Translation and Meaning of: 日 - hi

Etymology and Definition of 「日」 (hi)

The word 「日」 (hi) in Japanese generally refers to the concept of "day" or "sun". Its etymology traces back to classical Chinese characters, where the kanji 「日」 symbolized the sun, thus representing illumination and the daily cycle. It is one of the most fundamental kanjis in Japanese, often appearing in combination with other kanjis to form words related to time and light.

Origin and Use of 「日」 in Japanese Culture

The origin of the use of 「日」 can be traced back to the use of kanji writing from China, incorporated into Japanese through cultural and commercial influences over a thousand years ago. In the Japanese language, this kanji plays a crucial role not only in the conception of time but also in Japanese cultural identity, as seen in terms like 「日本」 (Nihon), which means "Japan" and literally translates as "origin of the sun."

Variations and Applications of the Word

• "Sunday" - the day of the sun.
• "Every day"
• "Today" (kyou) - today, incorporating the concept of the current day.

Each of these variations shows how 「日」 is integrated to create new meanings, always related to time or light. The versatility of the kanji 「日」 in the Japanese language makes it an essential and ubiquitous component in everyday communication.

Being such an ancient and integral kanji, 「日」 has a depth that goes beyond simple representations of time. It encapsulates the natural cycle, the passage of time, and even cultural identity, as in the case of Japan being known as the "Land of the Rising Sun." It is fascinating to observe how a single character can carry so much meaning and history within itself.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 日 (にち) - dia, sol
• 日 (ひ) - dia, sol
• 曜日 (ようび) - day of the week (when used as part of the word to designate a specific day)
• 日 (か) - day, sun (a more specific or poetic usage)
• 実 (じつ) - reality, truth (they do not have the same basic meaning but can be used in certain contexts related to real days)
• 日 (じつ) - day, common in more formal expressions

日

Romaji: hi
Kana: ひ
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n3

Translation / Meaning: sun; sunlight; day

Meaning in English: sun;sunshine;day

Definition: Time division for a day.

Example Sentences - (日) hi

See below some example sentences:

多分明日雨が降るでしょう。

Tabun ashita ame ga furu deshou

Maybe it will rain tomorrow.

Maybe it will rain tomorrow.

• 多分 - perhaps, probably
• 明日 - tomorrow
• 雨 - rain
• が - subject particle
• 降る - to fall (rain, snow)
• でしょう - expression of supposition, probably

助詞は日本語の文法に欠かせない要素です。

Joshi wa nihongo no bunpou ni kakasenai youso desu

Particles are an essential element in Japanese grammar.

Athletic is an indispensable factor in Japanese grammar.

• 助詞 (joshi) - particle
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 日本語 (nihongo) - Japanese language
• の (no) - Possessive particle
• 文法 (bunpou) - grammar
• に (ni) - Location particle
• 欠かせない (kakasenai) - indispensable
• 要素 (yousou) - element
• です (desu) - Verb "to be"

今日はいい天気ですね。

Kyou wa ii tenki desu ne

Today is a good time

It's nice weather today, isn't that it.

• 今日 - today
• は - Topic particle
• いい - good
• 天気 - time weather
• です - verb to be in the polite form
• ね - confirmation or agreement-seeking particle

今日は特売があります。

Kyou wa tokubai ga arimasu

Today has special promotion.

There is a special sale today.

• 今日 - means "today" in Japanese.
• は - It is a Japanese grammatical particle that indicates the topic of the sentence.
• 特売 - it is a Japanese word that means "special sale" or "promotion".
• が - is a Japanese grammatical particle that indicates the subject of the sentence.
• あります - is a Japanese verb that means "to exist" or "to have".

今日の会議はとても重要です。

Kyou no kaigi wa totemo juuyou desu

Today's meeting is very important.

Today's meeting is very important.

• 今日の - today
• 会議 - meeting
• は - Topic particle
• とても - very
• 重要 - important
• です - Verb to be/estar in the present

今日の会見は非常に重要です。

Kyou no kaiken wa hijou ni juuyou desu

Today's conference is very important.

Today's conference is very important.

• 今日の会見 - today's meeting
• は - Topic particle
• 非常に - extremely
• 重要 - important
• です - Verb to be/estar in the present

今日の会談は非常に建設的でした。

Kyou no kaidan wa hijou ni kensetsu teki deshita

Today's lecture was very constructive.

Today's lecture was very constructive.

• 今日の会談 - "Kyou no kaidan" means "today's meeting" in Japanese.
• は - "Wa" is a grammatical particle in Japanese that indicates the topic of the sentence.
• 非常に - "Hijouni" means "a lot" or "extremely" in Japanese.
• 建設的 - "Kensetsuteki" means "constructive" in Japanese.
• でした - "Deshita" is a polite past form of the verb "to be" in Japanese.

仮名遣いは日本語の重要な要素です。

Kanazukai wa nihongo no juuyou na youso desu

Japanese spelling is an important element of the Japanese language.

The passive noun is an important factor in Japanese.

• 仮名遣い (kana-yomi) - the Japanese writing system that uses syllabic characters (hiragana and katakana) to represent sounds and ideograms (kanji) to represent words
• は (wa) - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• 日本語 (nihongo) - Japanese language
• の (no) - particle that indicates possession or relationship between two things
• 重要な (juuyou na) - important
• 要素 (yousou) - element, component
• です (desu) - verb to be in the polite form

今日は開会式があります。

Kyou wa kaikai shiki ga arimasu

Today we have the opening ceremony.

There is an opening ceremony today.

• 今日 (kyou) - today
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 開会式 (kaikaishiki) - opening ceremony
• が (ga) - subject particle
• あります (arimasu) - yeah, there is

九日は私の誕生日です。

Kokonoka wa watashi no tanjoubi desu

The 9th is my birthday.

9th is my birthday.

• 九日 - day nine
• は - Topic particle
• 私 - I
• の - Possessive particle
• 誕生日 - birthday
• です - Polite form of "to be" or "to stay"