ようび
Seven days, and you already know where the names come from
Every day ends in ようび. Only the first part changes, and it's a planet.
げつ + ようび
Sun, moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn — the order English uses too.
か = Mars = mardi
A named day takes に. きょう and あした never do — they move with you.
どようびに いきます
ようびが おぼえられません…
You already know them. Sunday is the sun's day in English too — all seven line up.
なのかの なまえ
All seven end in ようび. Only the front changes — so this is one word to learn and seven prefixes to recognise. 🔊 Tap any row.
The prefixes are the sun, the moon and the five classical planets — and English and French name their days after exactly the same ones, in the same order. Sunday is the sun's day; にちようび is 日, the sun. Saturday is Saturn's; どようび is 土, earth — Saturn. French mardi is Mars, and かようび is 火, fire, which is what Japanese calls Mars. So these aren't seven new sounds bolted onto nothing: they're a list you have known since childhood, relabelled. The grey characters are there as the hook only — you are never asked to write them.
ようびを つかう
A named day takes に — the same に a clock time took in Unit 60. Ask which day with なんようび.
A day of the week takes に, exactly as a clock time did in Unit 60. Swap it for なんようび to ask which day. One warning that will keep coming back: きょう, あした, きのう and あさって take NO particle at all. They aren't points on a calendar you can name — they move with the day you're standing in.
きょうから かぞえる
These five aren't names — they're positions relative to now, which is exactly why they refuse に. Today isn't a slot on a calendar you can point at; it moves with you. 🔊 Tap to hear.
Weeks work the same way.
に marks a point you could put a finger on: しちじ, どようび. Words that only mean something from where you're standing — いま・きょう・あした・らいしゅう — take nothing at all. One rule, and it explains every case in Phase R.
かいわ
Four exchanges. Read the question, answer out loud, then check.
きょうは なんようび ですか。
What day is it today?
もくようび です。
It's Thursday.
しけんは なんようび に ありますか。
What day is the exam on?
きんようび に あります。
It's on Friday.
どようびと にちようび、なにを しますか。
What do you do on Saturday and Sunday?
どようびは はたらきます。にちようびは やすみます。
I work on Saturday. On Sunday I rest.
らいしゅう こうえんへ いきませんか。
Won't you go to the park next week?
いいですね。かようびごろ いきましょう。
Sounds good. Let's go around Tuesday.
クイズ
Twelve questions — the seven days, the particle rule, and the line either side of today.
Question 1 / 12 · 0 correct