Forms, appointments, contracts and train tickets all use dates. Months are easy. The days of the month (1st to 10th) are special words that you must memorise once.
Months: ～がつ
| Month | Reading | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | いちがつ | ▶ |
| 2 | にがつ | ▶ |
| 3 | さんがつ | ▶ |
| 4 | しがつ | ▶ |
| 5 | ごがつ | ▶ |
| 6 | ろくがつ | ▶ |
| 7 | しちがつ | ▶ |
| 8 | はちがつ | ▶ |
| 9 | くがつ | ▶ |
| 10 | じゅうがつ | ▶ |
| 11 | じゅういちがつ | ▶ |
| 12 | じゅうにがつ | ▶ |
Remember: April, July and September use shi, shichi, ku (not yon, nana, kyuu).
Days of the month: ついたち, ふつか…
| Day | Reading | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ようか | ▶ |
| 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 | ▶ |
From the 11th the rule is simple: number + にち (じゅういちにち, 11th). The exceptions are 14 (じゅうよっか), 20 (はつか) and 24 (にじゅうよっか). The 17th and 27th are じゅうしちにち and にじゅうしちにち.
Days of the week
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| にちようび | nichiyoubi | आइतबार | Sunday | ▶ |
| げつようび | getsuyoubi | सोमबार | Monday | ▶ |
| かようび | kayoubi | मङ्गलबार | Tuesday | ▶ |
| すいようび | suiyoubi | बुधबार | Wednesday | ▶ |
| もくようび | mokuyoubi | बिहीबार | Thursday | ▶ |
| きんようび | kinyoubi | शुक्रबार | Friday | ▶ |
| どようび | doyoubi | शनिबार | Saturday | ▶ |
| なんようび | nanyoubi | कुन बार | which day of the week | ▶ |
Today, tomorrow, last week…
| last | this | next | |
|---|---|---|---|
| day | きのう (yesterday) | きょう (today) | あした (tomorrow) |
| week | せんしゅう | こんしゅう | らいしゅう |
| month | せんげつ | こんげつ | らいげつ |
| year | きょねん | ことし | らいねん |
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| おととい | ototoi | अस्ति | the day before yesterday | ▶ |
| あさって | asatte | पर्सि | the day after tomorrow | ▶ |
| まいにち | mainichi | हरेक दिन | every day | ▶ |
| まいしゅう | maishuu | हरेक हप्ता | every week | ▶ |
| まいつき | maitsuki | हरेक महिना | every month | ▶ |
| まいとし / まいねん | maitoshi / mainen | हरेक वर्ष | every year | ▶ |
| たんじょうび | tanjoubi | जन्मदिन | birthday | ▶ |
| やすみのひ | yasumi no hi | बिदाको दिन | day off | ▶ |
Saying a full date
Japanese goes from big to small: year, month, day (the order of an ISO date). Write it with kanji: 2026年10月4日 is にせんにじゅうろくねん じゅうがつ よっか. Ask with なんがつ なんにち ですか.
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| きょうは なんがつ なんにちですか。 | kyou wa nangatsu nannichi desu ka. | आज कुन महिना कुन गते हो? | What is the date today? | ▶ |
| きょうは じゅうがつ よっかです。 | kyou wa juugatsu yokka desu. | आज अक्टोबर ४ हो। | Today is October 4th. | ▶ |
| たんじょうびは いつですか。 | tanjoubi wa itsu desu ka. | जन्मदिन कहिले हो? | When is your birthday? | ▶ |
| さんがつ じゅうごにちです。 | sangatsu juugonichi desu. | मार्च १५ हो। | It is March 15th. | ▶ |
Kanji spotlight
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 年 | nen / toshi | वर्ष | year (ねん) | ▶ |
| 月 | gatsu / tsuki | महिना / चन्द्रमा | month, moon (がつ) | ▶ |
| 日 | nichi / hi | दिन / सूर्य | day, sun (にち) | ▶ |
| 曜日 | youbi | हप्ताको दिन | day of the week | ▶ |
| 今日 | kyou | आज | today | ▶ |
| 明日 | ashita | भोलि | tomorrow | ▶ |
| 昨日 | kinou | हिजो | yesterday | ▶ |
| 毎日 | mainichi | हरेक दिन | every day | ▶ |
| 来週 | raishuu | आउने हप्ता | next week | ▶ |
Japanese eras and Nepali dates
- Official Japanese documents often use the era year. The current era is 令和 (Reiwa), which began in 2019, so 2026 is Reiwa 8. Years in the Western calendar are called せいれき (西暦).
- Nepali official dates are in Bikram Sambat (BS), about 56 years and 8 months ahead of the Gregorian calendar. On Japanese forms, write your birth date in the Gregorian (A.D.) calendar as it appears on your passport.
- Common Japanese holidays: しょうがつ (New Year, Jan 1 to 3), ゴールデンウィーク (Golden Week, late April to early May) and おぼん (Obon, mid-August).
Dialogue: making an appointment
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली / English | Listen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | しけんは いつですか。 | shiken wa itsu desu ka. | परीक्षा कहिले हो? When is the exam? | ▶ |
| B | じゅうにがつ はつかです。 | juunigatsu hatsuka desu. | डिसेम्बर २० गते। December 20th. | ▶ |
| A | なんようびですか。 | nanyoubi desu ka. | कुन बार हो? What day of the week? | ▶ |
| B | にちようびです。 | nichiyoubi desu. | आइतबार। Sunday. | ▶ |
Every ▶ button plays a clear computer voice, which is good for learning sounds and rhythm but is not a native speaker. Pitch (the rise and fall of the voice) can sound a little flat. Also listen to real Japanese as often as you can: videos, news for learners (NHK Easy), and Japanese people around you.
Check yourself
Try to answer every question before you look at the answers.
- Read 4th month, 7th month, 9th month.
- Read the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of the month.
- Read the 8th and the 10th.
- Which three dates after the 10th are irregular?
- Say "tomorrow", "yesterday" and "today".
- What is the order of a Japanese date?
- Ask "What is the date today?"
- Read the kanji 来週.
- What era is it in Japan, and what year is 2026 in it?
- Which calendar should you use for your birth date on a Japanese form?
Answers
Count your correct answers. If you got fewer than 7 out of 10, read the lesson again and listen to the audio once more.
- しがつ, しちがつ, くがつ.
- ついたち, ふつか, みっか.
- ようか, とおか.
- 14th じゅうよっか, 20th はつか, 24th にじゅうよっか.
- あした, きのう, きょう.
- Year, month, day.
- きょうは なんがつ なんにちですか。
- らいしゅう (next week).
- Reiwa; 2026 is Reiwa 8.
- The Gregorian (A.D.) date from your passport, not BS.
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