Mastering Relative Time in Japanese: Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow

These words function as adverbs in a sentence.

An adverb describes when or how an action happens.

Usually, time nouns in Japanese need the particle ni.

For example, 'at 3 o'clock' is san-ji ni.

But relative time words are special exceptions.

They are 'naked' nouns that don't need ni.

You can just drop them at the start.

Or you can put them before the verb.

Most people put them at the very beginning.

This tells the listener the timeframe immediately.

It's like setting the stage before the play starts.

If you say Kinō, the listener prepares for the past.

If you say Ashita, they look toward the future.

Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes!

But you will be a pro in no time.

1. 1Let's look at the timeline of your life.
2. 2Identify the current day as Kyō.
3. 3Subtract one day to get Kinō.
4. 4Subtract two days to get Ototoi.
5. 5Add one day to get Ashita.
6. 6Add two days to get Asatte.
7. 7Memorize them like a song or a chant.
8. 8Ototoi, Kinō, Kyō, Ashita, Asatte.
9. 9Repeat it until it feels like second nature.
10. 10Think of it like a grammar traffic light.
11. 11Red is the past, green is the future.
12. 12Yellow is right now, where the action is!

Use these words when you order food.

'I ate this yesterday' is Kinō kore o tabemashita.

Use them when you are at a job interview.

'I arrived in Japan yesterday' sounds very professional.

Use them when you are asking for directions.

'Is the museum open tomorrow?' is a great question.

They are perfect for making plans on LINE.

'Are you free today?' is Kyō wa hima desu ka?.

Notice we used wa there for emphasis.

That is totally okay and very common.

It highlights 'today' as the main topic.

Use them to set the scene quickly.

They work in casual and polite speech.

They are essential for booking a hotel.

They help you avoid confusion at work.

Avoid using these when you need extreme precision.

If you are signing a legal contract, use dates.

'Today' changes every 24 hours.

A contract needs a permanent date like 'October 1st'.

Also, don't use them if the 'now' is unclear.

If you are writing a book, Kyō might confuse readers.

They don't know when you wrote the book!

In those cases, use 'that day' or specific dates.

And again, please avoid the ni particle.

It is the most tempting mistake for English speakers.

We want to say 'On yesterday' or 'At tomorrow'.

In Japanese, just let the word breathe.

No ni is the golden rule here.

Mistakes are just stepping stones to success.

One common slip is the pronunciation of Asatte.

That small tsu means a tiny pause.

It's not 'asate', it is 'asa-tte'.

If you miss the pause, it sounds a bit off.

Another mistake is using Kinō with future verbs.

'Yesterday I will go' makes no sense!

Always match your verb tense to your time word.

Kinō needs a past tense verb like ikimashita.

Ashita needs a non-past verb like ikimasu.

It sounds simple, but in the heat of conversation,

you might forget to switch the verb ending.

Don't worry, even native speakers trip up sometimes.

Just correct yourself and keep moving forward.

Let's talk about Ashita versus Asu.

They both mean 'tomorrow'.

Ashita is what you use with friends and family.

Asu is more formal and often used in weather reports.

If you hear a robot or a news anchor, they say Asu.

If you are at a party, stick with Ashita.

Then there is Sakujitsu for 'yesterday'.

This is very formal, used in business emails.

For A2 level, Kinō is your best bet.

It works in 95% of all situations.

Knowing the formal versions is like having a suit.

You don't wear it every day, but it's nice to have.

Compare Kyō with Kono hi.

Kyō is always 'today' relative to now.

Kono hi means 'this day' in a story.