Japanese · Beginner (A1) · Chapter 9 of 12
Time and dates
日にちと曜日Hinichi to yōbi
Days of the week, months and dates in Japanese, today and tomorrow, and how to make an appointment over the phone.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Name the days of the week and the months
- Say dates, including the special ones
- Make an appointment and suggest another day
- Know when to use に (ni) with time words
Listen
Nishimura Kaito phones a hair salon in Hiroshima to book a haircut. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Receptionist
はい、サロン・ミドリです。
Hai, Saron Midori desu.
Hello, Salon Midori.
Nishimura
すみません、予約をお願いします。
Sumimasen, yoyaku o onegai shimasu.
Hello, I'd like to make an appointment, please.
Receptionist
はい。何曜日がよろしいですか？
Hai. Nan'yōbi ga yoroshii desu ka?
Certainly. Which day would suit you?
Nishimura
明日は空いていますか？
Ashita wa aite imasu ka?
Do you have anything tomorrow?
Receptionist
明日、金曜日ですね。すみません、明日は空いていません。
Ashita, kin'yōbi desu ne. Sumimasen, ashita wa aite imasen.
Tomorrow, Friday. I'm sorry, we're fully booked tomorrow.
Nishimura
では、来週の月曜日はどうですか？
De wa, raishū no getsuyōbi wa dō desu ka?
Then how about next Monday?
Receptionist
月曜日はお休みです。水曜日は大丈夫ですか？
Getsuyōbi wa oyasumi desu. Suiyōbi wa daijōbu desu ka?
We're closed on Mondays. Is Wednesday all right?
Nishimura
水曜日は十二日ですね。午後は空いていますか？
Suiyōbi wa jūninichi desu ne. Gogo wa aite imasu ka?
Wednesday is the 12th, isn't it? Do you have anything in the afternoon?
Receptionist
はい、午後三時はどうですか？お名前をお願いします。
Hai, gogo sanji wa dō desu ka? Onamae o onegai shimasu.
Yes, how about 3 p.m.? May I have your name, please?
Nishimura
はい、大丈夫です。西村です。
Hai, daijōbu desu. Nishimura desu.
Yes, that's fine. It's Nishimura.
Understand
Days of the week
Every day of the week ends in (yōbi). The first part is a kanji for the moon, fire, water, wood, gold, earth and the sun. To ask which day, say (nan'yōbi desu ka?). In conversation, people often drop the last kanji, 日 (bi): (getsuyō), Monday.
| Day | Japanese | Kanji means |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | (getsuyōbi) | moon |
| Tuesday | (kayōbi) | fire |
| Wednesday | (suiyōbi) | water |
| Thursday | (mokuyōbi) | wood, tree |
| Friday | (kin'yōbi) | gold, metal |
| Saturday | (doyōbi) | earth, soil |
| Sunday | (nichiyōbi) | sun |
Months and dates
Months are simply numbered: the number + 月 (-gatsu). (ichigatsu) is January, (jūnigatsu) December. Three use the other number readings: (shigatsu), April; (shichigatsu), July; (kugatsu), September.
Dates are the number + 日 (-nichi): (jūninichi), the 12th. But the 1st to the 10th, the 14th, the 20th and the 24th have old, special readings, shown in the table. Ask (nannichi desu ka?), what's the date? The order is month, then date, then day: (gogatsu mikka), 3 May.
| Date | Written | Said |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 一日 | (tsuitachi) |
| 2nd | 二日 | (futsuka) |
| 3rd | 三日 | (mikka) |
| 4th | 四日 | (yokka) |
| 5th | 五日 | (itsuka) |
| 6th | 六日 | (muika) |
| 7th | 七日 | (nanoka) |
| 8th | 八日 | (yōka) |
| 9th | 九日 | (kokonoka) |
| 10th | 十日 | (tōka) |
| 11th | 十一日 | (jūichinichi) |
| 14th | 十四日 | (jūyokka) |
| 20th | 二十日 | (hatsuka) |
| 24th | 二十四日 | (nijūyokka) |
Making an appointment
Days and dates take (ni) when you say when something happens, like clock times: (getsuyōbi ni), on Monday; (jūninichi ni), on the 12th. Words that count from today don't: (kyō), today; (ashita), tomorrow; (raishū), next week. So (ashita ikimasu), I'll go tomorrow, has no (ni).
To suggest a time, add は (wa) and (dō desu ka?), how about …?, to it. To check a time, use (daijōbu desu ka?), is it all right? (aite imasu ka?) asks if someone is free or if there's space. Staff use extra-polite fixed phrases: (nan'yōbi ga yoroshii desu ka?), which day would suit you?, and (oyasumi desu), we're closed.
- 金曜日に予約をお願いします。Kin'yōbi ni yoyaku o onegai shimasu.I'd like an appointment on Friday, please.
- 今日は空いていますか？Kyō wa aite imasu ka?Do you have anything today?
- 来週の水曜日はどうですか？Raishū no suiyōbi wa dō desu ka?How about next Wednesday?
More in the grammar: Kanji · Numbers, counters, time and dates
New words
- 予約yoyakuappointment, reservation, booking · よやく
- 何曜日nan'yōbiwhat day of the week · なんようび
- 明日ashitatomorrow · あした
- 空いていますaite imasuis free, has space · あいています; (aite imasu ka?), are you free? is there space?
- 金曜日kin'yōbiFriday · きんようび
- 来週raishūnext week · らいしゅう
- 月曜日getsuyōbiMonday · げつようび
- 大丈夫daijōbuall right, OK, fine · だいじょうぶ
- 水曜日suiyōbiWednesday · すいようび
- ～日-nichi(day of the month) · にち; (jūninichi), the 12th. Some dates have special readings.
- 午後gogoafternoon; p.m. · ごご
- お名前onamae(your) name · おなまえ; polite. Your own name is just (namae).
- 今日kyōtoday · きょう
- 何日nannichiwhat date · なんにち
Practise
1.Which day is (kin'yōbi)?
2.Put the words in order to ask if the salon has anything next Monday.
Tap the words below in the right order.Do you have anything next Monday?
3.Match the Japanese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.How do you say “on the 3rd”?
5.Which sentence is right?
6.Put the words in order to suggest 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Tap the words below in the right order.How about 3 p.m. on Wednesday?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
予約をお願いします。
Yoyaku o onegai shimasu.
I'd like to make an appointment, please.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.