and dates we've learned so far.
Please try reading Conversation 1 and Conversation 2 below out loud.
Conversation 1
A: By the way, are you free next Friday? Would you like to go out for dinner?
B: What day is Friday?
A: It's the 20th.
B: Ah, I have a part-time job that day...
A: I see... then what about Saturday the 21st?
B: It's empty!
A: Then let's go on Saturday!
Conversation 2
A: Winter vacation is coming up soon. Do you have any plans?
B: Yes, I'm planning to go skiing with Tanaka on the 18th.
A: Wow! That's nice.
B: Will A come with us?
A: Is that okay?
B: Yes, I'll let Tanaka know too.
A: How many days do you plan to go?
B: Probably 2 nights and 3 days. I have to help a friend move on the 21st, so I have to be back by then.
A: I see! 2 nights and 3 days is enough! Sounds fun.
How was it?
The days of the week and dates you learned today are used in conversation like this.
It is very commonly used in both everyday life and business situations, so be sure to remember it.
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That's all for today!
See you in the next blog!
