Meaning

Primary

Day Before Last

Alternative

Day Before Yesterday

Word Type

noun

Explanation

Remember how you learned that 昨日 means "yesterday?" Well one day previous to that day is the day before last.

Reading

おととい
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)
いっさくじつ
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)
おとつい
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

This reading is an exception. Let's use this mnemonic to remember it:

The day before last you bought an "O" toe toy (おととい). It's a kid's toy in the shape of the letter O that you put on your toe. You know it was the day before last because you wore it all yesterday, and now today your toe is sore. If only you could go back to the day before yesterday to tell yourself not to buy that O toe toy! Or at least not to wear it for the whole next day!

Context

Context Sentences

一昨日から熱が出ています。

I have had a fever since the day before yesterday.

一昨日の朝は、早起きしてジョギングに行きました。

I woke up early the day before yesterday and went jogging.

一昨日の夜は、美しい星空を見ることができました。

The night before last, I was able to see a beautiful starry sky.

Kanji Composition