Hi everyone, are you enjoying leaning Japanese?
Some of my students are having troubles remembering days of the week because we are using natural elements and kanji to express the 7 days of the week.
This time, I’ll introduce helpful hints for remembering the 7 days of the week in Japanese.
The 7 days of the week in Japanese
First of all, let me introduce how to say the days of the week in Japanese.
- Sunday: にちようび（日曜日）nichi-yoobi
- Monday: げつようび（月曜日）getsu-yoobi
- Tuesday: かようび（火曜日）ka-yoobi
- Wednesday: すいようび（水曜日）sui-yoobi
- Thursday: もくようび（木曜日）moku-yoobi
- Friday: きんようび（金曜日）Kin-yoobi
- Saturday: どようび（土曜日）Do-yoobi
Do you see the rule?
‘yoobi’ ようび（曜日）means ‘day’, and the part before ‘yoobi’ is from natural elements.
| nichi- | getsu- | ka- | sui- | moku- | kin- | do- |
| 日 | 月 | 火 | 水 | 木 | 金 | 土 |
| the Sun | the Moon | fire | water | tree | gold | soil |
We often omit ‘yoobi’ to express days of the week like, 月水金 (=Monday, Wednesday and Friday).
Next, let me introduce helpful sentences to help you remember how to say the 7 days of the week and how to write them in kanji.
Sunday – にちようび（日曜日）
Need tea on sunny Sunday
にち 日
てんきのよい にちようびに おちゃが ひつようです
Sunday natural element is the Sun just like Sunday.
‘need tea’ sounds like ni-chee（にち）, and sunny means 日 in kanji.
Monday – げつようび（月曜日）
Get to the Moon on Monday
げつ 月
げつようびに つきに いきます
Monday natural element is the Moon just like Monday.
‘get to’ sounds line getsu（げつ）, and moon means 月 in kanji.
Tuesday – かようび（火曜日）
Put out the fire on the car on Tuesday
火 か
かようびに くるまの ひを けします
Tuesday natural element is fire.
Fire means 火 in kanji, and car sounds like ka（か）.
Wednesday – すいようび（水曜日）
Swim in the water on Wednesday
すい 水
すいようびに みずのなかで およぎます
Wednesday natural element is water.
‘Swim’ sounds like sui（すい）, and water means 水 in kanji.
Thursday – もくようび（木曜日）
Catch a mockingbird in the tree
on Thursday
もく 木
もくようびに ものまねどりを つかまえます
Thursday natural element is a tree.
Mocking sounds like moku（もく）, and tree means 木 in kanji.
Friday – きんようび（金曜日）
See the king of gold on Friday
きん 金
きんようびに きんのおうさまに あいます
Friday natural element is gold.
King sounds like kin（きん）, and gold means 金 in kanji.
Saturday – どようび（土曜日）
Play with clay dough on Saturday
土 ど
どようびに ねんどで あそびます
Saturday natural element is soil.
Clay means 土 in kanji, and dough sounds like do（ど）.
Recap
Recite these sentences to remember the days of the week in Japanese.
- Need tea on sunny Sunday – にちようび
- Get to the Moon on Monday – げつようび
- Put off the fire on the car on Tuesday – かようび
- Swim in the water on Wednesday – すいようび
- Catch a mocking bird in the tree on Thursday – もくようび
- See the king of gold on Friday – きんようび
- Play with clay dough on Saturday – どようび
Hope that helps!
コメント