Components

Grammar detail: 今日 - きょう vs こんにち

今日 - きょう vs こんにち
162 words
My current mastery of this grammar point:
LOG IN to view grammar mastery data
今日 is the combination of 今 (now) and 日 (day), and it can be read in two ways with two distinct but related meanings.
Most commonly, 今日 is read きょう, with the most literal meaning of 'now day' - i.e., 'today'. Along with
あした
明日
and
きのう
昨日
, this is one of the best examples of - assigning a non-standard reading to a kanji with a related meaning in order to be able to use it for a native Japanese word. In this case, きょう is the original Japanese word for 'today', and the word is simply 'assigned' the kanji 今日 without regard for their standard readings.
きょう
今日
だいがく
大学
やす
おも
います

I think the university is closed today.
Somewhat less commonly, 今日 is read こんにち, using standard on readings for both kanji (コン for 今 and ニチ for 日). When read this way, 今日carries the more figurative meaning 'these days'.
せいこう
成功
くなき
どりょく
努力
こんにち
今日
かれ
つく
った

His unceasing efforts to achieve success have made him what he is today.
We can see that the standard greeting, こんにちは, could in fact be interpreted as the beginning of a sentence: 'These days ...'
Please LOG IN for free flashcards

Kanji used in this grammar

コン   キン   いま now   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ニチ   ジツ   sun; day   ひ    -か    
メイ   ミョウ   あかり light   あかるい bright   あかるむ to brighten   あからむ to become luminous (at dawn)   あきらか obvious   あかす to lay bare   あ to open   あける to empty   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
サク    yesterday   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ジュク   come to fruition   うれる to come to fruition, to ripen   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ジ   character   あざ village section   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
クン    teaching, precept; Japanese reading of a kanji   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ダイ   タイ   おおきい big   おおいに very much   おお-    
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ガク   まな to learn   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
キュウ   やす to rest   やすまる to be rested   やすめる to suspend (use etc.)   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
シ   おも to think   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
セイ   ジョウ   な to become   な to perform, to accomplish   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ク   コウ    achievement   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ホウ   あきる to grow weary of   あかす to feed up; to bore, surfeit   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ド   つとめる to work, to toil   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
リョク   リキ   ちから effort; power   
ヒ   かれ he   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
サク   サ   つく to make   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
Problem with this grammar? Question or comment? Please CONTACT US.
Kanshudo is your AI Japanese tutor, and your constant companion on the road to mastery of the Japanese language. To get started learning Japanese, just follow the study recommendations on your Dashboard. You can use Quick search (accessible using the icon at the top of every page) to look up any Japanese word, kanji or grammar point, as well as to find anything on Kanshudo quickly. For an overview, take the tour.
×