N5Lesson 14 of 437 min

Dates, months and days of the week

The first ten days of the month are irregular. The weekdays are named after the sun, the moon and five elements.

Dates are the least regular corner of Japanese numbers. The first ten days of the month use old native readings you have to learn one by one. After the tenth it settles down.

Days of the month

Value	Kanji	Kana	Devanagari
1st	一日	ついたち	त्सुइताचिCompletely irregular.
2nd	二日	ふつか	फुत्सुका
3rd	三日	みっか	मिक्का
4th	四日	よっか	योक्का
8th	八日	ようか	योउकाOften confused with 4th (よっか): listen for the length.
10th	十日	とおか	तोओका
14th	十四日	じゅうよっか	जू-योक्का
20th	二十日	はつか	हात्सुकाIrregular: not にじゅうにち.
15th	十五日	じゅうごにち	जू-गो-निचिFrom 11 on, most days are just number + にち.

Months

Months are just number + 月 (がつ). Only three break the pattern, and they are the same three numbers as always.

Value	Kanji	Kana	Devanagari
January	一月	いちがつ	इचि-गात्सु
April	四月	しがつ	शि-गात्सुしがつ: not よんがつ.
July	七月	しちがつ	शिचि-गात्सुしちがつ: not なながつ.
September	九月	くがつ	कु-गात्सुくがつ: not きゅうがつ.

Days of the week

Each weekday is named after the sun, the moon or one of five classical elements, which makes them easier to remember than they look.

Value	Kanji	Kana	Devanagari
Monday	月曜日	げつようび	गेत्सु-योउबिMoon.
Tuesday	火曜日	かようび	का-योउबिFire.
Wednesday	水曜日	すいようび	सुइ-योउबिWater.
Thursday	木曜日	もくようび	मोकु-योउबिWood.
Friday	金曜日	きんようび	किन-योउबिMetal / gold.
Saturday	土曜日	どようび	दो-योउबिEarth.
Sunday	日曜日	にちようび	निचि-योउबिSun.