Friday in Japanese: 金曜日
Pronounced keen-YOH-bee — literally “gold (metal) day”.
Friday in Japanese at a Glance
| Kanji | 金曜日 |
|---|---|
| Hiragana | きんようび |
| Romaji | kin'yōbi |
| Pronunciation | keen-YOH-bee (ki·n·yō·bi) |
| Literal meaning | gold (metal) day |
| Abbreviation | 金 |
The first kanji 金 (kin) means “gold” or “metal” and begins 金星 (kinsei), the planet Venus — the “metal star”. 金曜日 is literally “gold day”, lining up with Friday's Venus connection (Spanish viernes, French vendredi).
How to Pronounce 金曜日
keen-YOH-bee — syllable by syllable: ki·n·yō·bi.
- The ō is a long vowel — hold the “oh” sound roughly twice as long as a normal o.
- Japanese gives each syllable nearly equal stress, so avoid punching one syllable the way English does.
- 曜日 (yōbi) means “day of the week” and is shared by all seven days — only the first kanji changes.
Example Sentences with 金曜日
How to Say “Happy Friday” in Japanese
Japanese speakers don't traditionally greet each other with “Happy Friday”, but the phrase above is natural and widely understood (literally “have a good Friday”). On Fridays you'll more often hear 良い週末を (yoi shūmatsu o) — “have a great weekend”.
All 7 Days of the Week in Japanese
Japanese names its days after the sun, the moon and the five classical elements (fire, water, wood, metal and earth), which also correspond to the five visible planets. The system mirrors the old Greco-Roman planetary week, so each Japanese day lines up with the same celestial body as its English or Latin counterpart.
| English | Japanese | Romaji | Pronunciation | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 月曜日 | getsuyōbi | geh-tsoo-YOH-bee | |
| Tuesday | 火曜日 | kayōbi | kah-YOH-bee | |
| Wednesday | 水曜日 | suiyōbi | soo-ee-YOH-bee | |
| Thursday | 木曜日 | mokuyōbi | moh-koo-YOH-bee | |
| Friday | 金曜日 | kin'yōbi | keen-YOH-bee | |
| Saturday | 土曜日 | doyōbi | doh-YOH-bee | |
| Sunday | 日曜日 | nichiyōbi | nee-chee-YOH-bee |
See the full guide: Days of the Week in Japanese.
Cultural Notes: Friday in Japanese-Speaking Countries
Friday is payday-adjacent in more ways than one: 金 also means “money” (お金, okane). Japanese workers celebrate 花金 (hanakin, “flower Friday”) — the end-of-week night out. The apostrophe in kin'yōbi separates the n from the y: it's kin-yōbi, not ki-nyōbi.
Did You Know?
The first kanji 金 (kin) means “gold” or “metal” and begins 金星 (kinsei), the planet Venus — the “metal star”. 金曜日 is literally “gold day”, lining up with Friday's Venus connection (Spanish viernes, French vendredi). Curious how English got its name for Friday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use 金曜日 in a Sentence
To say “on Friday”, add the particle に (ni): 金曜日に (kin'yōbi ni). In casual speech and writing, the final 日 (bi) is often dropped, giving 金曜 (kin'yō). On calendars, timetables and phone apps, each day is shortened to its first kanji in parentheses — you'll see Friday written as (金).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Friday in Japanese?
Friday in Japanese is 金曜日 (kin'yōbi), pronounced “keen-YOH-bee”. It literally means “gold (metal) day”.
What does 金曜日 mean in English?
The first kanji 金 (kin) means “gold” or “metal” and begins 金星 (kinsei), the planet Venus — the “metal star”. 金曜日 is literally “gold day”, lining up with Friday's Venus connection (Spanish viernes, French vendredi).
How do you pronounce 金曜日?
It's pronounced “keen-YOH-bee” — broken into syllables: ki·n·yō·bi. Use the audio button on this page to hear a recording.
Is 金曜日 capitalized in Japanese?
Japanese has no capital letters, so 金曜日 is always written the same way. When writing the word in romaji (Latin letters), day names are normally lowercase — kin'yōbi — though you may see them capitalized at the start of a sentence.
How do you say “Happy Friday” in Japanese?
良い金曜日を！ (Yoi kin'yōbi o!). Japanese speakers don't traditionally greet each other with “Happy Friday”, but the phrase above is natural and widely understood (literally “have a good Friday”). On Fridays you'll more often hear 良い週末を (yoi shūmatsu o) — “have a great weekend”.
How is Friday abbreviated in Japanese?
Friday (金曜日) is abbreviated 金 on Japanese calendars and schedules.
What is Friday in Japanese hiragana?
In hiragana, Friday is written きんようび (kin'yōbi). The kanji form 金曜日 is what you'll normally see in print, but the hiragana spelling shows exactly how it's pronounced.
What is the kanji for Friday in Japanese?
The kanji form is 金曜日. The first character, 金, means “gold”, and 曜日 (yōbi) means “day of the week”. On calendars it's abbreviated to just (金).
How do you write Friday in romaji?
The standard romaji spelling is kin'yōbi. Without the long-vowel mark you'll also see kin'youbi — both represent the same pronunciation.
How do you say “today is Friday” in Japanese?
今日は金曜日です (Kyō wa kin'yōbi desu) — literally “as for today, it is Friday”.
Friday in Other Languages
Other Days in Japanese
Wondering what day it is in Japan right now? Check our live What day is it in Japan? page.