昨日

• Reading: きのう
• Romaji: kinou
• Kanji breakdown: 昨 (saku/kino) — previous, last; 日 (nichi/hi) — day, sun
• Pronunciation: /ki.noː/

Meaning

Yesterday. The day before today.

The standard everyday reading is きのう, while さくじつ is a formal/written alternative. Combines 昨 (previous) and 日 (day). Used to talk about recent past events. Common patterns: 昨日の夜 (kinou no yoru, last night), 昨日から (kinou kara, since yesterday). Always takes past tense in the predicate.

Examples

1. 昨日、映画を見ました。 I watched a movie yesterday.
2. 昨日は雨でした。 It was rainy yesterday.
3. 昨日の夜、よく眠れませんでした。 I couldn't sleep well last night.

Usage Guide

Context: daily conversation, recounting events, past tense

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Combines 昨 (saku, previous/last) and 日 (nichi, day). The native reading きのう derives from き (yesterday) + の (possessive) + う, an ancient Japanese construction.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal