日 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its heart, 日 is a picture of the sun — and from "sun" it naturally grew to also mean a day (one turn of the sun). You'll meet it everywhere: in the name of the country itself (日本, "Japan" — literally "sun-origin," the Land of the Rising Sun), in days of the week (日曜日, "Sunday"), and in counting days (毎日 "every day," 三日 "three days / the 3rd"). Whenever you see 日, think sun or day and you'll almost always be on the right track.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | ひ | 日 (day, sun), 日々 (ひび, day after day) |
| kun'yomi | -び | 日曜日 (にちようび, Sunday), 誕生日 (たんじょうび, birthday) |
| kun'yomi | -か | 三日 (みっか, 3rd / three days), 二日 (ふつか, 2nd / two days) |
| on'yomi | ニチ | 毎日 (まいにち, every day), 日記 (にっき, diary) |
| on'yomi | ジツ | 本日 (ほんじつ, today — formal), 平日 (へいじつ, weekday) |
Here's a rule of thumb that works for most kanji: the kun'yomi (ひ) tends to show up when the kanji stands alone, while the on'yomi (ニチ / ジツ) appears inside two-kanji compound words. So 日 by itself is ひ, but 毎日 uses ニチ. The reading -か is special: it's the native counter for days of the month and small day-counts (三日 みっか, 二日 ふつか).
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 4. Write the left vertical first, then the top-and-right corner as one stroke, then the middle horizontal, and finally the bottom horizontal that closes the box.
- Radical: 日 is its own radical, the "sun/day" radical (にち / ひへん when on the left). Spotting it inside another kanji is a strong hint the word relates to the sun, time, or brightness — you'll see it in 時 (time / o'clock), 明 (bright), and 曜 (day of the week).
Recognizing this radical pays off fast: meet a new kanji with that little 日 box in it and you can already guess it has something to do with days, sun, or light.
Common words using 日
Watch out for the irregular readings: 今日 is read きょう (not "konnichi"), 明日 is あした, and 一日 is ついたち when it means the 1st of the month — though 一日 can also be read いちにち for "one (whole) day." These are common, so it's worth memorizing them as fixed words rather than trying to sound them out.
Example sentences
今日はヤッタンの誕生日です。
きょうは ヤッタンの たんじょうびです。
Today is Yattan's birthday.
Two irregular/special readings: 今日 = きょう and 誕生日 = たんじょうび (the -び kun'yomi).
モチは毎日日本語を勉強します。
モチは まいにち にほんごを べんきょうします。
Mochi studies Japanese every day.
Both on'yomi in action: 毎日 (まいにち) and 日本 (にほん), where 日 = ニチ/ニ.
先生は「日曜日に休みましょう」と言いました。
せんせいは「にちようびに やすみましょう」と いいました。
Sensei said, 'Let's rest on Sunday.'
日曜日 packs 日 in twice: にち (on) at the start and び (kun) at the end.
Quick recap
- 日 = day / sun; just 4 strokes; it's the "sun/day" radical itself.
- ひ when it stands alone (日 = ひ); ニチ / ジツ in compounds (毎日, 平日).
- -か is the native day-counter (三日 みっか); watch the irregulars 今日 (きょう), 明日 (あした), 一日 (ついたち).
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 日 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 日 in 日本 vs 毎日?
In 日本 it's read に (a sound shift from the on'yomi ニチ): 日本 = にほん, 'Japan.' In 毎日 it's the on'yomi ニチ: 毎日 = まいにち, 'every day.' Compounds generally take the on'yomi.
Why is 今日 read きょう?
今日 ('today') is an irregular reading (jukujikgo) assigned to the whole word, not built from the usual readings of 今 and 日. Just memorize 今日 = きょう as a fixed word. The same goes for 明日 = あした ('tomorrow').
What's the difference between 一日 as ついたち and いちにち?
一日 = ついたち means 'the 1st of the month.' Read as いちにち, the same characters mean 'one (whole) day.' Context tells you which — a calendar date is ついたち, a duration is いちにち.
What does the 日 radical tell me?
日 is the 'sun/day' radical. When it appears inside another kanji, it usually signals a link to the sun, time, days, or brightness — for example 時 (time), 明 (bright), and 曜 (day of the week).