Meaning

Primary

Yesterday

Word Type

noun

Explanation

The yesterday day is yesterday. What a blast from the past!

Reading

きのう
Kyoko
(Tokyo accent, female)
Kenichi
(Tokyo accent, male)
さくじつ
Kyoko
(Tokyo accent, female)
Kenichi
(Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

Oof. The reading for this word makes no sense. You'll have to forget everything you've learned about the readings of the kanji and just go straight up mnemonic for the word on its own. Okay. Think about what you did yesterday, all day. You played keno (きのう), gambling away your grandmother's money. Yesterday was the worst day ever because you lost everything playing Keno. Today is different, not like yesterday, right?

Context

Patterns of Use

  • 昨日〜
  • 昨日も〜
  • 昨日の〜
  • 昨日から〜

Common Word Combinations

  • 昨日見た
    saw yesterday
    昨日した
    did yesterday
    昨日行った
    went yesterday
  • 昨日もいた
    was also there yesterday
    昨日もあった
    was also there yesterday
    昨日もした
    also did yesterday
  • 昨日の朝
    yesterday morning
    昨日の七時
    yesterday at seven o'clock
    昨日の夜
    last night
  • 昨日からつづく
    something continues from yesterday
    昨日から始まった
    something started yesterday
    昨日から始めた
    started something yesterday

Context Sentences

昨日の夜は、よくねむれた?

Did you sleep well last night?

昨日はアメリカとカナダで労働者の日でした。

It was Labor Day in the U.S. and Canada yesterday.

昨日は、大学の課題で、沢山の叙事詩を読まなくてはいけませんでした。

We had to read many epic poems yesterday for a university assignment.

Kanji Composition