Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 予定 | yotei | [jo̞te̞ː] (narrow) |
| 日程 | nittei | [ɲ̟it̚te̞ː] (narrow) |
| スケジュール | sukejūru | [sɨ̥ke̞ʑɨːɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
The term refers to a procedural plan, usually but not necessarily tabular in nature, indicating a sequence of operations and the planned times at which those operations are to occur. You might use the common phrase 予定が入っている to say that one's schedule is already filled or that one has a prior engagement.
Which one should you use?
予定 refers to a general plan, intention or an upcoming event in one's personal or professional life. 日程 is used specifically for a sequence of dates or a formal itinerary, such as a conference schedule or a travel itinerary. スケジュール is a direct loanword from English and is commonly used in business or casual contexts to refer to a time management schedule.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a predicate, 予定 is often followed by だ or です to indicate that something is planned to happen.
How do you pronounce it?
yotei
Did you know?
- While 予定 is common, if you are talking about a specific, fixed appointment like a doctor's visit, Japanese speakers often prefer to use the word 約束 (yakusoku), which literally means 'promise'.
- When a schedule is very tight or crowded, Japanese speakers might describe it as 過密 (kamitsu), a word that also describes high population density.
- The kanji 程 in 日程 originally referred to a 'measure' or 'degree', linking the idea of a schedule to the physical distance of a journey.
Examples in context
- 次の予定は？What's next on the schedule?The sentence is useful for asking what the next item on the 予定 is.Tatoeba #12777920 by small_snow, translation #4013417 by CK
- 今日の予定は？What's on the schedule for today?The sentence is useful for asking what is on the 予定 for today.Tatoeba #2850263 by tommy_san, translation #2850275 by CK
- 明日の予定は？What's your schedule for tomorrow?The sentence is useful for asking about the 予定 for tomorrow.Tatoeba #9489164 by small_snow, translation #323249 by CK
- 今週の 予定 を教えてください。Please tell me this week's schedule.
- スケジュールを調整するAdjusting the schedule.
- 田中さんの予定Mr./Ms. Tanaka's schedule.
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their upcoming weekend trip.
- 結衣 Yui週末の予定は決まった？shuumatsu no yotei wa kimatta?Have you decided on the schedule for the weekend?
- 大翔 Hirotoまだ決まっていないよ。mada kimatte inai yo.It's not decided yet.
- 結衣 Yuiじゃあ、一緒に考えよう。jaa, issho ni kangaeyou.Then, let's think about it together.
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、よろしくね。un, yoroshiku ne.Yeah, thanks.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “schedule” translations and entries 予定, 日程, スケジュール, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
