How to Say "Last Weekend" in Japanese

先週末

senshūmatsu

The English phrase "last weekend" is translated into Japanese as 先週末 (senshūmatsu).

先週末 is used to refer to the Saturday and Sunday that occurred most recently before the current date.

What does it mean word for word?

The word is composed of 先 (sen), meaning 'previous' or 'prior' and 週末 (shūmatsu), meaning 'weekend'.

While 先週末 specifically refers to the weekend, the term 先週 refers to the entire preceding week.

senshūmatsu

In Japanese, the concept of a 'weekend' is a relatively modern import. Traditional calendars focused on the seven-day cycle without a designated two-day break for leisure.
Japanese uses 週末 (shūmatsu) to refer to the weekend, but they have no single word for 'weekday'. Instead, they use 平日 (heijitsu), which literally means 'ordinary day'.
The character 先 (sen) in 先週末 is the same character used in the word 'senpai', meaning 'senior' or 'one who went before', highlighting the concept of preceding in time or status.

先週末、魚釣りに行ったの？
Did you go fishing last weekend?
This sentence is useful for asking if someone went fishing using 先週末.
Tatoeba #9964622 by small_snow, translation #9964532 by CK
先週末ボストンにいたって本当？
Is it true that you were in Boston last weekend?
This sentence is useful for verifying someone's location using 先週末.
Tatoeba #10917179 by SomeHungryBois, translation #10345570 by CK
僕らは先週末に泳ぎにビーチに行きました。
We went to the beach last weekend to swim.
This sentence is useful for describing a trip to the beach using 先週末.
Tatoeba #10550240 by Ninja, translation #10550184 by CK
私は先週末、友達と映画に行きました。
Last weekend, I went to the movies with my friends.
先週の週末は何をしてた？
What did you do last weekend?
みんなと先週の週末にキャンプに行ったよ！
I went camping with everyone last weekend!
6 more sentences on Tatoeba

Yui and Hiroto are talking at school about their break.

結衣 Yui

大翔くん、先週末は何をしたの？
Hiroto-kun, senshūmatsu wa nani o shita no?
Hiroto, what did you do last weekend?
大翔 Hiroto

家でゆっくり本を読んでいたよ。
Ie de yukkuri hon o yonde ita yo.
I was relaxing at home reading a book.
結衣 Yui

いいな。私は先週末はとても忙しかったよ。
Ii na. Watashi wa senshūmatsu wa totemo isogashikatta yo.
That's nice. I was very busy last weekend.
大翔 Hiroto

結衣ちゃんはどこに行っていたの？
Yui-chan wa doko ni itte ita no?
Yui, where did you go?

Sources

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