Learning how to express dates and years in Japanese is essential for everyday life. It follows a simple pattern, with the year first, then the month, and finally the day. In Japanese, the date is typically written with the year followed by the characters for “year,” “month,” and “day.” The days of the week are usually indicated in a round bracket and placed after the day. It’s important to understand both the Gregorian calendar and the Japanese era calendar, as they are both commonly used to express years in Japanese.
In this article, we will explore how dates are usually expressed in Japanese, how to say the years, months, days, and days of the week in Japanese, as well as some practical phrases to talk about dates in Japanese.
Let’s begin with understanding how dates are usually expressed in Japanese.
How are Dates Usually Expressed in Japanese?
Dates in Japanese are expressed by starting with the year, followed by the month, and then the day. The format is typically written with the year first, followed by the characters for “year,” “month,” and “day.” The days of the week are usually indicated in a round bracket and placed after the day. It’s important to note that the days of the week in Japanese are different from those in English. Understanding the basic format of expressing dates in Japanese will make it easier to communicate and understand dates in daily life situations.
Japanese Date Format
In Japanese, the most commonly used date format is:
| Format | Example |
|---|---|
| Year (年) | 2022年 |
| Month (月) | 7月 |
| Day (日) | 15日 |
| Day of the Week (曜日) | 木曜日 (Thursday) |
The Japanese date format gives importance to the year first, followed by the month and day in a sequential manner. The day of the week is often mentioned in parentheses after the day. This format is commonly used in everyday Japanese communication.
In the example, the date is expressed as “2022年7月15日 (金曜日)” which translates to “15th July 2022 (Friday)”.
How to Say the Years in Japanese
If you want to express the years in Japanese, there are two main systems you can use: the Gregorian calendar and the Japanese era calendar. Let’s explore both of them in detail.
The Gregorian Calendar
In the Gregorian calendar, you can simply say the year followed by the character for “year.” For example, if you want to say “1998,” you would say “sen kyū-hyaku kyū-jū hachi-nen.”
The Japanese Era Calendar
In addition to the Gregorian calendar, Japan also uses the Japanese era calendar. This system is based on the reign of the emperor. Each era is given a name and is followed by the character for “year.” For example, “2019” is the first year of the Reiwa era, so it is written as “令和1年” and read as “Reiwa ichi-nen.”
To express the years in Japanese, it’s important to understand both the Gregorian calendar and the Japanese era calendar. This will enable you to communicate effectively when talking about years in Japanese.
Let’s take a look at a table comparing the two systems:
| Gregorian Calendar | Japanese Era Calendar |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 平成10年 |
| 2019 | 令和1年 |
| 2022 | 令和4年 |
How to Say the Months in Japanese
The months in Japanese are expressed by combining a number from 1 to 12 with the character for “month.” For example, January is “ichi-gatsu” and February is “ni-gatsu.” It’s important to note that there are some exceptions in the pronunciation of the months, such as April being “shi-gatsu” instead of “yon-gatsu.” Understanding the basic format of expressing months in Japanese will allow you to effectively communicate the months in everyday conversations and when discussing dates.
Here is a table showcasing the months of the year in Japanese:
| Month | Japanese |
|---|---|
| January | いちがつ (ichi-gatsu) |
| February | にがつ (ni-gatsu) |
| March | さんがつ (san-gatsu) |
| April | しがつ (shi-gatsu) |
| May | ごがつ (go-gatsu) |
| June | ろくがつ (roku-gatsu) |
| July | しちがつ (shichi-gatsu) |
| August | はちがつ (hachi-gatsu) |
| September | くがつ (ku-gatsu) |
| October | じゅうがつ (jū-gatsu) |
| November | じゅういちがつ (jūichi-gatsu) |
| December | じゅうにがつ (jūni-gatsu) |
As shown in the table, each month is represented by a specific character combination in Japanese. Learning these month names will enable you to navigate conversations, schedule events, and discuss dates more accurately in Japanese.
How to Say the Days in Japanese
The days in Japanese are expressed using a combination of a number from 1 to 31 and the character for “day.” For example, the first day of the month is “tsuitachi,” the second day is “futsuka,” and so on. It’s important to note that there are some irregularities and exceptions in the pronunciation of certain days, such as the number four being “shi” instead of “yon.” Understanding the basic format of expressing the days in Japanese will allow you to effectively communicate the specific days in everyday conversations and when talking about dates.
| Number | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | tsuitachi | tsu-ee-ta-chee |
| 2 | futsuka | foo-tsu-ka |
| 3 | mikka | mee-ka |
| 4 | yokka | yo-ka |
| 5 | itsuka | ee-tsu-ka |
| 6 | muika | moo-ee-ka |
| 7 | nanoka | na-no-ka |
| 8 | yōka | yoh-ka |
| 9 | kokonoka | ko-ko-no-ka |
| 10 | tōka | toh-ka |
| 11 | jūichi-nichi | joo-ee-chee-nee-chee |
| 12 | jūni-nichi | joo-nee-chee-nee-chee |
| 13 | jūsan-nichi | joo-san-nee-chee |
| 14 | jūyokka | joo-yo-ka |
| 15 | jūgo-nichi | joo-go-nee-chee |
| 16 | jūroku-nichi | joo-roh-koo-nee-chee |
| 17 | jūshichi-nichi | joo-shee-chee-nee-chee |
| 18 | jūhachi-nichi | joo-ha-chee-nee-chee |
| 19 | jūkyu-nichi | joo-kyoo-nee-chee |
| 20 | hatsuka | ha-tsu-ka |
| 21 | nijūichi-nichi | nee-joo-ee-chee-nee-chee |
| 22 | nijūni-nichi | nee-joo-nee-chee-nee-chee |
| 23 | nijūsan-nichi | nee-joo-san-nee-chee |
| 24 | nijūyokka | nee-joo-yo-ka |
| 25 | nijūgo-nichi | nee-joo-go-nee-chee |
| 26 | nijūroku-nichi | nee-joo-roh-koo-nee-chee |
| 27 | nijūshichi-nichi | nee-joo-shee-chee-nee-chee |
| 28 | nijūhachi-nichi | nee-joo-ha-chee-nee-chee |
| 29 | nijūkyū-nichi | nee-joo-kyoo-nee-chee |
| 30 | sanjū-nichi | san-joo-nee-chee |
| 31 | sanjūichinichi | san-joo-ee-chee-nee-chee |
How to Say the Days of the Week in Japanese
The days of the week in Japanese have their own unique names. To express the days of the week, you combine the specific day name with the character for “day of the week.” Here is a list of the Japanese day names:
| English | Japanese |
|---|---|
| Monday | 月曜日 (getsuyōbi) |
| Tuesday | 火曜日 (kayōbi) |
| Wednesday | 水曜日 (suiyōbi) |
| Thursday | 木曜日 (mokuyōbi) |
| Friday | 金曜日 (kin’yōbi) |
| Saturday | 土曜日 (doyōbi) |
| Sunday | 日曜日 (nichiyōbi) |
Learning and memorizing these day names will allow you to effectively communicate and understand the days of the week in Japanese. Whether you’re discussing schedules, making plans, or talking about appointments, knowing the Japanese day names will help you express yourself clearly.
Practical Phrases to Talk about Dates in Japanese
When it comes to discussing dates in Japanese, having some practical phrases in your arsenal can be incredibly helpful. Here are a few phrases that you can use to navigate conversations about dates effortlessly:
1. What is today’s date? – 今日は 何日ですか？(Kyō wa nan-nichi desu ka?)
2. What is the date of your birthday? – あなたの誕生日は何月何日ですか？(Anata no tanjōbi wa nan-gatsu nan-nichi desu ka?)
3. When is the deadline? – 締め切りはいつですか？(Shimekiri wa itsu desu ka?)
4. Let’s schedule a meeting for… – …に会議の日程を組みましょう。(…Ni kaigi no nitei o kumimashō.)
5. I have an appointment on… – …に予約が入っています。(…Ni yoyaku ga haitteimasu.)
Remember to use these phrases in conjunction with the appropriate words for dates, months, and days of the week to effectively communicate your message. Practice them regularly so that you can comfortably express dates in Japanese during various daily conversations.