Japanese Dates of the Month: Learn All 31 Days Fast

21 February 2025

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Introduction to Japanese Dates of the Month

Understanding Japanese dates of the month is essential for navigating everyday life in Japan, whether you’re scheduling meetings, making travel plans, or simply understanding calendar dates in Japanese. Unlike English, Japanese dates follow unique readings and patterns that require memorization, particularly for the first ten days and select other dates.

In this guide, we will break down everything you need to know about Japanese dates, including the days of the week, months, and the specific way to say dates of the month. By the end, you’ll have a solid grasp of how to read and use dates in Japanese with confidence.

Days of the Week in Japanese

Japanese days of the week follow a logical pattern, each ending with 曜日 (youbi), which translates to “day of the week.” The first character in each day’s name is derived from nature or celestial bodies:

Japanese

Romaji

Meaning

月曜日

getsuyoubi

Monday (Moon day)

火曜日

kayoubi

Tuesday (Fire day)

水曜日

suiyoubi

Wednesday (Water day)

木曜日

mokuyoubi

Thursday (Wood day)

金曜日

kinyoubi

Friday (Gold/Metal day)

土曜日

doyoubi

Saturday (Earth day)

日曜日

nichiyoubi

Sunday (Sun day)

You’ll often see just the first kanji (e.g., 月, 火, 水) used in schedules, newspapers, and store hours.

Japanese Months of the Year

The Japanese calendar follows a simple pattern when naming months. Instead of unique names like “January” or “February,” months are formed by adding the Japanese number to 月 (gatsu), meaning “month.”

Japanese

Romaji

English Equivalent

一月

ichigatsu

January

二月

nigatsu

February

三月

sangatsu

March

四月

shigatsu

April

五月

gogatsu

May

六月

rokugatsu

June

七月

shichigatsu

July

八月

hachigatsu

August

九月

kugatsu

September

十月

juugatsu

October

十一月

juuichigatsu

November

十二月

juunigatsu

December

⚠️ Important Pronunciation Note:

• April, July, and September use shi (4), shichi (7), and ku (9) instead of the typical yon, nana, and kyuu used in counting numbers.

How to Say Japanese Dates of the Month

Japanese dates are a bit more complex than months because the first ten days, the 14th, 20th, and 24th have unique readings.

Special Readings for the 1st-10th, 14th, 20th, and 24th

Date

Japanese

Romaji

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

youka

9th

九日

kokonoka

10th

十日

tooka

14th

十四日

juuyokka

20th

二十日

hatsuka

24th

二十四日

nijuuyokka

For other dates (11th-31st), simply combine the corresponding Japanese number with 日 (nichi):

• 11th: 十一日 (juuichinichi)
• 15th: 十五日 (juugonichi)
• 25th: 二十五日 (nijuugonichi)

✅ Key tip:
The 4th (yokka) and 8th (youka) sound similar, so be careful with pronunciation!

How to Say Full Dates in Japanese

When saying the full date (month + day), follow this structure:

📅 [Month] + [Date]

• January 1st → 一月一日 (ichigatsu tsuitachi)
• July 14th → 七月十四日 (shichigatsu juuyokka)
• December 31st → 十二月三十一日 (juunigatsu sanjuuichinichi)

In spoken Japanese, you may also hear 「今日は何日ですか？」(Kyou wa nannichi desu ka?) meaning “What’s today’s date?”

Common Time-Related Words in Japanese

Beyond specific dates, here are useful relative time expressions:

English

Japanese

Romaji

Today

今日

kyou

Yesterday

昨日

kinou

Tomorrow

明日

ashita

Day after tomorrow

明後日

asatte

Last year

去年

kyonen

This year

今年

kotoshi

Next year

来年

rainen

If you’re making travel plans or setting appointments, these words are extremely helpful!

Quick Summary: Japanese Dates of the Month

• Days of the week follow elements like “fire” (火) and “moon” (月).
• Months are simply numbered with 月 (gatsu).
• Dates of the month have unique readings for certain days.
• Understanding pronunciation (especially for 4th, 8th, 14th, and 20th) is crucial.
• Relative time words help in casual and formal conversations.

Final Thoughts & Next Steps

Mastering Japanese dates of the month is a valuable skill for anyone studying Japanese, visiting Japan, or working in a Japanese-speaking environment. With practice, remembering dates and using them in conversations will become second nature.

For additional practice, check out our free Japanese numbers guide to reinforce your learning! Download here 🚀

Now that you know how to express dates in Japanese, try using them in real conversations and expand your fluency step by step! 🎌

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