Thursday in Japanese: 木曜日
Pronounced moh-koo-YOH-bee — literally “wood day”.
Thursday in Japanese at a Glance
| Kanji | 木曜日 |
|---|---|
| Hiragana | もくようび |
| Romaji | mokuyōbi |
| Pronunciation | moh-koo-YOH-bee (mo·ku·yō·bi) |
| Literal meaning | wood day |
| Abbreviation | 木 |
The first kanji 木 (moku) means “wood” or “tree” and begins 木星 (mokusei), the planet Jupiter — the “wood star”. So Thursday is “wood day”, matching Thursday's Jupiter/Thor connection in European languages.
How to Pronounce 木曜日
moh-koo-YOH-bee — syllable by syllable: mo·ku·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 木曜日
How to Say “Happy Thursday” in Japanese
Japanese speakers don't traditionally greet each other with “Happy Thursday”, but the phrase above is natural and widely understood (literally “have a good Thursday”). 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: Thursday in Japanese-Speaking Countries
The kanji 木 looks like a tree with branches — one of the easiest characters to remember. As elsewhere, Thursday evening in Japan carries a pre-weekend mood, though the big night out is Friday's 花金 (hanakin).
Did You Know?
The first kanji 木 (moku) means “wood” or “tree” and begins 木星 (mokusei), the planet Jupiter — the “wood star”. So Thursday is “wood day”, matching Thursday's Jupiter/Thor connection in European languages. Curious how English got its name for Thursday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use 木曜日 in a Sentence
To say “on Thursday”, add the particle に (ni): 木曜日に (mokuyōbi ni). In casual speech and writing, the final 日 (bi) is often dropped, giving 木曜 (mokuyō). On calendars, timetables and phone apps, each day is shortened to its first kanji in parentheses — you'll see Thursday written as (木).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Thursday in Japanese?
Thursday in Japanese is 木曜日 (mokuyōbi), pronounced “moh-koo-YOH-bee”. It literally means “wood day”.
What does 木曜日 mean in English?
The first kanji 木 (moku) means “wood” or “tree” and begins 木星 (mokusei), the planet Jupiter — the “wood star”. So Thursday is “wood day”, matching Thursday's Jupiter/Thor connection in European languages.
How do you pronounce 木曜日?
It's pronounced “moh-koo-YOH-bee” — broken into syllables: mo·ku·yō·bi. Use the audio button on this page to hear a recording.
Is 木曜日 capitalized in Japanese?
Japanese has no capital letters, so 木曜日 is always written the same way. When writing the word in romaji (Latin letters), day names are normally lowercase — mokuyōbi — though you may see them capitalized at the start of a sentence.
How do you say “Happy Thursday” in Japanese?
良い木曜日を！ (Yoi mokuyōbi o!). Japanese speakers don't traditionally greet each other with “Happy Thursday”, but the phrase above is natural and widely understood (literally “have a good Thursday”). On Fridays you'll more often hear 良い週末を (yoi shūmatsu o) — “have a great weekend”.
How is Thursday abbreviated in Japanese?
Thursday (木曜日) is abbreviated 木 on Japanese calendars and schedules.
What is Thursday in Japanese hiragana?
In hiragana, Thursday is written もくようび (mokuyōbi). The kanji form 木曜日 is what you'll normally see in print, but the hiragana spelling shows exactly how it's pronounced.
What is the kanji for Thursday in Japanese?
The kanji form is 木曜日. The first character, 木, means “wood”, and 曜日 (yōbi) means “day of the week”. On calendars it's abbreviated to just (木).
How do you write Thursday in romaji?
The standard romaji spelling is mokuyōbi. Without the long-vowel mark you'll also see mokuyoubi — both represent the same pronunciation.
How do you say “today is Thursday” in Japanese?
今日は木曜日です (Kyō wa mokuyōbi desu) — literally “as for today, it is Thursday”.
Thursday 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.