今日はどうだった？
kyou wa dou datta?
The English phrase "hello, how was your day?" is translated into Japanese as 今日はどうだった？ (kyou wa dou datta?)
This phrase is a greeting used to ask someone about the events of their day.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase can be broken down into the following parts: 今日 (kyou) means "today".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
If you are speaking to a stranger or a superior, you should use the polite form 今日はどうでしたか？ instead.
How do you pronounce it?
kyou wa dou datta?
Did you know?
- In many Japanese households, rather than asking 'how was your day?', a parent might simply ask ご飯食べた？ (gohan tabeta?), which means 'did you eat?' This serves as a deeper, more culturally common way to show care and check on someone's well-being.
- If you ask this to a coworker, it is more common to use the word お疲れ様 (otsukaresama) first to acknowledge their hard work before asking about their day.
- While 今日 (kyou) means 'today' in this phrase, the word 今日 can also be read as こんにち (konnichi) to form the basis of the common greeting こんにちは (konnichiwa), which literally means 'as for today'.
Examples in context
- 仕事は、今日はどうだった？Shigoto wa, kyō wa dō datta?How was work today?
Example conversation
Yota greets Himari when she returns home.
- 陽葵 Himariただいま！Tadaima!I'm home!
- 陽太 Yotaおかえり、陽葵。今日はどうだった？Okaeri, Himari. Kyou wa dou datta?Welcome home, Himari. How was your day?
- 陽葵 Himariすごくいい日だったよ！Sugoku ii hi datta yo!It was a really great day!
- 陽太 Yotaそれは良かったね。Sore wa yokatta ne.That's good to hear.
