Japanese Days of the Week: Easy Memory Tricks & Kanji
Master Japanese days of the week in 10 minutes! Learn all 7 days with kanji, memory tricks, and cultural tips. Perfect for JLPT N5 beginners.
Can you imagine living in Japan and not knowing what day it is? 📅 The Japanese days of the week are one of the first things every learner should master – they use beautiful kanji based on nature and the elements, and once you see the pattern, you'll never forget them!
Ready to learn all 7 days in just 10 minutes? Let's go! 🎌
The 7 Days of the Week in Japanese
Here are all seven days with kanji, reading, and meaning:
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning | Element/Body |
|---|---|---|---|
| 日曜日 | nichiyoubi | Sunday | 日 = Sun |
| 月曜日 | getsuyoubi | Monday | 月 = Moon |
| 火曜日 | kayoubi | Tuesday | 火 = Fire/Mars |
| 水曜日 | suiyoubi | Wednesday | 水 = Water/Mercury |
| 木曜日 | mokuyoubi | Thursday | 木 = Wood/Jupiter |
| 金曜日 | kinyoubi | Friday | 金 = Gold/Venus |
| 土曜日 | doyoubi | Saturday | 土 = Earth/Saturn |
Breaking Down the Pattern 🔍
Every day follows the same structure:
[Element Kanji] + 曜日 (youbi)
The kanji 曜日 (youbi) means "day of the week" – so you only need to learn 7 element kanji!
Memory Tricks for Each Day 💡
Learning with associations makes everything stick. Here are memory tricks for each day:
日曜日 (Nichiyoubi) - Sunday ☀️
Kanji: 日 = Sun
Memory Trick: "SUN-day" – it's literally the same! The sun (日) day.
Fun Fact: 日 also means "day" and "Japan" (日本 = Nihon = "origin of the sun")
月曜日 (Getsuyoubi) - Monday 🌙
Kanji: 月 = Moon
Memory Trick: "MOON-day" – Monday comes from the moon in English too!
Example: 月曜日は仕事の日です。(Getsuyoubi wa shigoto no hi desu.) - Monday is a work day.
火曜日 (Kayoubi) - Tuesday 🔥
Kanji: 火 = Fire (also Mars)
Memory Trick: Think "Ka-POW!" – fire exploding. Or: Tuesday is "fire" because you need energy after Monday!
Kanji Origin: The planet Mars is called 火星 (kasei) – "fire star"
水曜日 (Suiyoubi) - Wednesday 💧
Kanji: 水 = Water (also Mercury)
Memory Trick: "SWIM Wednesday" – 水 looks like a splash of water!
Writing Tip: 水 has 4 strokes, like waves flowing down
木曜日 (Mokuyoubi) - Thursday 🌳
Kanji: 木 = Tree/Wood (also Jupiter)
Memory Trick: "moku" sounds like "oak" – an oak TREE on Thursday!
Visual: 木 looks like a tree with branches spreading out
金曜日 (Kinyoubi) - Friday 💰
Kanji: 金 = Gold/Metal (also Venus)
Memory Trick: "Kin" = "Cha-CHING!" – payday is Friday! Gold on Friday!
Fun Fact: 金 also means "money" (お金 = okane)
土曜日 (Doyoubi) - Saturday 🏔️
Kanji: 土 = Earth/Soil (also Saturn)
Memory Trick: "DOH-youbi" – Saturday you DO yard work in the DIRT (土)!
Visual: 土 looks like a seed sprouting from the ground
Quick Reference: Days Shortened
In casual speech and writing, you might see abbreviated forms:
| Full Form | Short Form | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 日曜日 | 日曜 | nichiyou |
| 月曜日 | 月曜 | getsuyou |
| 火曜日 | 火曜 | kayou |
| 水曜日 | 水曜 | suiyou |
| 木曜日 | 木曜 | mokuyou |
| 金曜日 | 金曜 | kinyou |
| 土曜日 | 土曜 | doyou |
On calendars, you'll often see just the single kanji: 日 月 火 水 木 金 土
Useful Phrases with Days of the Week
Asking What Day It Is
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今日は何曜日ですか？ | Kyou wa nan youbi desu ka? | What day is today? |
| 今日は月曜日です。 | Kyou wa getsuyoubi desu. | Today is Monday. |
| 明日は何曜日？ | Ashita wa nan youbi? | What day is tomorrow? |
| 昨日は日曜日でした。 | Kinou wa nichiyoubi deshita. | Yesterday was Sunday. |
Talking About Weekly Schedules
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 毎週月曜日 | maishuu getsuyoubi | every Monday |
| 火曜日の午後 | kayoubi no gogo | Tuesday afternoon |
| 水曜日に会いましょう | suiyoubi ni aimashou | Let's meet on Wednesday |
| 金曜日は忙しいです | kinyoubi wa isogashii desu | I'm busy on Friday |
| 週末 | shuumatsu | weekend |
| 平日 | heijitsu | weekday |
The Planetary Connection 🌌
The Japanese days of the week aren't random – they follow the same planetary order used across many cultures:
| Planet | Japanese | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Sun | 太陽 | Sunday |
| Moon | 月 | Monday |
| Mars | 火星 | Tuesday |
| Mercury | 水星 | Wednesday |
| Jupiter | 木星 | Thursday |
| Venus | 金星 | Friday |
| Saturn | 土星 | Saturday |
Days of the Week in Kanji Breakdown
Let's look at each element kanji more closely:
日 (nichi/hi) - Sun/Day
- Strokes: 4
- JLPT Level: N5
- Other Words: 日本 (nihon - Japan), 今日 (kyou - today), 毎日 (mainichi - every day)
月 (getsu/tsuki) - Moon/Month
- Strokes: 4
- JLPT Level: N5
- Other Words: 今月 (kongetsu - this month), 月見 (tsukimi - moon viewing)
火 (ka/hi) - Fire
- Strokes: 4
- JLPT Level: N5
- Other Words: 火事 (kaji - fire/blaze), 火山 (kazan - volcano)
水 (sui/mizu) - Water
- Strokes: 4
- JLPT Level: N5
- Other Words: 水泳 (suiei - swimming), お水 (omizu - water)
木 (moku/ki) - Tree/Wood
- Strokes: 4
- JLPT Level: N5
- Other Words: 木曜 (mokuyou), 大木 (taiboku - big tree)
金 (kin/kane) - Gold/Metal
- Strokes: 8
- JLPT Level: N5
- Other Words: お金 (okane - money), 金魚 (kingyo - goldfish)
土 (do/tsuchi) - Earth/Soil
- Strokes: 3
- JLPT Level: N5
- Other Words: 土地 (tochi - land), 土曜 (doyou - Saturday)
Common Mistakes to Avoid ❌
1. Confusing 日 Readings
- 日曜日 = nichiyoubi (NOT hi-youbi)
- 今日 = kyou (NOT konhi)
- 毎日 = mainichi ✅
2. Forgetting 曜日
Don't just say 月 for Monday – say 月曜日 (getsuyoubi) for the full day.
3. Wrong Particle
Use に when saying things happen ON a day:
- ✅ 月曜日に会います (I'll meet you ON Monday)
- ❌ 月曜日は会います (incorrect nuance)
Practice Sentences 📝
Try reading these sentences:
- 01
今日は水曜日です。 Kyou wa suiyoubi desu. Today is Wednesday.
- 02
毎週金曜日にラーメンを食べます。 Maishuu kinyoubi ni raamen wo tabemasu. I eat ramen every Friday.
- 03
土曜日と日曜日は休みです。 Doyoubi to nichiyoubi wa yasumi desu. Saturday and Sunday are holidays/days off.
- 04
木曜日の夜は日本語を勉強します。 Mokuyoubi no yoru wa nihongo wo benkyou shimasu. I study Japanese on Thursday nights.
- 05
来週の火曜日に映画を見ませんか？ Raishuu no kayoubi ni eiga wo mimasen ka? Won't you watch a movie next Tuesday?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Japanese days use these particular elements?
The seven-day week with planetary associations came to Japan via China around the 9th century. The Chinese adapted the Hellenistic astrological system that associated days with celestial bodies. Japan kept this elegant system!
How do I remember which reading to use for 日?
For days of the week, always use "nichi" (日曜日 = nichiyoubi). The reading "hi" is used when 日 means "sun" or "day" in other contexts.
Are there other words for weekend/weekday?
Yes! 週末 (shuumatsu) = weekend, 平日 (heijitsu) = weekday. You'll also hear 休日 (kyuujitsu) meaning "holiday/day off."
Conclusion: Master the Week! 🗓️
Congratulations! You've just learned one of the most practical vocabulary sets in Japanese. The days of the week will appear everywhere – from planning meetings to reading schedules to everyday conversation.
Key takeaways: ✅ All days end in 曜日 (youbi) ✅ Each day uses an element/celestial kanji ✅ The 7 element kanji are all JLPT N5 level ✅ Use に particle when saying "on [day]" ✅ Remember: SUN-day, MOON-day = 日曜日, 月曜日!
Your next step: These kanji are essential for JLPT N5! Practice reading kanji with KanaDojo → and recognize days of the week at a glance!
毎日頑張って！💪 (Mainichi ganbatte!) Do your best every day!
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