Japanese word

今日

Pronunciation

Romajikyō

Meaning

  • adverbtoday

Example

今日行きます。kyō i ki ma su

I will go today.

Illustration for 今日 (today)

More examples

今日、学校へ行きます。kyō gak kō e i ki ma su

I go to school today.

今日も早く帰ります。kyō mo haya ku kae ri ma su

I will go home early today too.

Core concept

It anchors an event to the day currently in progress.

Common phrases

  • 今日もkyō mo

    today too

  • 今日からkyō ka ra

    starting today

Similar words

本日honjitsu: A formal term for the current day, often used in notices and business communication.

Definition in Japanese

話している当日を指し、その日に起こることや行うことを表す語。hana shi te i ru tō jitsu o sa shi so no hi ni o ko ru ko to ya okona u ko to o arawa su go

Word origin

今日 (kyō) has a native Japanese reading that evolved from けふ (kefu), an older form meaning "this day"; its written form uses 今 (ima, "now") and 日 (hi, "day").

Usage tips

  • 今日 (kyō) covers the whole day, so it can describe an event later today, while 今 (ima, "now") points to the present moment.

Word lists with this word