Foundation · Yesterday, today & tomorrow

Now time
can move.

昨日 · 今日 · 明日

Yesterday has already happened. Tomorrow has not. Japanese gives you three small words for standing exactly between them — and suddenly the week you learned can move.

01 · Three small words

Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.

These are ordinary words, which is precisely why they matter. They appear in conversations about work, appointments, plans and memories.

昨日きのう · kinōyesterday
今日きょう · kyōtoday
明日あした · ashitatomorrow
Learn the words first: きのう・きょう・あした. Let the kanji become familiar by travelling with them.
02 · Three days, one life

The grammar you know can now travel.

Present, past and the weekdays now begin to connect.

昨日は月曜日でした。Kinō wa getsuyōbi deshita.Yesterday was Monday.
今日は火曜日です。Kyō wa kayōbi desu.Today is Tuesday.
明日は水曜日です。Ashita wa suiyōbi desu.Tomorrow is Wednesday.
03 · Ask about today

今日は何曜日ですか。

今日は何曜日ですか。Kyō wa nan-yōbi desu ka.What day is it today?
今日は木曜日です。Kyō wa mokuyōbi desu.Today is Thursday.
04 · Today or tomorrow?

A meeting moves by one day.

A tiny exchange that prevents surprisingly large misunderstandings.

Man
会議は今日ですか。Kaigi wa kyō desu ka.Is the meeting today?
Woman
いいえ、明日です。Iie, ashita desu.No, it is tomorrow.
“Today” and “tomorrow” sound elementary until the wrong one puts you in an empty meeting room.
05 · Build the timeline

Plans, work and the days around you.

今日の会議は午前10時からです。Kyō no kaigi wa gozen jūji kara desu.Today's meeting starts at 10:00 AM.
明日は休みです。 Ashita wa yasumi desu. Tomorrow is a day off.
Woman Man
昨日は休みでした。Kinō wa yasumi deshita.Yesterday was a day off.
今日は仕事です。 Kyō wa shigoto desu. Today is a work day.
Woman Man
明日も仕事です。Ashita mo shigoto desu.Tomorrow is also a work day.
今日から金曜日までです。Kyō kara kin'yōbi made desu.It is from today until Friday.
06 · Tomorrow becomes specific

Somebody is expecting you at 3:30.

Tomorrow stops being vague when it contains an appointment.

Man
予約はいつですか。Yoyaku wa itsu desu ka.When is the appointment?
Woman
明日の午後3時半です。Ashita no gogo sanji-han desu.Tomorrow at 3:30 PM.
予約は明日です。Yoyaku wa ashita desu.The appointment is tomorrow.
明日の朝です。Ashita no asa desu.Tomorrow morning.
07 · Yesterday becomes a story

昨日はどうでしたか。

Yesterday begins as time. The moment somebody asks how it was, it becomes a story.

Woman
昨日はどうでしたか。Kinō wa dō deshita ka.How was yesterday?
Man
忙しかったです。Isogashikatta desu.It was busy.
忙しかったです is a glimpse ahead, not today's grammar target. For now, simply recognise it as “It was busy.” We will build this adjective pattern properly later.
08 · More useful Japanese

Let the three days enter ordinary life.

会議は今日ですか。Kaigi wa kyō desu ka.Is the meeting today?
忙しかったです。Isogashikatta desu.It was busy.
では、また明日。Dewa, mata ashita.Well then, see you tomorrow.
また明日。 Mata ashita. See you tomorrow.
Woman Man
いいえ、明日です。Iie, ashita desu.No, it is tomorrow.
明日の午後3時半です。Ashita no gogo sanji-han desu.Tomorrow at 3:30 PM.
昨日はどうでしたか。Kinō wa dō deshita ka.How was yesterday?
09 · Real Japan mission

Describe your real three days.

Say one true thing about yesterday, one about today and one about tomorrow. Keep it simple. Real Japanese does not need to be impressive to be useful.

Milestone 3 · Closing

Tomorrow is already waiting.

Yesterday is memory. Today is almost finished. Somewhere behind these windows, tomorrow is already being prepared.

You can now ask when, tell the time, describe a span, name the days of the week, and place ordinary life in yesterday, today and tomorrow.

The names repeat. The lives inside them never quite do.