How to Say ‘January first’ in Japanese
一月一日
itsu gatsu tsuitachi
[ichi gatsu tsuitachi]
💬 Usage Tip: Dates are usually month + day: [一月一日], [三月三日], [六月六日]. But day numbers often have special readings, and [一日] here is (tsuitachi), not the usual [一] + [日].
🇯🇵 In Japan: [一月一日] is New Year's Day, the biggest holiday in Japan. You'll see it on signs, store notices, and holiday schedules much more often than many other dates.
Phrase Breakdown
一
itsu
[ichi]
one
The number 1, indicating singularity.
一月一日は元旦です。
January 1st is New Year's Day.
月
gatsu
[gatsu]
month
A period of time roughly equal to one cycle of the moon's phases.
一月から新しい年が始まります。
The new year starts from January.
一日
tsuitachi
[tsuitachi]
first day
The 1st of the month.
一日は特別な日です。
The first day is a special day.
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