Japanese date readings are one of the hardest things to memorize at the N5 level. Months are fairly regular, but days of the month (dates) from the 1st to the 10th all have completely irregular readings that bear no resemblance to normal numbers. The good news: once you've memorized those ten, the rest follow a pattern.
Months (~月): Mostly Regular + Three Exceptions
Months follow the pattern number + がつ. Most are straightforward, but three have sound changes:
| Month | Japanese | Reading | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 一月 | いちがつ | |
| February | 二月 | にがつ | |
| March | 三月 | さんがつ | |
| April | 四月 | しがつ | NOT よんがつ |
| May | 五月 | ごがつ | |
| June | 六月 | ろくがつ | |
| July | 七月 | しちがつ | NOT なながつ |
| August | 八月 | はちがつ | |
| September | 九月 | くがつ | NOT きゅうがつ |
| October | 十月 | じゅうがつ | |
| November | 十一月 | じゅういちがつ | |
| December | 十二月 | じゅうにがつ |
The three to watch: April しがつ (not よんがつ), July しちがつ (not なながつ), September くがつ (not きゅうがつ).
Month-Related Vocabulary
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 先月 | せんげつ | Last month |
| 今月 | こんげつ | This month |
| 来月 | らいげつ | Next month |
| 何月 | なんがつ | What month? |
Q: 来月は何月ですか。 What month is next month? A: 来月は四月です。 Next month is April.
Dates (~日): Days 1-10 Must Be Memorized
Date readings are the biggest "brute memorization" zone at N5. Days 1 through 10 all have special readings completely different from regular number pronunciation:
| Date | Japanese | Reading | Date | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 一日 | ついたち | 6th | 六日 | むいか |
| 2nd | 二日 | ふつか | 7th | 七日 | なのか |
| 3rd | 三日 | みっか | 8th | 八日 | ようか |
| 4th | 四日 | よっか | 9th | 九日 | ここのか |
| 5th | 五日 | いつか | 10th | 十日 | とおか |
Memory tip: Days 2-10 all end in か (ふつか, みっか, よっか...). Only the 1st — ついたち — is a completely independent word.
Days 11-31
From the 11th onward, the regular pattern returns (number + にち), with three exceptions:
| Date | Reading | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 11th | じゅういちにち | Regular |
| 12th | じゅうににち | Regular |
| 13th | じゅうさんにち | Regular |
| 14th | じゅうよっか | Irregular! |
| 15th | じゅうごにち | Regular |
| 16th | じゅうろくにち | Regular |
| 17th | じゅうしちにち | Regular |
| 18th | じゅうはちにち | Regular |
| 19th | じゅうくにち | Regular |
| 20th | はつか | Irregular! |
| 21st | にじゅういちにち | Regular |
| 22nd | にじゅうににち | Regular |
| 23rd | にじゅうさんにち | Regular |
| 24th | にじゅうよっか | Irregular! |
| 25th | にじゅうごにち | Regular |
| ... | ... | Regular |
| 31st | さんじゅういちにち | Regular |
After the 10th, only three are irregular: 14th じゅうよっか, 20th はつか, and 24th にじゅうよっか. The 14th and 24th keep the よっか reading from "4," while the 20th is a completely unique word.
Year-Related Vocabulary
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| おととし | おととし | The year before last |
| 去年 | きょねん | Last year |
| 今年 | ことし | This year |
| 来年 | らいねん | Next year |
| 再来年 | さらいねん | The year after next |
Putting It Together: Month + Day
Japanese dates follow the order month + day, just like English "March 20th":
三月二十日に日本へ行きます。 → I'm going to Japan on March 20th.
To ask the date, use 何日 (なんにち):
Q: 今日は何日ですか。 What's the date today? A: 今日は十五日です。 It's the 15th.
To ask the month, use 何月 (なんがつ):
Q: お誕生日は何月何日ですか。 When is your birthday? A: 七月七日です。 July 7th.
Week-Related Vocabulary
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 先週 | せんしゅう | Last week |
| 今週 | こんしゅう | This week |
| 来週 | らいしゅう | Next week |
Notice the pattern: 先~ (last), 今~ (this), 来~ (next). This prefix set works across weeks, months, and years: 先週/先月/去年, 今週/今月/今年, 来週/来月/来年.
Summary
- Months: number + がつ. Watch out for April しがつ, July しちがつ, September くがつ
- Days 1-10: all irregular readings, must memorize. All end in か (except the 1st)
- Days 11+: number + にち, but the 14th, 20th, and 24th are irregular
- Time prefix trio: 先~ (last), 今~ (this), 来~ (next)
- Date order: month + day (same as English)
Self-Check
Q1. Read this date aloud in Japanese: March 8th (3月8日)
Show answer
さんがつようか
March = さんがつ, 8th = ようか (irregular reading).
Q2. How do you read the 20th in Japanese?
Show answer
はつか
The 20th has a completely unique reading — it's NOT にじゅうにち. This is one of the most commonly forgotten date readings.
Q3. Ask "When is your birthday?" in Japanese.
Show answer
お誕生日は何月何日ですか。
何月 = なんがつ (what month), 何日 = なんにち (what day). The お prefix makes the expression more polite.