In this guide
- Introduction
- Japanese days of the week
- Months in Japanese
- Days of the month in Japanese: 1–31
- Read and ask for a full date
- Turn the date into an appointment
- The four seasons in Japanese
- Annual events on a Japanese calendar
- A plan for tomorrow
- A date tells you when; a duration tells you how long
- Give a starting time and an ending time
- Make a plan of your own
- About the author
When I look at a calendar, I'm usually trying to answer a small, practical question: which day can I meet someone, or where can I fit in an hour of study? That's why I like learning Japanese calendar words with an actual plan in mind. A weekday or a date gives those words a job to do before I've memorised a whole list.
The numbers can make a Japanese calendar look reassuringly familiar. Reading a date is another step, though: some days of the month have Japanese readings that aren't easy to guess. I'd keep the tables below beside you and look up the date you need. You can write it with digits in your own plan; the readings are there to help you say it.
This guide will help you move from finding a day on the calendar to asking about it and writing a simple plan in Japanese. There's room for less exact plans, too: you might begin with a season or an occasion such as New Year, then agree on the day and time. Let's start with the weekday names.
Japanese days of the week
All seven weekday names end in 曜日, read ようび. The beginning changes for each day. Read each full name as one word, including 日曜日, にちようび.
| English | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 月曜日 | げつようび |
| Tuesday | 火曜日 | かようび |
| Wednesday | 水曜日 | すいようび |
| Thursday | 木曜日 | もくようび |
| Friday | 金曜日 | きんようび |
| Saturday | 土曜日 | どようび |
| Sunday | 日曜日 | にちようび |
Calendar headings often shorten each name to its first character: 月・火・水・木・金・土・日, for Monday through Sunday. Match the label to the first character of the full name in the table to find your column.
To ask which weekday, use 何曜日, read なんようび. A reply such as 木曜日です gives the weekday, without needing a numbered date.
何曜日ですか。
なんようびですか。
What day of the week is it?
木曜日です。
もくようびです。
It’s Thursday.
You can already make a simple plan. 勉強します means ‘study’. Put に after a weekday to say when the studying happens, then give the action.
月曜日に勉強します。
げつようびに べんきょうします。
I’ll study on Monday.
Replace 月曜日 with the day you want. The weekday changes; に still connects it to the action.
Make a Saturday plan
Use the weekday table. Choose the sentence that means “I’ll study on Saturday.”
Which sentence gives the requested weekday?
Months in Japanese
A calendar month uses its number followed by 月, read がつ. January is month 1, 一月; February is month 2, 二月. Use the number beside the English name to find the month on your calendar.
| Month and number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| January (1) | 一月 | いちがつ |
| February (2) | 二月 | にがつ |
| March (3) | 三月 | さんがつ |
| April (4) | 四月 | しがつ |
| May (5) | 五月 | ごがつ |
| June (6) | 六月 | ろくがつ |
| July (7) | 七月 | しちがつ |
| August (8) | 八月 | はちがつ |
| September (9) | 九月 | くがつ |
| October (10) | 十月 | じゅうがつ |
| November (11) | 十一月 | じゅういちがつ |
| December (12) | 十二月 | じゅうにがつ |
When you need April, July or September, check the whole word: しがつ, しちがつ and くがつ. These are useful ones to look up rather than guess from the number.
何月, なんがつ, asks which month. If you're discussing an event and only need its month, the question and answer can be very short.
何月ですか。
なんがつですか。
Which month is it?
九月です。
くがつです。
It’s in September.
Days of the month in Japanese: 1–31
The day number is followed by 日. Some date names, especially the first ten, don't follow a simple number + にち pattern. Find your number in the left column and read the complete word beside it. The table does the remembering for you.
| Date number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一日 | ついたち |
| 2 | 二日 | ふつか |
| 3 | 三日 | みっか |
| 4 | 四日 | よっか |
| 5 | 五日 | いつか |
| 6 | 六日 | むいか |
| 7 | 七日 | なのか |
| 8 | 八日 | ようか |
| 9 | 九日 | ここのか |
| 10 | 十日 | とおか |
| 11 | 十一日 | じゅういちにち |
| 12 | 十二日 | じゅうににち |
| 13 | 十三日 | じゅうさんにち |
| 14 | 十四日 | じゅうよっか |
| 15 | 十五日 | じゅうごにち |
| 16 | 十六日 | じゅうろくにち |
| 17 | 十七日 | じゅうしちにち |
| 18 | 十八日 | じゅうはちにち |
| 19 | 十九日 | じゅうくにち |
| 20 | 二十日 | はつか |
| 21 | 二十一日 | にじゅういちにち |
| 22 | 二十二日 | にじゅうににち |
| 23 | 二十三日 | にじゅうさんにち |
| 24 | 二十四日 | にじゅうよっか |
| 25 | 二十五日 | にじゅうごにち |
| 26 | 二十六日 | にじゅうろくにち |
| 27 | 二十七日 | にじゅうしちにち |
| 28 | 二十八日 | にじゅうはちにち |
| 29 | 二十九日 | にじゅうくにち |
| 30 | 三十日 | さんじゅうにち |
| 31 | 三十一日 | さんじゅういちにち |
For March 8, first find March in the month table: さんがつ. Then find 8 in this table: ようか. Read the two words in that order.
三月八日
さんがつ ようか
March 8
Read a new calendar date
An appointment is on August 14. Use the month and date tables to choose its complete Japanese reading.
八月十四日
Read and ask for a full date
Japanese puts the larger part first: year, month, then day. 年 marks the year, 月 the month and 日 the day. Here's July 24, 2026, written in that order. Its three parts are 2026, 7 and 24; the order stays the same when you write them with digits.
二千二十六年七月二十四日
にせんにじゅうろくねん しちがつ にじゅうよっか
July 24, 2026
If the year is already clear, the month and day are enough. To ask for both, use 何月何日, なんがつなんにち. Imagine you've agreed to meet and need to confirm the date. A short written exchange could be:
何月何日ですか。
なんがつ なんにちですか。
A: What’s the date?
十一月五日です。
じゅういちがつ いつかです。
B: It’s November 5.
If the month is already understood too, 何日, なんにち, can ask just for the day of the month. Your answer follows the same order as the date on the calendar.
Turn the date into an appointment
The reply 十一月五日です names a date. To say what happens on that date, use the pattern from your weekday plan: time + に + action. 会います means ‘meet’, so the date followed by に会います tells someone when you're meeting.
十一月五日に会います。
じゅういちがつ いつかに あいます。
We’re meeting on November 5.
A clock time works the same way. 午後 means p.m., and 三時, さんじ, means three o'clock. Put に after the complete clock time.
午後三時に会います。
ごご さんじに あいます。
We’re meeting at 3 p.m.
English changes from ‘on November 5’ to ‘at three’. Japanese keeps に after the time expression. If you want the whole appointment in one sentence, give the date first, then the clock time, and put に at the end.
十一月五日午後三時に会います。
じゅういちがつ いつか ごご さんじに あいます。
We’re meeting on November 5 at 3 p.m.
For an appointment message, I'd include the month and numbered day as well as the time. A weekday is handy in conversation, but someone may read your message later. The date lets them check which day you meant without working out which week you were discussing.
The four seasons in Japanese
Plans don't always begin with a numbered day. ‘In spring’ gives you a part of the year to work with before you choose a date. Here are the four season names, with a rough month guide.
| Season and usual months | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Spring (March–May) | 春 | はる |
| Summer (June–August) | 夏 | なつ |
| Autumn/fall (September–November) | 秋 | あき |
| Winter (December–February) | 冬 | ふゆ |
These month groups are used for weather statistics in Japan. Actual weather varies by region, and traditional seasonal boundaries can differ. They're a broad guide to where a season sits in the year.
A season can take に when you say when an action happens. With the meeting action you already know, you can make a plan for spring.
春に会います。
はるに あいます。
We’ll meet in spring.
Annual events on a Japanese calendar
A calendar may also name an occasion instead of giving only a number. These eight are useful landmarks throughout the year. The timing column shows when each is usually observed. A family gathering or local festival can have its own dates.
| Occasion | Japanese | Reading | Usual calendar timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year period | お正月 | おしょうがつ | Early January |
| Setsubun: winter–spring observance | 節分 | せつぶん | Early February; date varies |
| Doll Festival | ひな祭り | ひなまつり | March 3 |
| Children’s Day | こどもの日 | こどものひ | May 5 |
| Star Festival | 七夕 | たなばた | July 7; local festival dates vary |
| Obon: remembrance of ancestors | お盆 | おぼん | Mid-August in many regions |
| Celebration at ages 3, 5 and 7 | 七五三 | しちごさん | Associated with November 15 |
| New Year’s Eve | 大晦日 | おおみそか | December 31 |
お正月 is a period; 元日 is a day
お正月 means the New Year observance, centred on January 1 and the first few days of the year. 元日, がんじつ, is the name of January 1 itself. It is a national public holiday.
元日は一月一日です。
がんじつは いちがつ ついたちです。
New Year’s Day is January 1.
For a plan over the broader New Year period, you can use お正月に before the action. Here, に places the meeting during that occasion.
お正月に会います。
おしょうがつに あいます。
We’ll meet over New Year.
I'd confirm the actual day after a message like this. The familiar 何月何日ですか question is useful here: the occasion tells you the part of the year, while the reply supplies the date for your calendar.
Along with 元日, こどもの日 on May 5 is a national public holiday. The other occasions listed in the table are cultural observances. For actual days off or opening hours, use the schedule from the school, employer or shop.
Use the date for the actual event
節分 marks a traditional winter–spring boundary. Its exact date in early February varies by year, and that traditional boundary differs from the month groups above.
七夕 is usually associated with July 7, but a festival can be held later. Sendai’s festival runs from August 6 to 8. お盆 is often in mid-August, while some places observe it in July or follow dates on the old calendar.
For an actual plan, I'd take the date from the local notice. The familiar name helps you recognise the occasion; the notice tells you which day you're going.
Use a local festival date
Imagine you’re meeting a friend at a Tanabata festival. You choose August 8 from the dates on its local notice.
Which sentence gives your meeting date?
A plan for tomorrow
明日, あした, means ‘tomorrow’. This is a useful everyday contrast with a named calendar date: in a simple plan, 明日 usually goes directly before the action, without に.
明日勉強します。
あした べんきょうします。
I’ll study tomorrow.
A plan for tomorrow
Choose the missing part for “I’ll study tomorrow.”
明日（ ）勉強します。
A date tells you when; a duration tells you how long
A date puts something on the calendar. A duration tells you the time it takes or lasts. This matters especially for 一日: as the first day of a month, it's ついたち; for a duration of one day, the same spelling is read いちにち.
四月一日です。
しがつ ついたちです。
It’s April 1. (Giving a date.)
一日かかります。
いちにち かかります。
It takes one day. (Giving the time needed.)
For a duration, you may also see 日間, as in 二日間, ふつかかん, ‘two days’. 間 makes the length of time explicit, but a day duration doesn't always need it. If someone asks 何日 about the length of a trip, they can mean ‘how many days?’ rather than ‘what date?’ The surrounding conversation tells you which question they're asking.
For months, look for the little か. 一月, いちがつ, names January. 一か月, いっかげつ, is a duration of one month. You can hear the difference in these two study plans.
一月に勉強します。
いちがつに べんきょうします。
I’ll study in January.
一か月勉強します。
いっかげつ べんきょうします。
I’ll study for one month.
The first says when you’ll study, so the month takes に before the action. The second gives a length of time; in this pattern, it goes before 勉強します without に. Two months is 二か月, にかげつ. I find ‘when or how long?’ a helpful check whenever English uses the word ‘month’ for both.
Choose a length of time
You mean a duration of two months. Which expression gives that meaning?
Choose “two months”.
Give a starting time and an ending time
Use から after a starting time and まで after a finishing time. You can give either end on its own, depending on what someone needs to know.
午後二時から勉強します。
ごご にじから べんきょうします。
I’ll study from 2 p.m.
午後四時まで勉強します。
ごご よじまで べんきょうします。
I’ll study until 4 p.m.
To give the whole session, put the two times together, each with its own marker. You don't add に after the start or finish here.
午後二時から午後四時まで勉強します。
ごご にじから ごご よじまで べんきょうします。
I’ll study from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
I'd give both ends when fitting study around other plans. ‘From two to four’ reserves a slot; ‘from two’ still leaves the rest of the afternoon open-ended. For plans with a deadline, the guide to Japanese particles explains the difference between “until” and “by.”
Dates work the same way. Here 休みです means ‘I'm off’, and the two dates give the start and end of the break.
八月三日から八月六日まで休みです。
はちがつ みっかから はちがつ むいかまで やすみです。
I’m off from August 3 to August 6.
The start is the 3rd, みっか; the finish is the 6th, むいか. You're naming the two calendar dates rather than counting the days between them.
Finish the study interval
Say “I’ll study from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.” Type the ending marker in hiragana.
午後六時から午後七時＿勉強します。
ごご ろくじから ごご しちじ＿べんきょうします。
Make a plan of your own
A season or event name can start a plan; the next step is to choose the actual day and time. For an appointment, a date and clock time may be enough. For a study session, a start and finish can be more useful.
Here's an autumn study session on September 12, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Two short sentences let you give the date first and the interval afterwards.
九月十二日に勉強します。午後一時から午後二時まで勉強します。
くがつ じゅうににちに べんきょうします。ごご いちじから ごご にじまで べんきょうします。
I’ll study on September 12. I’ll study from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
You can change the date and times independently. For a meeting, use 会います in place of 勉強します. Keep the words from the tables beside you as you write; they're there to help you make the plan, not to test whether you remember every date.
Bunpo Check’s checker can offer written grammar corrections for your plan. In the checker, choose Grammar if a different mode is selected. It checks written Japanese rather than how you pronounce the date.
Write a plan you can use
Write one or two Japanese sentences for a meeting or study session. Choose a weekday or date, then add a clock time with に or a range with から and まで. For a seasonal or festival plan, use the actual day you’ve agreed on or found on the local notice. Digits are fine; keep the tables open.
Copy your Japanese text, then paste it into the checker. This writing space does not assess or save your text.
A label like お正月 is a good way to begin a plan. I'd finish by confirming the day and time, so both people can put the same thing in their calendars.
About the author
B. Rungswell
B. Rungswell is the editor of the Bunpo Check blog and a native English speaker who has passed JLPT N1. Drawing on many years of life in Japan and experience working at Japanese companies, Rungswell writes practical guides to Japanese grammar for English-speaking learners.