土曜日
doyōbi[do̞jo̞ːbʲi]
Saturday in Japanese is 土曜日, romanized as doyōbi. Wiktionary also lists 土曜 (doyō).
Meaning: day of the week (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 土曜日 | doyōbi | [do̞jo̞ːbʲi] (narrow) |
| 土曜 | doyō | [do̞jo̞ː] (narrow) |
The word refers to the day of the week Saturday.
What does it mean word for word?
In the word 土曜日, the first kanji 土 means earth or soil.
Which one should you use?
土曜日 is the full version of the word, while 土曜 is a shortened form often used in casual speech or within compound words like 'Saturday night'.
How do you pronounce it?
doyōbi
Did you know?
- The 'earth' in 土曜日 refers to the planet Saturn, a tradition inherited from ancient Chinese astrology.
- In Japanese, the days of the week are named after the five elements and the two luminaries of the solar system.
- Before the adoption of the Western calendar, the concept of a seven-day week with a specific 'Saturday' was not a part of daily Japanese life.
Examples in context
- 土曜日だよ。It is Saturday.This sentence is useful for stating that it is currently Saturday using 土曜日.Tatoeba #124478 by bunbuku, translation #279516 by CK
- 土曜の夜だった。It was Saturday night.This sentence is useful for describing a past event that occurred on Saturday night using 土曜.Tatoeba #124481 by bunbuku, translation #279513 by CK
- 明日は土曜日だ。Tomorrow is Saturday.This sentence is useful for stating that the following day is Saturday using 土曜日.Tatoeba #11255344 by sh5555, translation #3062005 by CN
- 78 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their weekend plans over the phone.
- 美咲 Misaki土曜日は暇ですか？doyoubi wa hima desu ka?Are you free on Saturday?
- 蓮 Renはい、土曜日は空いています。hai, doyoubi wa aite imasu.Yes, I am free on Saturday.
- 美咲 Misakiじゃあ、一緒に映画を見ませんか？jaa, issho ni eiga o mimasen ka?Then, why don't we see a movie together?
- 蓮 Renいいですね、行きましょう！ii desu ne, ikimashou!That sounds good, let's go!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “Saturday” translations and entries 土曜日, 土曜, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 土曜, 土曜日, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
