今朝
kesa[ke̞sa̠]
The English phrase "this morning" is translated into Japanese as 今朝 (kesa).
今朝 is a noun used to refer specifically to the morning of the current day.
Meaning: during the morning of today (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 今, which means "now" and 朝, which means "morning".
Which one should you use?
While there are general words for "morning" in Japanese, 今朝 specifically refers to the morning of the current day.
How does it change in a sentence?
By adding the particle の after the word, you can use it as a possessive or attributive modifier, such as 今朝の, meaning "this morning's".
How do you pronounce it?
kesa
Did you know?
- The word 今朝 can be read as kesa or konchō. While kesa is the common spoken word for 'this morning', konchō is a more formal reading used in specific literary or official contexts.
- The word 今朝 is an example of 'jukujikun', a phenomenon where kanji are assigned to a word based on meaning rather than their individual sounds.
- While 今朝 means 'this morning', Japanese has different levels of 'morning' based on the time of day. Early dawn is often distinguished from the general morning used in 今朝.
Examples in context
- 今朝の虹みた？Did you see the rainbow this morning?This example shows how to use 今朝 when asking about something seen earlier.Tatoeba #8651862 by small_snow, translation #3738029 by CK
- 今朝は特に寒い。It is especially cold this morning.This example uses 今朝 to describe the weather conditions of the current morning.Tatoeba #172252 by bunbuku, translation #242223 by CK
- 今朝ここにいた？Were you here this morning?This example uses 今朝 to ask about someone's presence during the current morning.Tatoeba #8593499 by bunbuku, translation #4014280 by CK
- 215 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are talking at school about breakfast.
- 健太 Kenta今朝はパンを食べたよ。Kesa wa pan o tabeta yo.I ate bread this morning.
- 結衣 Yuiいいな。私は何も食べてないの。Ii na. Watashi wa nimo tabete nai no.Lucky. I didn't eat anything.
- 健太 Kentaえっ、今朝は忙しかったの？E, kesa wa isogashikatta no?What, were you busy this morning?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、寝坊しちゃったんだ。Un, nebou shichatta nda.Yeah, I overslept.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “this morning” translations and entries 今朝, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 今朝, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
