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Many aspects of our lives revolve around the day of the week. School and work schedules, holidays, and trash pick-up days are all tied to what day it is. Because it’s such an ever-present concept, being able to talk about the days of the week in Japanese is essential for beginners learning the language.
There are only seven words you need for the day of the week—this guide explains what they are and how to remember them. Then, you can take the next step to learning about the date and how everything fits within calendars. Before you know it, you’ll be scheduling your coffee date and Rosetta Stone tutoring sessions in Japanese!
What are the days of the week in Japanese?
Like the Western calendar, Japan uses a seven-day week, which includes five workdays and two weekend days. Each day in Japanese ends in -yōbi (曜日), which means the only difference you have to remember with the days of the week in Japanese is the first kanji and its pronunciation.
| Japanese | Romanization | Pronunciation | English |
| 月曜日 | getsuyōbi | geh-tsoo-yoh-bee | Monday |
| 火曜日 | kayōbi | kah-yoh-bee | Tuesday |
| 水曜日 | suiyōbi | soo-ee-yoh-bee | Wednesday |
| 木曜日 | mokuyōbi | moh-koo-yoh-bee | Thursday |
| 金曜日 | kinyōbi | keen-yoh-bee | Friday |
| 土曜日 | doyōbi | doh-yoh-bee | Saturday |
| 日曜日 | nichiyōbi | nee-chee-yoh-bee | Sunday |
Where did the names of the days of the week come from?
The days of the week in English have Roman and Norse mythology origins, but the names of the days of the week in Japanese are based on the sun, moon, and planets that can reliably be seen with the naked eye. This is similar to the way other cultures around the world divided their weeks and months. The difference in the order of the kanji used in the days of the week versus the order of the planets is related to the visual rotation of the celestial bodies day by day.
| Japanese | Romanization | English |
| 太陽・日 | taiyō/hi | sun; day |
| 月 | tsuki | moon |
| 水星 | suisei | Mercury |
| 金星 | kinsei | Venus |
| 火星 | kasei | Mars |
| 木星 | mokusei | Jupiter |
| 土星 | dosei | Saturn |
How to remember Japanese weekdays
An easy way to remember the days of the week in Japanese is by looking at the kanji and their meanings rather than what the word sounds like. Japanese calendars often abbreviate the days of the week by omitting the -yōbi part of the word, leaving the first character by itself. As long as you know that, the rest is easy!
- Getsuyōbi (Monday): The character 月 means “moon,” which is exactly where Mon-day gets its name.
- Kayōbi (Tuesday): The character 火 means “fire.” After a sluggish Monday, it’s time to get “fired up” on Tuesday.
- Suiyōbi (Wednesday): The character 水 means “water.” Water is wet, and the word “wet” is close to Wed-nesday. You can also picture Wednesday as the crest of a wave in the middle of the week.
- Mokuyōbi (Thursday): The character 木 means “tree” or “wood.” In English, Thursday comes from “Thor’s Day,” referring to the Norse god associated with lightning and thunder. Picture Thor’s thunderbolt striking the tallest thing around: a tree!
- Kinyōbi (Friday): The character 金 means “gold” or “money.” Friday is usually payday, so you get your “money” then.
- Doyōbi (Saturday): The character 土 means “earth.” After a long week, it’s much easier to feel “grounded” on the first day of the weekend.
- Nichiyōbi (Sunday): The character 日 means “sun” or “day,” which equals to—you guessed it—“Sunday”!