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記念日 (kinenbi) Japanese meaning: memorial day | Kotomora

記き念ねん日び

き

ね

ん

び

Common word›JLPTN3›

Meanings

1

memorial day; commemoration day; anniversary

A day set aside to remember or celebrate a person, event, or achievement. Can refer to personal anniversaries as well as official commemorative days.

今日きょうは二人ふたりの結けっ婚こん記き念ねん日びです。

Today is our wedding anniversary.

その町まちでは、毎まい年とし秋あきに独どく立りつ記き念ねん日びを祝いわいます。

In that town, they celebrate Independence Day every autumn.

Usage patterns

記き念ねん日びを祝いわうto celebrate an anniversary
夫ふう婦ふで結けっ婚こん記き念ねん日びを祝いわった。
The couple celebrated their wedding anniversary.
記き念ねん日びを迎むかえるto reach an anniversary
会かい社しゃは来らい月げつ、創そう立りつ50周しゅう年ねんの記き念ねん日びを迎むかえる。
Next month the company will reach its 50th founding anniversary.
記き念ねん日びを忘わすれるto forget an anniversary
彼かれは結けっ婚こん記き念ねん日びをすっかり忘わすれていた。
He had completely forgotten their wedding anniversary.
記き念ねん日びに〈事こと〉をするto do something (special) on an anniversary
記き念ねん日びに特とく別べつなディナーを予よ約やくした。
I booked a special dinner for our anniversary.

Kanji

記scribe, account, narrative
念wish, sense, idea
日day, sun, Japan

Related words

記き念ねんN3
記念 refers to the act of commemorating or a keepsake item, while 記念日 specifically names the day set aside for that commemoration.
周しゅう年ねんN1
周年 is used to count the number of years since an event (e.g., 10周年), whereas 記念日 refers to the specific calendar day of remembrance.
アニバーサリー
アニバーサリー is a casual, often romantic loanword for anniversary, while 記念日 is the standard, neutral term used in both formal and everyday contexts.
ジュビリー
記念日 is the general word for any anniversary, while ジュビリー refers specifically to a major milestone anniversary such as a 25th or 50th year.
一いっ周しゅう年ねん
記念日 refers broadly to any commemorative date (wedding day, founding day, etc.), whereas 一周年 specifically marks the one-year mark since an event.

Don't confuse with

周しゅう年ねんN1
記念日 names a specific commemorative day (e.g. a wedding anniversary date), while 周年 counts which anniversary number it is, as in 結婚30周年.
記き念ねん品ひんN3
記念日 shares the kanji 記念 but refers to an anniversary date, not a physical item like 記念品.

Word family

創そう立りつ記き念ねん日び
anniversary of the founding
国こく恥ち記き念ねん日び
day of national humiliation
終しゅう戦せん記き念ねん日び
anniversary of the end of a war; War End Memorial Day

Built from

記き念ねん+日ひ

Etymology

Compound of 記念 (commemoration) + 日 (day). The reading きねんび follows rendaku voicing of ひ to び.

結けっ婚こん記き念ねん日び

wedding anniversary

開かい校こう記き念ねん日び

school founding anniversary

震しん災さい記き念ねん日び

anniversary of the Great Kanto earthquake