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Grammar detail: 今日 - きょう vs こんにち

今日 - きょう vs こんにち
162 words
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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
は
やす
休
み
だと
おも
思
います
よ。
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
への
あ
飽
くなき
どりょく
努力
が
こんにち
今日
の
かれ
彼
を
つく
作
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 ...'
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Kanji used in this grammar

今
コン   キン   いま now   
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日
ニチ   ジツ   sun; day   ひ    -か    
明
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   あく to open   あける to empty   
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昨
サク    yesterday   
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熟
ジュク   come to fruition   うれる to come to fruition, to ripen   
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字
ジ   character   あざ village section   
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訓
クン    teaching, precept; Japanese reading of a kanji   
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大
ダイ   タイ   おおきい big   おおいに very much   おお-    
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学
ガク   まなぶ to learn   
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休
キュウ   やすむ to rest   やすまる to be rested   やすめる to suspend (use etc.)   
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思
シ   おもう to think   
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成
セイ   ジョウ   なる to become   なす to perform, to accomplish   
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功
ク   コウ    achievement   
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飽
ホウ   あきる to grow weary of   あかす to feed up; to bore, surfeit   
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努
ド   つとめる to work, to toil   
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力
リョク   リキ   ちから effort; power   
彼
ヒ   かれ he   
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作
サク   サ   つくる to make   
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