日曜日

• Reading: にちようび
• Romaji: nichiyoubi
• Kanji breakdown: 日 (nichi/hi) — sun, day; 曜 (you) — day of the week; 日 (bi/nichi) — day
• Pronunciation: /ni.tɕi.joː.bi/

Meaning

Sunday. The second day of the weekend in Japan.

The kanji 日 means 'sun,' making Sunday the 'sun day' — directly matching the English etymology. Often shortened to 日曜 (nichiyou) in casual speech. Corresponds to the Sun in the celestial naming system. Sunday is traditionally a family day in Japan.

Examples

1. 日曜日は家族と過ごします。 I spend Sundays with my family.
2. 日曜日の朝はゆっくり起きます。 I take it easy and sleep in on Sunday mornings.
3. 来週の日曜日にピクニックに行こう。 Let's go on a picnic next Sunday.

Usage Guide

Context: weekend plans, family time, rest

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From the celestial naming system: 日 (sun) + 曜日 (day of the week). Directly parallels the English 'Sunday' and German 'Sonntag,' all named after the sun.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal