How to Talk About Daily Routines in Japanese
Talking about daily routines and habits is a common topic in conversation. Whether it’s in casual chats with friends, self-introductions at school, or job interviews, being able to discuss your daily activities is useful. This page introduces essential Japanese phrases for talking about daily routines.
Key Takeaways
This page will help you learn how to talk about your daily routine in Japanese. You will learn essential phrases, useful expressions, and sentence structures that make it easier to describe your habits naturally.
- Use frequency words like “毎日 (mainichi)” (every day) and “いつも (itsumo)” (always) to clearly describe routines.
These words help specify how often you do something, making your daily routine sound natural. - Present tense and “~ています” (te-imasu) form verbs help explain habits naturally.
→ In Japanese, the “~ています” form is often used to describe habitual actions, unlike in English where the simple present tense is used. - Asking “普段何をしていますか？” (What do you usually do?) helps engage in conversations about routines.
This question is a great way to keep the conversation going and learn more about someone’s daily life. - Be mindful of different expressions in casual and formal speech.
When speaking with friends, casual phrases are fine, but in professional settings, it’s better to use polite expressions like 「～ています」 or 「～ます」 forms.
By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to confidently share your daily routine in Japanese and ask others about theirs!
Basic Phrases for Talking About Daily Routines
| 私の毎日のルーティンを紹介します。 Watashi no mainichi no routine wo shoukai shimasu. |
Let me introduce my daily routine. |
| いつも朝6時に起きます。 Itsumo asa rokuji ni okimasu. |
I always wake up at 6 a.m. |
| 普段は7時ごろ朝ごはんを食べます。 Fudan wa shichi-ji goro asagohan wo tabemasu. |
I usually have breakfast around 7 a.m. |
| 仕事（学校）には8時に出発します。 Shigoto(gakkou) niwa hachi-ji ni shuppatsu shimasu. |
I leave for work (school) at 8 a.m. |
| 昼休みには同僚とランチを食べます。 Hiruyasumi niwa douryou to lunch wo tabemasu. |
I have lunch with my colleagues during my lunch break. |
| 帰宅後はすぐにシャワーを浴びます。 Kitakugo wa sugu ni shower wo abimasu. |
I take a shower right after coming home. |
| 夜はリラックスしてテレビを見ます。 Yoru wa relax shite telebi wo mimasu. |
At night, I relax and watch TV. |
| 毎晩11時に寝ます。 Maiban jyuu-ichi-ji ni nemasu. |
I go to bed at 11 p.m. every night. |
These are basic phrases to describe your daily routine. Using simple present tense or the 「～ています」 (te-imasu) form makes your routine sound more natural.
Talking About Morning Routines
| 目覚まし時計で起きます。 Mezamashi dokei de okimasu. |
I wake up with my alarm clock. |
| まず顔を洗って歯を磨きます。 Mazu kao wo aratte ha wo migakimasu. |
First, I wash my face and brush my teeth. |
| 朝ごはんにパンとコーヒーを飲みます。 Asa gohan ni pan to coffee wo nomimasu. |
For breakfast, I have bread and coffee. |
| 仕事（学校）の準備をします。 Shigoto(Gakkou) no jyunbi wo shimasu. |
I get ready for work (school). |
| 家を出る前にニュースをチェックします。 Ie wo derumae ni news wo check shimasu. |
I check the news before leaving home. |
Mornings often involve set routines. Using sequence words like 「まず」 (first), 「それから」 (then), and 「最後に」 (lastly) makes your description clearer.
Talking About Work/School Routines
| 通勤（通学）には1時間かかります。 Tsuukin(tsuugaku) niwa ichi-jikan kakarimasu. |
It takes me an hour to commute (go to school). |
| 午前中は仕事（授業）で忙しいです。 Gozen chuu wa shigoto(jyugyou) de isogashii desu. |
I’m busy with work (classes) in the morning. |
| 昼休みに弁当を食べます。 Hiru yasumi ni bentou wo tabemasu. |
I eat a bento lunch during my lunch break. |
| 夕方5時に仕事（学校）が終わります。 Yuugata go-ji ni shigoto(gakkou) ga owarimasu. |
My work (school) finishes at 5 p.m. |
When talking about commuting, the phrase 「～に時間がかかる」 (takes ~time) is useful. The words 「午前中」 (in the morning) and 「夕方」 (evening) help specify time periods.
Talking About Evening Routines
| 夕飯の後にお風呂に入ります。 Yuuhan no ato ni ofuro ni hairimasu. |
I take a bath after dinner. |
| 毎晩30分ストレッチをします。 Maiban san-jyuppun stretch wo shimasu. |
I do stretching for 30 minutes every night. |
| 寝る前に本を読みます。 Neru mae ni hon wo yomimasu. |
I read a book before going to bed. |
| 夜12時までには寝るようにしています。 Yoru jyuu-ni-ji made niwa neruyouni shiteimasu. |
I try to go to bed by midnight. |
The 「～ようにしています」 (try to do ~) structure is useful for describing habits that you consciously maintain.
Talking About Weekends and Holidays
| 週末は友達と遊びます。 Shuumatsu wa tomodachi to asobimasu. |
I hang out with friends on weekends. |
| 日曜日は家でのんびりします。 Nichiyoubi wa ie de nonbiri shimasu. |
I relax at home on Sundays. |
| 休日には映画を見に行きます。 Kyuujitsu niwa eiga wo mini ikimasu. |
I go to watch movies on holidays. |
| よくカフェで読書をします。 Yoku cafe de dokusho shimasu. |
I often read books at a café. |
To talk about your free time, words like 「週末」 (weekend), 「休日」 (holiday), and 「よく」 (often) help specify how frequently you do certain activities.
Asking About Daily Routines and Expanding the Conversation
| 毎日何時に起きますか？ Mainichi nanji ni okimasuka? |
What time do you wake up every day? |
| 朝ごはんは何を食べますか？ Asa gohan wa nani wo tabemasuka? |
What do you eat for breakfast? |
| 仕事の後は何をしていますか？ Shigoto no ato wa nani wo shiteimasuka? |
What do you do after work? |
| 週末はどう過ごしますか？ Shuumatsu wa dou sugoshimasuka? |
How do you spend your weekends? |
| いつも何時に寝ますか？ Itsumo nanji ni nemasuka? |
What time do you usually go to bed? |
Using questions like 「何時に～しますか？」 (What time do you ~?) and 「普段何をしますか？」 (What do you usually do?) allows you to start conversations about daily routines.
When talking about daily routines in Japanese, using phrases like 「毎日 (mainichi)」 (every day), 「いつも (itsumo)」 (always), and 「普段 (fudan)」 (usually) makes your habits clear. Verbs in present tense or “~ています” form sound natural when describing habits.
Additionally, asking follow-up questions, such as 「週末は何をしますか？」 (What do you do on weekends?), can help keep the conversation going.
Start using popular Japanese phrases today!
Being able to talk about daily routines is extremely useful in everyday conversations. Learning these simple phrases allows you to chat naturally with friends and colleagues, as well as introduce yourself in more formal settings. Try using these expressions in your next conversation!
