Japanese Days of the Week Kanji: Memorize All 7 in 5 Minutes
Japanese days of the week are built from the 7 classical elements (Sun, Moon, Fire, Water, Wood, Gold, and Earth) plus 曜日 (yōbi). Here is how to lock in all 7 characters and their exact readings in one sitting.
One of the most rewarding milestones in your first week of learning Japanese is realizing that all seven days of the week follow a crystal-clear pattern: [Element Kanji] + 曜日 (ようび yōbi). Even better, those seven elemental kanjis (日・月・火・水・木・金・土) are seven of the most common building-block radicals in the entire Japanese language!
The 7 Japanese Days of the Week at a Glance
| English Day | Japanese Kanji | Full Reading | Literal Element | Shibashi Reading Hook |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 日曜日 (日) | にちようび (nichiyōbi) | ☀️ Sun / Day (日) | "Knee is itchy" (にち nichi) in a bright sun beam (び bi) |
| Monday | 月曜日 (月) | げつようび (getsuyōbi) | 🌙 Moon (月) | Takes guts-u (がつ) to get-su (げつ getsu) to the Moon |
| Tuesday | 火曜日 (火) | かようび (kayōbi) | 🔥 Fire (火) | Fire from a candle (か ka) generates a ton of heat (ひ hi) |
| Wednesday | 水曜日 (水) | すいようび (suiyōbi) | 💧 Water (水) | Missou-ri (みず mizu) Water looks super i-nteresting (すい sui) |
| Thursday | 木曜日 (木) | もくようび (mokuyōbi) | 🌳 Tree / Wood (木) | The Tree is mocking (もく moku) us because we have no keys (き ki) |
| Friday | 金曜日 (金) | きんようび (kin'yōbi) | 👑 Gold / Money (金) | The King's (きん kin) Gold crown (get paid on Friday!) |
| Saturday | 土曜日 (土) | どようび (doyōbi) | 🌱 Dirt / Earth (土) | Toes (と) in the Dirt with his dog (ど do) by his side |
Sunday (日) & Monday (月): Just Like English "Sun-day" and "Moon-day"
Sunday and Monday are the easiest to start with because they match English etymology word-for-word: 日曜日 (Sun-day) and 月曜日 (Moon-day). Click the flashcards below to hear their readings:
Tuesday (火) & Wednesday (水): Fire Candle (か) Extinguished by Water (すい)
Tuesday is 火曜日 (Fire Day — かようび kayōbi), and right after fire comes Wednesday, 水曜日 (Water Day — すいようび suiyōbi), to cool it down:
Thursday (木) & Friday (金): Watered Trees (もく) Turn Into Friday Gold (きん)
Wednesday's water makes Thursday's 木 (Tree — もくようび mokuyōbi) grow tall, and on Friday you cash in for 金 (Gold/Money — きんようび kin'yōbi):
Saturday (土) & The Weekday Suffix (曜): Relaxing in the Dirt After Working at Yogurt HQ
Finally, Saturday returns to the 土 (Dirt/Earth — どようび doyōbi), and every day of the week ends with 曜 (よう yō — Weekday):
