日

• Reading: ひ
• Romaji: hi
• Kanji breakdown: 日 (nichi/hi) — day, sun
• Pronunciation: /çi/

Meaning

Day; days; sun; sunshine. A fundamental time word used constantly in daily Japanese.

One of the most frequently used kanji in Japanese with multiple readings: ひ (day/sun), にち (day counter/Sunday), か (day of month), and じつ (day, in compounds). Appears in countless words: 今日 (today), 毎日 (every day), 誕生日 (birthday), 日本 (Japan).

Examples

1. 今日はいい日ですね。 Today is a nice day, isn't it?
2. 毎日三十分歩いています。 I walk thirty minutes every day.
3. 出発の日が近づいてきた。 The day of departure is getting closer.

Usage Guide

Context: calendar, daily life, weather

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

One of the simplest and oldest kanji, depicting the sun. The character evolved from a circle with a dot in the centre to the rectangular form used today. It is a radical (部首) used in many other kanji.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal