This is the chapter 3 of the KANJI CHALLENGE 30 series. Today we are going to learn the kanji for dates.

Let’s practice with the video 👇

How the Date works

But first, do you know how we say dates in Japanese? Start with the year and it takes the Nen counter, so the year 2020 would be 2020 ねん.

The following would be the month. Instead of calling with names like January, February …, we have a number with the counter がつ, therefore January would be 1がつ, then 2がつ …, and December would be 12がつ.

Next is the days. And the counter would be か or にち, it depends on the days but I will explain later along with kanji with more details.

And the last one would be the days of the week. They would be げつようび for Monday, and かようび, すいようび, もくようび, きんようび, どようび, にちようび.

If you are not sure on the days of the week, check out the chapter 2, (2) Days of the week in Kanji

Month and days in Kanji 

The moon would be this Kanji, 月. And the moon has a course of one month, so this kanji is related to the month.

The kanji for the sun is this, 日. The sun is the symbol of the day, therefore this kanji of the sun is related to the day.

So, for the day counter, we use Kanji 日 and for the month counter, 月.

But now be careful, the month counter then we read がつ, 1がつ, 2がつ, etc., simple as that, but Days are depend on the numbers of the day.

You know, from day 1 to day 10 and days 14, 20 and 24, they are based on the old numbering, with か counter, except for the day one. 

Días/ Days 1〜10, 14, 20, 24
1: ついたち
2: ふつか
3: みっか
4: よっか
5: いつか
6: むいか
7: なのか
8: よおか
9: ここのか
10: とおか
14: じゅうよっか
20: はつか
24: にじゅうよっか

And the rest would be the normal number with the にち counter.

So on the 11th it would be written like this: 11 日 and we read it 11にち. But on day 3, although you write it the same with 日, but this 3 日, we read it みっか, it is not さんにち。

So, [2020ねん 12がつ 25にち きんようび] – Friday the 25th of December 2020- would be written with kanji as 2020年 12月 25日 金曜日.

Take care of the order. First the year, and month, day, day of the week.

Jyukugo and Questions

Now we look at Jyukugo.

Ima 今 means now. Let’s add 今 to 年(ねん), 月(がつ), 週(しゅう), 日(にち). (週means week). And they become Jyukugo. 

今日　きょう　

今週　こんしゅう

今月　こんげつ　

今年　ことし

Question 1. What does each Jyukugo means?

Now, the next Jyukugo, take “毎(まい)”, which is a prefix and means “every ~”. When prefixed, jyukugo sometimes maintains the kunyomi sound. So the case of 毎 would not be “まいげつ”, but “まいつき”.

Anyway, you should always learn vocabulary first and then confirm what Kanji would be for this word, thus eliminating the confusion of onyomi kunyomi, etc.

毎日　まいにち

毎週　まいしゅう

毎月　まいつき

毎年　まいとし

Question 2.: What does each Jyukugo means?

Question 3: How do you read these phrases? 

かのじょのたんじょうびは1999年9月3日です。Her birthday is September 3, 1999.

わたしは今月は、毎週、日曜日にジムにいきます。This month I go to the gym on Sundays every week.

You can confirm the answers in the video. VAMOS A ESCRIBIR FECHAS EN KANJI

You have learned…

From the chapter 1 to 3, in total:

37 kanji 21 Jyukugo