Japanese Time Expressions: Now, Today, Tomorrow and More

Time is one of the first things you talk about in any language — your plans for today, what you did yesterday, what time it is right now. This guide gives you the complete toolkit for Japanese time expressions: all the core vocabulary with kanji, the particle に grammar rule that most beginner courses skip entirely, frequency adverbs, and example sentences ready to use immediately.

Core Japanese Time Expression Vocabulary

All the words below are JLPT N5 level and come up in everyday spoken Japanese. Each entry shows the kanji and kana together, followed by the Hepburn romaji reading and English meaning.

Reading note: 今日 is also read as こんにち in set phrases like こんにちは, and 明日 can be read as あす in formal or broadcast Japanese. In everyday speech, あした is the form you'll hear and use most.

The Particle に Rule — When You Need It and When to Skip It

This single grammar rule causes more errors among beginner learners of Japanese time expressions than almost anything else — and most beginner courses skip it entirely. Nail it now and you'll avoid one of the most persistent mistakes in the language.

Relative time words — no に required

Words like today, yesterday, and tomorrow describe time relative to right now. They function as adverbs on their own. Adding に is wrong.

Absolute time words — に is required

Specific hours, dates, and named days are fixed points on a clock or calendar. They take に.

• 三時に起きます。 (Sanji ni okimasu.) — I wake up at 3 o'clock.
• 月曜日に勉強します。 (Getsuyōbi ni benkyō shimasu.) — I study on Mondays.
• 四月に日本へ行きます。 (Shigatsu ni Nihon e ikimasu.) — I'm going to Japan in April.

The shortcut: if the time word anchors to a specific number on the clock or calendar, add に. If it's a floating reference relative to the present moment — today, yesterday, tomorrow, now — skip it. This rule becomes especially clear once you start practising with days of the week; the Japanese days of the week guide walks through each one with full examples.

Example Sentences in Context

Read each sentence aloud. Notice that the time expression naturally sits at the front — this is the standard word order in Japanese.

1. きょう、しごとがあります。 Kyō, shigoto ga arimasu. Today I have work.

2. あした、ともだちに あいます。 Ashita, tomodachi ni aimasu. Tomorrow I'm meeting a friend.

3. きのう、えいがを みました。 Kinō, eiga o mimashita. Yesterday I watched a movie.

4. まいにち、にほんごを べんきょうします。 Mainichi, nihongo o benkyō shimasu. I study Japanese every day.

5. よる、たいてい ほんを よみます。 Yoru, taitei hon o yomimasu. In the evening I usually read books.

Asking what time it is: いま、なんじですか？ Ima, nanji desu ka? What time is it now?

Once these patterns feel comfortable, try substituting different vocabulary. For example, swap ともだち (friend) in sentence 2 for a family member. The Japanese family vocabulary guide has all the words you need to talk about who you're meeting and when.

Cultural note: In Japan, punctuality is deeply valued — arriving even a minute late to an appointment reflects poorly, and being early is considered respectful. As a result, time expressions come up constantly in social situations. Phrases like いまなんじですか (What time is it?) and あしたはちょっと… (Tomorrow is a little difficult…) are staples of daily interaction. Learning these words isn't just vocabulary practice; it's a step into how Japanese people actually structure and negotiate their day.

Frequency Expressions: How Often?

Frequency adverbs slot into sentences exactly like your other time expressions — near the beginning, before the verb — and none of them take に.

Note that あまり and ぜんぜん only make full sense paired with a negative verb ending:

• ぜんぜん わかりません。 (Zenzen wakarimasen.) — I don't understand at all.
• あまり たべません。 (Amari tabemasen.) — I don't eat very often.

Using ぜんぜん with a positive verb ("I completely understand") is increasingly heard in casual speech, but in formal contexts and on the JLPT, always follow it with a negative form.

Common Mistakes Learners Make

Confusing きょう and きのう These two words look and sound similar enough that mixing them up is extremely common, even at intermediate level. The key is the middle syllable: きょう (today) vs. きのう (yesterday). A useful memory hook: きのう contains the particle の, which often creates backwards-pointing links in Japanese — just like きのう points back into the past.

Adding に to relative time words Learners who study particle rules carefully often over-apply に to words like あした and まいにち. These words are complete adverbs — attaching に is like saying "at today" in English. If you catch yourself writing あしたに、いきます, remove the に immediately. Hearing native speakers say きょう、行きます (no に, never) helps this rule become automatic.

Keeping the verb in present tense for past events A time expression like きのう signals when, but it does not change the verb tense by itself. You must also shift the verb to its past form. きのう、えいがを みます is incorrect; it should be きのう、えいがを みました. The verb ending is doing the work of marking completion — the time word alone cannot do it for you.

Dropping the final mora of よる New speakers sometimes shorten よる (night) in fast speech, losing the final る. All three syllables — yo-ru — need to be clear. Truncating it can cause confusion with よ, which is a completely different word.

Want to practise these time expressions with a real teacher the same day you learn them? Book your Free Trial with Kind Japanese and use きょう, あした, and まいにち in live conversation over LINE — the fastest way to make new vocabulary truly stick.

Practice Quiz

Cover the answer column and test yourself. Aim for a clean score before moving to the next lesson.

① Romanize — write the Hepburn reading

② Meaning — give the English

③ Fill in the Japanese (kana is fine)

④ Particle に — correct or incorrect?

FAQ

What is the difference between あした and あす for "tomorrow"?

Both mean "tomorrow" and are written with the same kanji: 明日. あした is the natural spoken form you'll use in daily conversation. あす is formal and appears in news broadcasts and written Japanese. Start with あした — あす will start sounding natural as your reading and listening level grows.

Do I need to learn the kanji for these time words?

Strongly recommended, even at beginner level. The kanji 今, 今日, 明日, 昨日, 朝, 昼, 夜, 毎日, and 何時 are JLPT N5 and appear on signs, calendars, menus, and app interfaces every single day. Recognising them early makes immersion significantly more rewarding and cuts down on guesswork when reading real Japanese.

How do I say "the day after tomorrow" and "the day before yesterday"?

Use あさって (明後日, asatte) for the day after tomorrow and おととい (一昨日, ototoi) for the day before yesterday. They follow exactly the same particle rule as あした and きのう — no に needed, because they are relative time expressions.

Can I combine time expressions with other vocabulary areas?

Absolutely — time expressions connect naturally with almost any topic. You can describe how your body feels at different times of day (よる、あたまが いたいです — "At night my head hurts"), talk about family plans, or describe your daily routine. The Japanese body parts vocabulary guide pairs especially well once you want to talk about how you feel morning, noon, or night.

Continue Learning

You have your Japanese time expression toolkit — keep the sequence going:

• Previous lesson: Japanese color words — vocabulary and how to use them
• Next lesson: Japanese question words — how to ask who, what, where, and when

This article is Lesson 32 of the Kind Japanese 100-day beginner curriculum.