Japanese weekday names are built from the days of the week plus 曜日 (yōbi), meaning “day of the week.” Each begins with a kanji associated with a celestial body or element.
week days in Japanese = 月曜日, 火曜日, 水曜日, 木曜日, 金曜日, 土曜日, 日曜日, pronounced approximately getsuyōbi, kayōbi, suiyōbi, mokuyōbi, kinyōbi, doyōbi, nichiyōbi.
How Do You Say week days in Japanese?
The Japanese weekdays are 月曜日 (getsuyōbi), 火曜日 (kayōbi), 水曜日 (suiyōbi), 木曜日 (mokuyōbi), 金曜日 (kinyōbi), 土曜日 (doyōbi), and 日曜日 (nichiyōbi).
Meaning: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
The names are often shortened in calendars and casual writing to the first kanji: 月, 火, 水, 木, 金, 土, 日. Add に after a weekday to mark when something happens, as in 月曜日に (“on Monday”).
Different Ways to Express week days
The pattern is regular: a day name ends in yōbi. Learn the kanji and pronunciation together.
1. 月曜日 (getsuyōbi) — Monday
月曜日 — Monday. The first kanji 月 is associated with the moon. In schedules, it may be shortened to 月.
2. 火曜日 to 木曜日 — Tuesday to Thursday
火曜日, 水曜日, 木曜日 — Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. These names use 火 (fire), 水 (water), and 木 (wood). Their readings are kayōbi, suiyōbi, and mokuyōbi.
3. 金曜日 and 土曜日 — Friday and Saturday
金曜日, 土曜日 — Friday and Saturday. 金 (gold/metal) forms kinyōbi, and 土 (earth) forms doyōbi.
4. 日曜日 (nichiyōbi) — Sunday
日曜日 — Sunday. The kanji 日 means sun or day. Sunday is often shortened to 日 on calendars.
week days in Japanese: Quick Comparison
Use this comparison to choose the form that best fits your sentence. Pay attention to whether you are counting, describing a quality, or referring to a particular situation.
| Japanese | Meaning | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 月曜日 | Monday | Beginning of the workweek |
| 火曜日, 水曜日, 木曜日 | Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday | Midweek |
| 金曜日, 土曜日 | Friday and Saturday | End of the workweek |
| 日曜日 | Sunday | Weekend |
How to Pronounce 月曜日, 火曜日, 水曜日, 木曜日, 金曜日, 土曜日, 日曜日
The yō in yōbi has a long vowel. Hold it slightly longer: getsu-yō-bi, ka-yō-bi, sui-yō-bi, moku-yō-bi, kin-yō-bi, do-yō-bi, nichi-yō-bi.
Example Sentences Using week days
Read each example aloud and notice how the surrounding words give the phrase its exact meaning. The English translation is natural rather than a strict word-for-word rendering.
Meaning: I go to school on Monday.
Use: Add に after a weekday to mark a specific day.
Meaning: Let’s meet on Friday.
Use: The weekday comes before に.
Meaning: Sunday is a day off.
Use: は marks Sunday as the topic.
Frequently Asked Questions About week days in Japanese
Tap a question below to see the answer.
What are the Japanese days of the week?
They are 月曜日, 火曜日, 水曜日, 木曜日, 金曜日, 土曜日, and 日曜日.
What does <em>曜日 (yōbi)</em> mean?
It means “day of the week” and appears at the end of each weekday name.
How do you say Monday in Japanese?
Monday is 月曜日 (getsuyōbi).
How do I say “on Friday”?
Say 金曜日に (kinyōbi ni).
Are weekday names written in kanji?
Yes, the standard names use kanji plus 曜日; calendars often abbreviate them to a single kanji.
Summary: week days in Japanese
Japanese weekday names end in 曜日 (yōbi): 月曜日 through 日曜日. Learn the seven kanji-based names, keep the long ō sound, and add に when marking a specific day.
