Japanese Days of the Week
Discover the Elemental Origins & Cultural Meanings
Table of Contents
1. Overview & Historical Origins
Japanese days of the week are based on ancient Chinese Wu Xing (Five Elements) theory plus Sun and Moon!
Each day corresponds to a celestial body or natural element with deep cultural significance.
The Seven Elements System
日 (Sun)・月 (Moon)・火 (Fire)・水 (Water)・木 (Wood)・金 (Metal)・土 (Earth)
This system was adopted from Chinese astrology around the 6th century and integrated into Japanese culture.
2. The Seven Days
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
3. Cultural Background & Symbolism
Elemental Associations
| Day | Element | Planet/Body | Characteristics | Cultural Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 日曜日 | Sun | Sun | Bright, active, yang | Rest, family time |
| 月曜日 | Moon | Moon | Calm, reflective, yin | New beginnings |
| 火曜日 | Fire | Mars | Energetic, passionate | Action, motivation |
| 水曜日 | Water | Mercury | Flowing, adaptive | Communication, flexibility |
| 木曜日 | Wood | Jupiter | Growing, expanding | Growth, prosperity |
| 金曜日 | Metal | Venus | Refined, valuable | Beauty, social activities |
| 土曜日 | Earth | Saturn | Stable, grounding | Preparation, foundation |
Modern Japanese Culture
Weekend Culture: Saturday and Sunday are typically rest days, with many businesses closed on Sundays.
School Week: Japanese schools traditionally ran Monday-Saturday, though many now have 5-day weeks.
Work Culture: “Monday Blues” exists as げつようびびょう (Monday sickness), similar to Western cultures.
4. Pronunciation Guide
Breaking Down the Sounds
| Day | Full Form | Syllable Breakdown | Accent Pattern | Common Mistake |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | にちようび | ni-chi-you-bi | Flat | Don’t say “nichi-yo-bi” |
| Monday | げつようび | ge-tsu-you-bi | Flat | げ not が |
| Tuesday | かようび | ka-you-bi | Flat | か not け |
| Wednesday | すいようび | su-i-you-bi | Flat | すい not すう |
| Thursday | もくようび | mo-ku-you-bi | Flat | もく not ぼく |
| Friday | きんようび | kin-you-bi | Flat | きん with ん sound |
| Saturday | どようび | do-you-bi | Flat | ど not と |
• All days have flat intonation – no rising or falling tones
• ようび (youbi) is always pronounced the same way
• Don’t rush the pronunciation – each syllable is equally important
5. Usage Patterns
Asking About Days
What day is it?
きょうは なんようびですか？
Kyou wa nan’youbi desu ka?
It’s Monday.
きょうは げつようびです。
Kyou wa getsuyoubi desu.
Day-Specific Expressions
| Expression | Japanese | Romaji | Usage Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every Monday | まいしゅう げつようび | maishuu getsuyoubi | Regular schedule |
| This Friday | こんしゅうの きんようび | konshuu no kin’youbi | Near future |
| Last Sunday | せんしゅうの にちようび | senshuu no nichiyoubi | Recent past |
| Next Wednesday | らいしゅうの すいようび | raishuu no suiyoubi | Future planning |
Shortened Forms
Casual Speech: Often shortened by dropping ようび
月曜日 → 月曜 (げつよう) “Monday”
金曜日 → 金曜 (きんよう) “Friday”
Even Shorter: Just the element kanji in very casual contexts
月 (げつ), 火 (か), 水 (すい), etc.
6. Time Expressions with Days
Combining with Time
Monday at 3 PM
げつようびの ごご さんじ
getsuyoubi no gogo sanji
Friday morning
きんようびの あさ
kin’youbi no asa
Saturday night
どようびの よる
doyoubi no yoru
Frequency Expressions
| Frequency | Japanese | Romaji | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every day | まいにち | mainichi | まいにち べんきょうします |
| Weekdays | へいじつ | heijitsu | へいじつは はたらきます |
| Weekend | しゅうまつ | shuumatsu | しゅうまつは やすみです |
| Once a week | しゅうに いちど | shuu ni ichido | しゅうに いちど えいがを みます |
7. Calendar Context
Japanese Calendar System
Week Start: Japanese weeks traditionally start on Sunday (日曜日), not Monday like some countries.
Business Week: Monday-Friday is the standard business week.
School Calendar: The academic year starts in April, with terms separated by seasons.
Special Day Categories
| Category | Japanese | Days Included | Cultural Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | へいじつ | Mon-Fri | Work/school days |
| Weekend | しゅうまつ | Sat-Sun | Rest/family time |
| Holiday | きゅうじつ | National holidays | Official rest days |
8. Practice & Examples
Daily Conversations
Making Plans:
A: どようびに えいがを みませんか？
Would you like to watch a movie on Saturday?
B: すみません、どようびは ちょっと…
Sorry, Saturday is a bit…
A: じゃあ、にちようびは どうですか？
Then, how about Sunday?
Weekly Schedule Example
| Day | Activity | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| げつようび | Work meeting | しごとの かいぎ |
| かようび | Japanese class | にほんごの じゅぎょう |
| すいようび | Gym | ジム |
| もくようび | Shopping | かいもの |
| きんようび | Date night | デートの よる |
| どようび | Cleaning house | いえの そうじ |
| にちようび | Rest day | きゅうじつ |
Memory Techniques
Element Association: Remember the natural progression
Sunday (Sun) → Monday (Moon) → Tuesday (Fire) → Wednesday (Water) → Thursday (Wood) → Friday (Metal) → Saturday (Earth)
Kanji Visual Memory:
日 looks like the sun, 月 looks like a crescent moon, 火 shows flames, 水 shows flowing water, 木 is a tree, 金 means precious metal, 土 is earth/soil
9. Common Phrases & Expressions
Daily Greetings by Day
Monday Morning Blues:
げつようびは たいへんですね。
Mondays are tough, aren’t they?
TGIF (Thank God It’s Friday):
やっと きんようびです！
Finally, it’s Friday!
Weekend Plans:
しゅうまつの よていは？
What are your weekend plans?
Appointment & Meeting Phrases
| Situation | Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Making appointment | すいようびは いかがですか？ | suiyoubi wa ikaga desu ka? | How about Wednesday? |
| Confirming day | もくようびで だいじょうぶです | mokuyoubi de daijoubu desu | Thursday is fine |
| Changing plans | きんようびに かえられますか？ | kin’youbi ni kaeraremasu ka? | Can we change it to Friday? |
| Regular meeting | まいしゅう かようびに あいましょう | maishuu kayoubi ni aimashou | Let’s meet every Tuesday |
Business Context
Office Schedule:
げつようびから きんようびまで はたらきます。
I work from Monday to Friday.
Meeting Schedule:
かいぎは まいしゅう すいようびです。
The meeting is every Wednesday.
10. Quick Reference Guide
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Essential Vocabulary
| English | Japanese | Romaji | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| What day? | なんようび？ | nan’youbi? | Asking |
| Today | きょう | kyou | Present |
| Tomorrow | あした | ashita | Near future |
| Yesterday | きのう | kinou | Recent past |
| This week | こんしゅう | konshuu | Current week |
| Next week | らいしゅう | raishuu | Following week |
| Last week | せんしゅう | senshuu | Previous week |
| Weekend | しゅうまつ | shuumatsu | Sat-Sun |
| Weekday | へいじつ | heijitsu | Mon-Fri |
Grammar Pattern
Basic Pattern: [Day] + に + [Activity]
Example: げつようびに がっこうに いきます。
I go to school on Monday.
Question Pattern: [Day] + は + どうですか？
Example: かようびは どうですか？
How about Tuesday?
Calendar Mastery Complete!
You’ve learned the seven days of the week with their elemental origins and cultural significance. Now you can navigate Japanese calendars and make plans with confidence!
Days of the Week Quiz
Test Your Knowledge of Japanese Calendar Vocabulary
Exercise 1: Basic Recognition
What day is 月曜日?
Explanation: 月曜日 (げつようび) = Monday. The 月 (moon) kanji represents Monday in the Japanese week system.
Exercise 2: Element Association
Which element does かようび represent?
Explanation: かようび (火曜日) = Tuesday = Fire Day. The 火 kanji means fire and represents Tuesday.
Exercise 3: Pronunciation
How do you pronounce 金曜日?
Explanation: 金曜日 is pronounced きんようび (kin’youbi). Note the ん sound in きん.
Exercise 4: Day Sequence
What comes after すいようび?
Explanation: すいようび (Wednesday) is followed by もくようび (Thursday). Water day → Wood day.
Exercise 5: Weekend Recognition
Which two days make up the Japanese weekend (しゅうまつ)?
Explanation: Saturday (土曜日) and Sunday (日曜日) form the weekend (しゅうまつ) in Japan.
Exercise 6: Cultural Context
What does Japanese “TGIF” equivalent expression mean?
Explanation: “Finally, it’s Friday!” – Japanese people also celebrate the end of the work week.
Exercise 7: Question Formation
How do you ask “What day is it?” in Japanese?
Explanation: なんようび means “what day (of the week)”. きょう = today, なん = what, ようび = day of week.
Exercise 8: Element Order
Which element represents Thursday?
Explanation: Thursday is もくようび (木曜日), represented by 木 (wood/tree).
Exercise 9: Time Expressions
How do you say “Friday night”?
Explanation: [Day] + の + [time period]. よる = night/evening.
Exercise 10: Business Context
What does へいじつ mean?
Explanation: へいじつ refers to regular business/work days, excluding weekends and holidays.
Exercise 11: Kanji Recognition
Which kanji represents Saturday?
Explanation: 土 (earth/soil) represents Saturday (土曜日). It symbolizes grounding and preparation.
Exercise 12: Appointment Making
How would you suggest meeting on Wednesday?
Explanation: いかがですか means “how about?/what do you think?” – polite way to suggest.
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