In Previous counting numbers in Japanese article, we have explored the ～つ unit to count when we don’t know specific counter for things. In this article, we will explore counting units for days.
Days ( 日 )
日uses both wago (か) and kango(にち) counting method. It can be confusing with the
different units used upon counting days or saying specific day of the calendar.
| Unit | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Kanji | hiragana | romaji |
| 1 | 一日 | いちにち | ichinichi |
| 2 | 二日 | ふつか | futsuka |
| 3 | 三日 | みっか | mikka |
| 4 | 四日 | よっか | yokka |
| 5 | 五日 | いつか | itsuka |
| 6 | 六日 | むいか | muika |
| 7 | 七日 | なのか | nanoka |
| 8 | 八日 | ようか | youka |
| 9 | 九日 | ここのか | kokonoka |
| 10 | 十日 | とおか | tooka |
| 11 | 十一日 | じゅういちにち | juuichinichi |
| 14 | 十四日 | じゅうよっか・ じゅうよんにち | juuyokka (or) juuyonnichi |
| 17 | 十七日 | じゅうしちにち・ じゅうななにち | juushichinichi (or) juunananichi |
| 20 | 二十日 | はつか・にじゅうにち | hatsuka (or) nijuunichi |
| 49 | 四十九日 | よんじゅうくにち・ しじゅうくにち | yonjuukunichi (or) shijuukunichi |
them.
| 一日 | Meaning | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| いちにち | one day, a whole day | Nowadays use |
| ついたち | first day of a month | Nowadays use |
| いっぴ | In some business and formal situations | |
| いちじつ | Words appear in classic novels with furigana () | |
| ひとひ | Words appear in classic novels with furigana () |
| 二十日 | Meaning | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| はつか | 20th day of a month | Commonly use to avoid confusion with二日(ふつか) |
| にじゅうにち | 20th day of a month | Nowadays use |
| 四十九日 | Meaning | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| よんじゅうくにち | 49 days | Nowadays use |
| しじゅうくにち | 49th day after someone’s death | Nowadays use, appears in dramas, mangas, novels |
Conclusion
In this article, we have explored 日and its specific readings. As pronunciation of 日 varies, it’s important to notice the meaning behind them and pronounce appropriately based on situations.
Content Writer by Win Win Maw
