Japanese Lesson 12 – Days of the Week · N5

📋 Expression Reference — Days of the Week

Key phrases across formality levels. Press ▶ to hear any expression.

STANDARD — ていねい (TEINEI)

Expression	Romaji	Typical Response / Use	Context
きょうはなんようびですか？	Kyou wa nan youbi desu ka?	きょうは～ようびです。 Kyou wa ~youbi desu.	Asking what day of the week it is today
～ようびはいかがですか？	~youbi wa ikaga desu ka?	～ようびはだいじょうぶです。 ~youbi wa daijoubu desu.	Politely suggesting a day when scheduling
～ようびまでにおねがいします	~youbi made ni onegaishimasu	はい、わかりました。 Hai, wakarimashita.	"By [day], please" — setting a deadline
こんしゅうまつよていがありますか？	Konshuu matsu yotei ga arimasu ka?	いいえ、なにもありません。 Iie, nani mo arimasen.	Asking about weekend plans

CASUAL — くだけた (KUDAKETA)

Expression	Romaji	Typical Response / Use	Context
きょうなんようびだっけ？	Kyou nan youbi datte?	～ようびだよ。 ~youbi da yo.	Casual "what day is it?" — だっけ = trying to recall
～ようびってひまー？	~youbi tte hima~?	うん、ひまだよ！ Un, hima da yo!	"Are you free on [day]?" — って = casual topic marker
～ようびにあおうよ	~youbi ni aou yo	いいねー！ Ii ne~!	"Let's meet on [day]" — あおう = volitional form of あう
しゅうまつなにするの？	Shuumatsu nani suru no?	とくになにもないよ。 Toku ni nani mo nai yo.	"What are you doing this weekend?" — casual plans check

🗣 Mini Dialogues

Three scenes at different formality levels. Press ▶ to hear each line.

A — STANDARD · Office: Scheduling a Meeting

田中

らいしゅうのかいぎはなんようびですか？

Raishuu no kaigi wa nan youbi desu ka?

What day is the meeting next week?

[らい/こん/せん]しゅうの [NOUN] はなんようびですか？

[rai/kon/sen]shuu no [noun] wa nan youbi desu ka?

→ "What day is [event] [this/next/last] week?" — combine a week word + の + noun.

鈴木

もくようびのごごさんじです。よていちょうにかきましたか？

Mokuyoubi no gogo sanji desu. Yoteicho ni kakimashita ka?

It's Thursday at 3 pm. Did you write it in your schedule?

田中

はい、もくようびですね。ありがとうございます。

Hai, mokuyoubi desu ne. Arigatou gozaimasu.

Yes, Thursday. Thank you.

B — STANDARD · Café: Weekend Plans

みどり

こんしゅうまつ、なにかよていがありますか？

Konshuu matsu, nanika yotei ga arimasu ka?

Do you have any plans this weekend?

ケビン

どようびはともだちとえいがをみます。にちようびはなにもありません。

Doyoubi wa tomodachi to eiga wo mimasu. Nichiyoubi wa nani mo arimasen.

On Saturday I'm watching a movie with a friend. Nothing on Sunday.

[YOUBI] は [PERSON] と [VERB-MASU]

[day] wa [person] to [verb]masu

→ "On [day] I [do something] with [person]." — は marks the day as topic; と = with.

みどり

にちようびにいっしょにでかけませんか？

Nichiyoubi ni issho ni dekakemasen ka?

How about going out together on Sunday?

[YOUBI] にいっしょに [VERB-STEM] ませんか？

[day] ni issho ni [stem] masen ka?

→ "How about [doing] together on [day]?" — ～ませんか is a polite invitation.

C — CASUAL · Friends: Making Plans

ゆうと

ねえ、こんどのきんようびひまー？

Nee, kondo no kinyoubi hima~?

Hey, are you free this Friday?

はな

えー、きんようびか。ちょっとまって。…うん、ひまだよ！

E~, kinyoubi ka. Chotto matte. ...Un, hima da yo!

Hmm, Friday... let me check. ...Yeah, I'm free!

[YOUBI] 、ひまだよ！ / ひまじゃないや。

[day], hima da yo! / hima ja nai ya.

→ "[Day], I'm free!" / "Not free." — ultra-casual; all particles dropped.

ゆうと

やった！じゃ、きんようびにあおうよ。

Yatta! Ja, kinyoubi ni aou yo.

Yes! Let's meet on Friday then.

📋 Key Patterns & Cheatsheet ▼

The Seven Days — ようびのいちらん

ALL LEVELS

げつようびかようびすいようびもくようび

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

きんようびどようびにちようび

Friday Saturday Sunday

💡 Memory trick: Moon · Fire · Water · Wood · Gold · Earth · Sun — the five elements plus sun and moon.

Relative Time Words — いつ？

ALL LEVELS

おとといきのうきょうあしたあさって

day before yesterday yesterday today tomorrow day after tomorrow

せんしゅうこんしゅうらいしゅう

last week this week next week

⚠ These words do NOT need に when used alone: きょうべんきょうします (NOT きょうにべんきょうします).

～ようびに — "on [day]"

🟢 STANDARD

もくようびにかいぎがあります。

Mokuyoubi ni kaigi ga arimasu.

There's a meeting on Thursday.

Specific day + に = "on [that day]". The に is required for specific days.

🟡 CASUAL

きんようびにあおうよ。

Kinyoubi ni aou yo.

Let's meet on Friday.

Same rule applies casually. に stays even in casual speech.

Suggesting a Day

🟢 STANDARD

にちようびはいかがですか？

Nichiyoubi wa ikaga desu ka?

How about Sunday?

いかがですか = polite "how about?" — use when scheduling with superiors or clients.

🟡 CASUAL

にちようびってどう？

Nichiyoubi tte dou?

How about Sunday?

ってどう？ = casual "how about?" — use with friends.

～ようびまでに — "by [day]"

STANDARD

[YOUBI] までに [ACTION]

[day] made ni [verb/action]

→ "By [day], [do action]." · e.g. きんようびまでにおわらせます (I'll finish by Friday)

A — Flashcards

Click a card to flip it. Use ▶ to hear the Japanese.

tap to flip

1 / 10

B — Listen & Choose the Meaning

Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then choose the correct English meaning.

C — Choose the Right Response

Listen to the question, then choose the most natural reply.

D — Listen & Write in Romaji

Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then type what you heard in romaji. Japanese letters are not needed.

💡 Tip: Long vowels → double the vowel (らいしゅう = raishuu, もくようび = mokuyoubi). Double consonants → write them twice (まって = matte).

E — Shadowing Practice

Press ▶ to hear each line, say it aloud, then mark it as practised.

0 of 9 lines practised

📖 Grammar Notes ▼

1. How the Days Are Formed

All seven days follow the pattern [element]ようび. The elements come from classical Chinese philosophy and astronomy:

  • 月 (moon) → げつようび Monday
  • 火 (fire) → かようび Tuesday
  • 水 (water) → すいようび Wednesday
  • 木 (wood) → もくようび Thursday
  • 金 (gold) → きんようび Friday
  • 土 (earth) → どようび Saturday
  • 日 (sun) → にちようび Sunday

Mnemonic: Moon · Fire · Water · Wood · Gold · Earth · Sun

[ELEMENT] ようび

[element reading] youbi

→ All seven days share the suffix ようび (youbi = "day of the week").

あしたはきんようびです。

Ashita wa kinyoubi desu.

Tomorrow is Friday.

2. ～ようびに — "on [day]"

Add the particle に after a day of the week to mean "on that day".

• もくようびにかいぎがあります — There's a meeting on Thursday
• どようびにえいがをみます — I'll watch a movie on Saturday

Important: に is required with specific days (げつようびに, かようびに) but is NOT used with relative words like きょう, あした, きのう.

[YOUBI] に [VERB / ACTIVITY]

[day] ni [verb]

→ "On [day], [do action]." — に marks the specific point in time.

きんようびにあおうよ。

Kinyoubi ni aou yo.

Let's meet on Friday.

3. きょう / あした / きのう — No に Needed

Relative time words (きょう, あした, きのう, etc.) act as adverbs and do not take the particle に.

  • ✅ きょうべんきょうします (I study today)
  • ❌ きょうにべんきょうします (incorrect)

Full set of relative day words:
  おととい → きのう → きょう → あした → あさって

[きょう/あした/きのう] [VERB]

kyou / ashita / kinou [verb] — no に!

→ "Today / tomorrow / yesterday [I do/did action]." — treat these as time adverbs.

あしたともだちにあいます。

Ashita tomodachi ni aimasu.

I'm meeting a friend tomorrow.

4. せんしゅう / こんしゅう / らいしゅう

Combine these week words with の + day to specify a day in another week.

  • せんしゅうのかようびに — last Tuesday
  • こんしゅうのすいようびに — this Wednesday
  • らいしゅうのもくようびに — next Thursday

Used alone (without a day), no に is needed:
  • らいしゅうまたはなします (I'll talk again next week)

[せん/こん/らい]しゅうの [YOUBI] に

[last/this/next]shuu no [day] ni

→ "On [last/this/next] week's [day]."

らいしゅうのもくようびにかいぎがあります。

Raishuu no mokuyoubi ni kaigi ga arimasu.

There's a meeting next Thursday.

5. ～ませんか — Polite Invitation

To invite someone politely, use [VERB-STEM]ませんか. It literally means "Won't you...?" and functions as "How about...?" or "Would you like to...?"

  • でかけませんか？ — How about going out?
  • いっしょにたべませんか？ — How about eating together?

Casual equivalent — volitional form + よ:
  • あおうよ (Let's meet!) — casual and direct

[YOUBI] にいっしょに [VERB-STEM] ませんか？

[day] ni issho ni [stem] masen ka?

→ "How about [doing] together on [day]?" — a warm, polite way to make plans.

にちようびにいっしょにでかけませんか？

Nichiyoubi ni issho ni dekakemasen ka?

How about going out together on Sunday?

6. ～ようびまでに — "by [day]"

まで = "until / up to" (duration). までに = "by" (deadline — action must be completed before that point).

Compare:
• きんようびまではたらきます — I work until Friday (duration)
• きんようびまでにおわらせます — I'll finish by Friday (deadline)

[YOUBI] までに [ACTION]

[day] made ni [action]

→ "By [day], [complete action]." — までに = deadline; まで = duration.

きんようびまでにレポートをだしてください。

Kinyoubi made ni repooto wo dashite kudasai.

Please submit the report by Friday.

📚 Key Vocabulary ▼

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
げつようび	getsuyoubi	Monday
かようび	kayoubi	Tuesday
すいようび	suiyoubi	Wednesday
もくようび	mokuyoubi	Thursday
きんようび	kinyoubi	Friday
どようび	doyoubi	Saturday
にちようび	nichiyoubi	Sunday
きょう	kyou	today
あした	ashita	tomorrow
きのう	kinou	yesterday
らいしゅう	raishuu	next week
こんしゅう	konshuu	this week
せんしゅう	senshuu	last week
しゅうまつ	shuumatsu	weekend
よてい	yotei	plan / schedule