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:

毎日勉強します。

Mainichi benkyō shimasu

I study every day.

• 毎日 - every day
• 勉強 - study
• します - make

民謡は日本の伝統音楽です。

Min'yo wa Nihon no dentou ongaku desu

Folk songs are traditional Japanese music.

• 民謡 - Folk music
• は - Topic marking particle
• 日本 - Japan
• の - Possession particle
• 伝統 - Tradition
• 音楽 - music
• です - Verb "to be" in polite form

水曜日は私の一番好きな曜日です。

Suiyoubi wa watashi no ichiban suki na youbi desu

Wednesday is my favorite day of the week.

• 水曜日 - Wednesday
• は - Topic particle
• 私の - my
• 一番 - the best/number one
• 好きな - favorite
• 曜日 - day of the week
• です - Verb to be/estar

水面に映る夕日は美しいです。

Suimen ni utsuru yuuhi wa utsukushii desu

The sunset reflected on the surface of the water is beautiful.

The sunset on the surface of the water is beautiful.

• 水面に - "on the surface of the water"
• 映る - "reflected"
• 夕日 - "sunset"
• 美しい - "bonito"
• です - "is"

漢字は日本語の重要な要素です。

Kanji wa nihongo no juuyou na youso desu

Kanji is an important factor in Japanese.

• 漢字 - Kanji (Chinese characters used in Japanese writing)
• は - Topic particle
• 日本語 - Japanese language
• の - Possessive particle
• 重要な - Important
• 要素 - Element
• です - Verb to be in the polite form

火曜日は私の一番好きな曜日です。

Kayoubi wa watashi no ichiban suki na youbi desu

Tuesday is my favorite day of the week.

• 火曜日 - Tuesday in Japanese
• は - Japanese topic particle
• 私の - mine in Japanese
• 一番 - number one in Japanese
• 好きな - favorite in Japanese
• 曜日 - day of the week in Japanese
• です - being in Japanese

片仮名は日本語のアルファベットの一部です。

Katakana wa nihongo no arufabetto no ichibu desu

Katakana is part of the Japanese alphabet.

• 片仮名 - Japanese characters used to write words of Japanese origin
• は - Topic particle
• 日本語 - Japanese language
• の - Possessive particle
• アルファベット - alphabet
• の - Possessive particle
• 一部 - part
• です - Verb to be/estar in the present

略語は日本語で「りゃくご」と言います。

Ryakugo wa nihongo de "ryakugo" to iimasu

The abbreviation is called "Ryakugo" in Japanese.

• 略語 - Word in Japanese that means "abbreviation".
• は - Topic particle
• 日本語 - Japanese word that means "Japanese language"
• で - particle that indicates the means or tool used to do something
• 「りゃくご」 - Word in Japanese that means "abbreviation" (written in katakana, one of the Japanese writing systems)
• と - particle that indicates the direct quote of something said or written
• 言います - Japanese verb meaning "to say"

祭日は国民の休日です。

Saijitsu wa kokumin no kyūjitsu desu

Holidays are days of rest for citizens.

Holidays are national holidays.

• 祭日 - Holiday
• は - Topic marking particle
• 国民 - people/national
• の - Possession particle
• 休日 - Day off
• です - Verb to be/estar in the present

私は明日の会議で計画を述べる予定です。

Watashi wa ashita no kaigi de keikaku o noberu yotei desu

I plan to present the plan at tomorrow's meeting.

I intend to make a plan at tomorrow's meeting.

• 私 (watashi) - Japanese personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - topic particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 明日 (ashita) - Japanese adverb that means "tomorrow"
• の (no) - possessive particle indicating that "tomorrow" belongs to "meeting"
• 会議 (kaigi) - Japanese noun meaning "meeting"
• で (de) - location particle that indicates where the action will take place
• 計画 (keikaku) - Japanese noun meaning "plan"
• を (wo) - direct object particle that indicates what will be mentioned
• 述べる (noberu) - Japanese verb meaning "to mention"
• 予定 (yotei) - Japanese noun meaning "programming" or "schedule"
• です (desu) - verb to be in the present, which indicates the conclusion of the sentence