Japanese word

昨日

Pronunciation

Romajikinō

Meaning

  • adverbyesterday

Example

昨日、友達と話しました。kinō tomo dachi to hana shi ma shi ta

I talked with a friend yesterday.

Illustration for 昨日 (yesterday)

More examples

昨日、友だちと遊びました。kinō tomo da chi to aso bi ma shi ta

Yesterday, I played with my friends.

昨日は早く寝ました。kinō wa haya ku ne ma shi ta

I went to bed early yesterday.

Core concept

Refers to the day immediately before today or another stated reference day.

Common phrases

  • 昨日からkinō ka ra

    since yesterday

  • 昨日までkinō ma de

    until yesterday

  • 昨日もkinō mo

    yesterday too

Definition in Japanese

今日の前日に当たる日。kyō no zen jitsu ni a ta ru hi

Word origin

The kanji compound 昨日 (kinō, "yesterday") combines 昨 (saku, "previous") and 日 (nichi, "day"), while kinō is its established Japanese reading.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, 昨日 (kinō, "yesterday") usually appears without the particle に (ni), unlike many calendar expressions that use に (ni).

Opposites

Word lists with this word