日曜日
nichiyōbi[ɲ̟it͡ɕijo̞ːbʲi]
Sunday in Japanese is 日曜日 (nichiyōbi). Wiktionary also lists 日曜 (nichiyō).
Meaning: day of the week (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 日曜日 | nichiyōbi | [ɲ̟it͡ɕijo̞ːbʲi] (narrow) |
| 日曜 | nichiyō | [ɲ̟it͡ɕijo̞ː] (narrow) |
The term is used to refer to the day of the week, Sunday.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 日曜日 is composed of 日 (sun/day), 曜 (day of the week) and 日 (day).
Which one should you use?
The shortened form 日曜 is more common in casual conversation or written notes, whereas 日曜日 is the standard full form.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'on Sunday' (indicating a specific time), you can add the particle に after 日曜日 or 日曜.
How do you pronounce it?
nichiyōbi
Did you know?
- The full compound form 日曜日 only began appearing in written records around 1826. It did not enter widespread common use until the Meiji period when Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar.
- The concept of naming Sunday after the sun was not an indigenous Japanese invention. It was imported from ancient Chinese astrology during the Heian period.
- In Japanese, the character 日 acts as a universal symbol for Sunday on calendars, and it is almost always printed in red ink.
Examples in context
- 日曜日、暇？Are you free on Sunday?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is free on 日曜日.Tatoeba #11825712 by small_snow, translation #11742153 by ddnktr
- 日曜に会おう。Let's meet on Sunday.This sentence is useful for suggesting a meeting on 日曜.Tatoeba #122187 by bunbuku, translation #281815 by CK
- 今日は日曜日だ。Today is Sunday.This sentence is useful for stating that today is 日曜日.Tatoeba #171522 by bunbuku, translation #63119 by sacredceltic
- 197 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are planning a lunch outing.
- 結衣 Yui日曜日は空いていますか？nichiyoubi wa aite imasu ka?Are you free on Sunday?
- 健太 Kentaはい、日曜日なら大丈夫ですよ。hai, nichiyoubi nara daijoubu desu yo.Yes, Sunday is fine with me.
- 結衣 Yuiじゃあ、ランチに行きましょう。jaa, ranchi ni ikimashou.Then, let's go for lunch.
- 健太 Kenta楽しみですね。tanoshimi desu ne.I am looking forward to it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “Sunday” translations and entries 日曜日, 日曜, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 日曜, 日曜日, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
