English–Japanese

“new year's day” in Japanese

Japanese

Also元旦 (gantan)

Pronunciation

Romajiganjitsu

Example

元日に神社へ行きます。gan jitsu ni jin ja e i ki ma su

I go to a shrine on New Year's Day.

Illustration for 元日 (new year's day)

How to say “new year's day” in Japanese

“New year's day” in Japanese is 元日 (ganjitsu).

Marks the exact first day of a new year, focusing on January 1 rather than the whole New Year season.

Full entry for 元日: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 元日

元日におもちを食べます。gan jitsu ni o mo chi o ta be ma su

I eat rice cakes on New Year's Day.

元日には年賀状がたくさん届きます。gan jitsu ni wa nen ga jō ga ta ku sa n todo ki ma su

Many New Year's cards arrive on New Year's Day.

Tips for using 元日

  • In Japan, 元日 (ganjitsu) is the public holiday on January 1, while the broader New Year period is called お正月 (oshōgatsu).

Other Japanese words for “new year's day”

2

元旦

gantan

nounNew Year's Day

元旦に神社へ行きます。gan tan ni jin ja e i ki ma su

I go to a shrine on New Year's Day.

“new year's day” in other languages