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Lesson 54 of 240

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Months and dates in Japanese

Leo needs today's date for a slip at the Kissa Hotaru counter. Masako's clock is right, but the wall calendar still shows last month.

Goro looks up from his unfinished blend coffee and offers a date of his own.

You will ask the date and the month, say a calendar date, and ask when a birthday is.

Keep it polite. These lines fit a shop counter, a form, or a friendly chat.

By the end of this lesson

Say the month, day, and date, and ask when.

  • 今日(きょう)は何日(なんにち)ですか。What's the date today?
  • 何月(なんがつ)ですか。What month is it?
  • 10月(がつ)12日(にち)です。It's October 12th.
  • 誕生日(たんじょうび)はいつですか。When is your birthday?
  • 来月(らいげつ)です。It's next month.
  • 来年(らいねん)です。It's next year.

Scene — the calendar on the wall

Leo stands at the wooden counter with a blank slip in his hand. Masako's wall clock ticks the right hour. The wall calendar still shows September.

Goro occupies two red booth seats. His blend coffee sits untouched beside thick toast.

Leo waits at the counter as Masako stands behind it, while Goro sits with his coffee and toast in the booth.

Learn — month, day, and date

These six lines ask the date and the month, give a calendar date, and say when something is.

Two short answers cover next month and next year.

  1. Leo holds the blank slip and looks toward the wall calendar, with Masako behind the counter.

    今日(きょう)は何日(なんにち)ですか。

    What's the date today?

    When to use it: Ask this when you need today's calendar date.

    Learn it as one piece for today's date.

    Say it: Give ん in 何日 its own beat.

  2. Masako raises one hand toward the wall calendar behind the counter.

    何月(なんがつ)ですか。

    What month is it?

    When to use it: Ask this when you need the month.

    Learn it as one piece for the month.

  3. Leo looks up at the wall clock while Masako remains behind the counter.

    10月(がつ)12日(にち)です。

    It's October 12th.

    When to use it: Say this to give the month and the day.

    Learn it as one piece for this calendar date.

    Say it: じゅう in 10月 has a long u.

  4. Masako leans on the counter, turned toward the customer side.

    誕生日(たんじょうび)はいつですか。

    When is your birthday?

    When to use it: Ask this to find out someone's birthday.

    Learn it as one piece for a birthday question.

  5. Leo makes a small forward hand gesture beside the blank slip on the counter.

    来月(らいげつ)です。

    It's next month.

    When to use it: Say this when it happens next month.

    Learn it as one piece for next month.

  6. Goro looks toward the counter from the booth, with his blend coffee untouched beside thick toast.

    来年(らいねん)です。

    It's next year.

    When to use it: Say this when it happens next year.

    Learn it as one piece for next year.

Story — a month behind

Leo needs the date for a slip. Masako's calendar is a month behind, but her clock is right.

Highlighted phrases are the new lines. Turn on Show English if you want a gloss.

  1. Leo holds a blank slip at the counter. The wall calendar still shows last month.
  2. Leo今(いま)何時(なんじ)ですか。What time is it now?
  3. Masako10時半(じはん)です。It's half past ten.
  4. Leo今日(きょう)は何日(なんにち)ですか。What's the date today?
  5. Masako10月(がつ)12日(にち)です。It's October 12th.
  6. Leo looks at the wall calendar, then back at Masako.
  7. Leo何月(なんがつ)ですか。What month is it?
  8. Masako10月(がつ)です。It's October.
  9. Goro looks up from his toast. His blend coffee is still full.
  10. Goro誕生日(たんじょうび)はいつですか。When is your birthday?
  11. Leo来月(らいげつ)です。It's next month.
  12. Masako誕生日(たんじょうび)はいつですか。When is your birthday?
  13. Goro来年(らいねん)です。It's next year.

Practice — pick the right date

Ten short tasks wait in this round. You will listen, match meanings, fill a gap, and build a line.

Each one is small, so you move on quickly.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Japanese

    何月(なんがつ)ですか。Drop the English here
    10月(がつ)12日(にち)です。Drop the English here
    来月(らいげつ)です。Drop the English here
    来年(らいねん)です。Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Japanese, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    You look at Masako's wall calendar. It still shows last month. Ask what month it is.

  4. Pick the reply

    Masako says:

    今日(きょう)は何日(なんにち)ですか。

    What's the date today?

    And you reply with:

  5. Fill the gap

    What's the date today?

    今日(きょう)は____ですか。

  6. What does it mean?

    来月(らいげつ)です。

  7. Build the line

    When is your birthday?

    。

    Tap the words in order.

  8. Swap the word

    You want to say it is next year. Fix the word.

    ____です。

  9. Which one doesn’t belong?

  10. What do you say?

    Masako's clock looks right. Ask the time.

Say it — your turn to speak

You are Leo at the counter with a blank slip. When the cue is yours, tap the microphone and say the line.

Tap play first if you want to hear it. The recording stays on this device.

  1. Masakoおはようございます。Good morning.
  2. Leo (you)Ask what time it is.

    今(いま)何時(なんじ)ですか。

    What time is it now?

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

JapaneseEnglish
今日(きょう)は何日(なんにち)ですか。What's the date today?
何月(なんがつ)ですか。What month is it?
10月(がつ)12日(にち)です。It's October 12th.
誕生日(たんじょうび)はいつですか。When is your birthday?
来月(らいげつ)です。It's next month.
来年(らいねん)です。It's next year.
Next: lesson 55Colours and sizes

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Keep these dates in your pocket. Open the Yak Cards for this lesson and run them on the train.

A short Yak Cards round keeps the date ready at the counter.

Open Yak Cards