日記
nikki[ɲ̟ik̚ʲkʲi]
The English word 'journal' can be translated into Japanese as 日記 (nikki). Wiktionary also lists 日誌 (nisshi).
Meaning: diary or daily record (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 日記 | nikki | [ɲ̟ik̚ʲkʲi] (narrow) |
| 日誌 | nisshi | [ɲ̟iɕːi] (narrow) |
Japanese uses different words for 'journal' depending on whether the writing is personal or professional. 日記 refers to a personal diary, while 日誌 is used for a professional log or daily record.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 日記 literally means 'daily record', composed of the characters for 'day' (日) and 'record' or 'write' (記).
Which one should you use?
Use 日記 for a personal diary that contains your private thoughts and feelings. In contrast, use 日誌 when referring to a professional log, such as a work log or a ship's log.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'to keep a journal' or 'to write in a diary', use the verb phrase 日記をつける.
How do you pronounce it?
nikki
Did you know?
- The word 日記 is a homophone for the Japanese word for 'semen'.
- The verb for keeping a diary is つける, which also means 'to attach' or 'to add'.
- In Japanese schools, students are often required to keep a 日記 as part of their moral education and character development.
Examples in context
- 日記をつける。I keep a journal.This sentence is useful for practicing how to say 'to keep a journal' using 日記.Tatoeba #8532793 by small_snow, translation #2374673 by CK
- 日記をつけてるの？Do you keep a journal?This sentence is useful for asking someone if they keep a journal using 日記.Tatoeba #11733652 by bunbuku, translation #6013598 by CK
- 私の日記を読まないで。Don't read my journal.This sentence is useful for telling someone not to read your journal using 日記.Tatoeba #6037307 by atmarksharp, translation #1845511 by CK
- 彼女は毎晩、 日記帳 に感じたことを書いています。She writes down her feelings every night in her journal.
- 今週の進捗を 記録帳 に書いておきましょう。Let's write this week's progress in the journal.
- 最近、 日記 を再開した。I recently resumed writing my journal.
- この旅行で作った ジャーナル を見せてあげるよ。I'll show you the journal I made during this trip.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki is showing Ren a small notebook in a cafe.
- 蓮 Renその日記は、何について書いているの？Sono nikki wa, nan ni tsuite kaite iru no?What do you write about in that diary?
- 美咲 Misaki毎日の出来事を書いてるよ。Mainichi no dekigoto o kaite ru yo.I write about daily events.
- 蓮 Renきれいな日記だね。Kirei na nikki da ne.It's a beautiful diary.
- 美咲 Misakiありがとう、大切にしてるの。Arigatou, taisetsu ni shite ru no.Thank you, I treasure it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “journal” translations and entries 日記, 日誌, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
