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Japanese · JLPT Band 1 (N5) · Chapter 17

なんようびですか？What day is it?

Nan'yōbi desu ka?

The days and the time particle "ni". Days: getsuyōbi (Mon), kayōbi (Tue), suiyōbi (Wed), mokuyōbi (Thu), kin'yōbi (Fri) (plus doyōbi, nichiyōbi). You ask "Kyō wa nan'yōbi desu ka?". A specific day takes "ni": getsuyōbi ni. But kyō / ashita / kinō take NO "ni" (kyō ni ✗ → kyō ✓). New words: getsuyōbi, kayōbi, suiyōbi, mokuyōbi, kin'yōbi, kyō, ashita, kinō, shūmatsu, mainichi. Script corner: reading the day names.

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Dialogue

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きょうに？ きょう？— kyō ni? kyō?

  1. YukiマMaイiクkuさsaんn、きょうkyōじjiかkaんnがgaあaりriまmaすsuかka？Mike, do you have time today?
  2. MikeはHaいi、きょうkyōにniじjiかkaんnがgaあaりriまmaすsu。Yes, I have time today. (slip: kyō takes no "ni" — say "kyō jikan ga arimasu")
  3. YukiきょうKyōにniはwa「にni」がgaいiりriまmaせseんn：きょうkyōじjiかkaんnがgaあaりriまmaすsu。kyō needs no "ni": kyō jikan ga arimasu.
  4. MikeあA、きょうkyōじjiかkaんnがgaあaりriまmaすsu。どDoようyōびbiもmoあaりriまmaすsu。Ah, I have time today. I have time on Saturday too.

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あしたは しゅうまつ— Tomorrow Is the Weekend

  1. KenゆYuきkiさsaんn、きょうkyōはwaなnaんnようyōびbiでdeすsuかka？Yuki, what day is it today?
  2. YukiきKiんnようyōびbiでdeすsu。あAしshiたtaどdoようyōびbiでdeすsu。It's Friday. Tomorrow is Saturday.
  3. KenいIいiでdeすsuねne。どDoようyōびbiにniじゅjuぎょうgyōがgaあaりriまmaすsuかka？Nice! Do you have class on Saturday?
  4. YukiいIいiえe、どdoようyōびbiとtoにniちchiようyōびbiはwaやyaすsuみmiでdeすsu。No, Saturday and Sunday are days off.

Vocabulary

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げgeつtsuようyōびbi

nounMonday

かkaようyōびbi

nounTuesday

すsuいiようyōびbi

nounWednesday

もmoくkuようyōびbi

nounThursday

きkiんnようyōびbi

nounFriday

きょうkyō

nountoday

あaしshiたta

nountomorrow

きkiのうnō

nounyesterday

しゅうshūまmaつtsu

nounweekend

まmaいiにniちchi

nounevery day

Grammar

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The days and the time "ni"

Explanation

The days are "getsu/ka/sui/moku/kin/do/nichi" + "yōbi". You ask "Kyō wa nan'yōbi desu ka?" and answer "Suiyōbi desu". When something happens on a specific day or time, you add "ni": getsuyōbi ni, shichiji ni. But a very important exception — kyō, ashita, kinō, mainichi take NO "ni". "Kyō ni" ✗ → "kyō" ✓. Watch out for copying English "on/at" and saying "kyō ni".

Examples

  • きょうは なんようびですか？ — すいようびです。What day is it today? — It's Wednesday.
  • げつようびに じゅぎょうが あります。I have class on Monday.
  • あした きんようびです。しゅうまつ！Tomorrow is Friday. The weekend!
  • どようびに じかんが あります。I have time on Saturday.

Kana

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ようびを よむ— Reading the Days

Read the days aloud:

  • げつようび、かようび、すいようびgetsuyōbi, kayōbi, suiyōbiMon, Tue, Wed — all end "-yōbi"
  • もくようび、きんようびmokuyōbi, kin'yōbiThu, Fri
  • きょうは なんようびですか？kyō wa nan'yōbi desu ka?What day is it today?
  • カレンダーkarendācalendar (katakana, long "ā")

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