Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ルーティン | rūtin | [ɾɯ̟ːtʲĩɴ] (narrow) |
| 日課 | nikka | [ɲ̟ik̚ka̠] (narrow) |
Both terms refer to a course of action followed regularly or a standard procedure. ルーティン is frequently used to describe a set of specific actions performed to prepare for a task, such as an athlete's pre-game ritual or in technical contexts like computer science. For describing habitual tasks in daily life, you might use related terms like 日常 (everyday life), 普段の (usual) or even expressions describing a feeling of monotony like 日常に飽きる (to get tired of the everyday).
What does it mean word for word?
The word 日課 (nikka) is composed of the kanji for 'day' (日) and 'task/work' (課).
Which one should you use?
日課 is typically used for personal or habitual daily tasks. In contrast, ルーティン is a loanword from English and is more often used for specific sequences of actions or professional procedures, such as sports routines or computer science routines.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The related adjective 規則的 can be used to describe something that is according to an established procedure.
How do you pronounce it?
rūtin
Did you know?
- The word ルーチンワーク (routine work) is often used pejoratively in Japanese offices to describe boring or robotic clerical tasks that require no creativity.
- In Japanese beauty culture, a skincare regimen is often referred to as a ルーティン, treating the application of products as a technical, step-by-step sequence.
- The kanji 課 in 日課 is the same character used for 'lessons' or 'chapters' in school books, suggesting a life structured like a curriculum.
Examples in context
- 朝の日課です。It's part of my morning routine.This sentence is useful for using the form 日課 to describe a morning routine.Tatoeba #12170480 by small_snow, translation #10156692 by ddnktr
- 月曜日の日課なんだよね？You have a routine on Monday, don't you?This sentence is useful for using the form 日課 to ask about a routine on a specific day.Tatoeba #10654544 by small_snow, translation #10724453 by terrywallwork
- この野球選手は独特なルーティンを持っています。This baseball player has a unique routine.This sentence is useful for using the form ルーティン to describe a specific athlete's routine.
- 私は日課がありますI have a daily routine
- 日常に飽きてしまったI got tired of the everyday
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
陽葵 and 健太 are talking about their morning habits at a cafe.
- 陽葵 Himari朝のルーティンは決まってるの？Asa no ruutin wa kimatteru no?Do you have a morning routine?
- 健太 Kentaうん、コーヒーを飲むのがルーティンだよ。Un, koohii o nomu no ga ruutin da yo.Yeah, drinking coffee is my routine.
- 陽葵 Himari素敵なルーティンだね。Suteki na ruutin da ne.That's a lovely routine.
- 健太 Kenta陽葵のルーティンも教えてよ。Himari no ruutin mo oshiete yo.Tell me about your routine too, Himari.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “routine” translations and entries ルーティン, 日課, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
