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前日 (ぜんじつ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

前ぜん日じつ

also: まえび

ぜ

ん

じ

つ

Common word›JLPTN3›Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

previous day; day before; eve

Refers to the day immediately before a specific event or reference point. Often used in the pattern 〜の前日. Can function as a noun or adverbially.

試し験けんの前ぜん日じつは早はやく寝ね

た

ほう

が

いい

。

It's better to go to bed early the day before an exam.

結けっ婚こん式しきの前ぜん日じつに、リハーサルを行おこないます。

We will hold a rehearsal on the day before the wedding.

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉の前ぜん日じつthe day before <event>
試し験けんの前ぜん日じつはよく眠ねむれなかった。
I couldn't sleep well the night before the exam.
前ぜん日じつに〈動どう詞し〉to do something the day before
旅りょ行こうの準じゅん備びは前ぜん日じつに済すませておいた。
I finished preparing for the trip the day before.
前ぜん日じつから〈動どう詞し〉starting from the day before
彼かれは前ぜん日じつから緊きん張ちょうしていた。
He had been nervous since the day before.
前ぜん日じつ入いりするto arrive at a venue the day before an event
選せん手しゅたちは大たい会かいの前ぜん日じつ入いりをした。
The athletes arrived at the venue the day before the tournament.

Kanji

前in front, before
日day, sun, Japan

Related words

前ぜん夜やN1
前日 refers to the whole day before an event, whereas 前夜 specifically means the night before it.
昨日きのうN5
前日 means 'the day before' a specified event or date, while 昨日 always means the day before today from the speaker's present moment.

Opposites

翌よく日じつN3
前日 means the day before an event, while 翌日 means the day after it.
明あくる日ひN1
前日 means 'the previous day', the direct opposite of 明くる日 'the next day'.

Don't confuse with

当とう日じつN3
前日 means the day before an event, but 当日 means the day of the event itself, so learners often mix up which one to use.
全ぜん日じつ
前日 (the previous day) is a homophone of 全日 (all days) written with different kanji, so learners must rely on context or kanji to tell them apart.
先せん日じつN3
前日 means 'the day before (some event)' and is often confused with 先日 ('the other day, recently') due to the similar kanji and sound.

Word family

休きゅう前ぜん日じつ
day before a holiday
前ぜん日じつ談だん
prequel; retrospective talk
前ぜん日じつ譚たん
prequel · retrospective; looking back

Written forms

前日Usage100%
- ぜんじつ
  Standard kanji spelling; the most common reading is ぜんじつ.
- まえび
  Rare reading; ぜんじつ is overwhelmingly more common.
まえび

Etymology

Compound of 前 (before) and 日 (day). The reading ぜんじつ is the standard Sino-Japanese on'yomi reading.