Understanding Japanese dates

[NewHero]

I am wondering which of these sentences is correct (or more correct):

I am trying to say: Today is October 25th.

今日は10月第25である。
今日は十月二十五である。
今日10月第二十五されています。

In everyday writing, do most Japanese use western numerals for dates as they are used above? Or do they use the kanji? Or both? In what circumstances?

Thanks.

 

[Koryo]

今日は10月25日です。 is more natural than the sentences above. 日 is used to count the days of the month.

Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) are typically used for 横書き (horizontal writing) and kanji numerals (一、二、三、…) are used for 縦書き (vertical writing).

今日は10月第25である。

第 isn't used quite like this.

カナダの感謝祭は10月の第2月曜日です
Canadian Thanksgiving is on the second Monday of October.

9月第1週
The first week of September.

 

[grapefruit]

I am wondering which of these sentences is correct (or more correct):

I am trying to say: Today is October 25th.

今日は10月第25である。
今日は十月二十五である。
今日10月第二十五されています。

In everyday writing, do most Japanese use western numerals for dates as they are used above? Or do they use the kanji? Or both? In what circumstances?

Thanks.

今日は十月二十五日ですwould be the correct one.

In everyday writing, do most Japanese use western numerals for dates as they are used above? Or do they use the kanji? Or both? In what circumstances?
Thanks.

Both. It's hard to generalize. But, usually, Arabic numbers in horizontal writing. Kanji is more often used in vertical text than in horizontal writing. Of course certain genres have certain formats.

 

[undrentide]

I am wondering which of these sentences is correct (or more correct):

I am trying to say: Today is October 25th.

今日は10月第25である。
今日は十月二十五である。
今日10月第二十五されています。

今日は10月25日です。
今日は十月二十五日です。

Both are correct, though it is far more common to use arabic numerals in horizontal writings.
For vertical writings kanji numbers are used in most cases.

Although in English (and many other European languages) ...th is used for dates but in Japanese we never use 第.
It is always [number] + 日.
Up to 10th, particular pronunciation is used:
一日 ついたち
二日 ふつか
三日 みっか
四日 よっか
五日 いつか
六日 むいか
七日 なのか
八日 ようか
九日 ここのか
十日 とおか
From 11th onwards, it is [number]+nichi with some exceptions.
十一日 じゅういちにち
十二日 じゅうににち
十三日 じゅうさんにち
十四日 じゅうよっか／じゅうよんにち (less common)
十五日 じゅうごにち
十六日 じゅうろくにち
十七日 じゅうしちにち
十八日 じゅうはちにち
十九日 じゅうくにち
二十日 はつか
二十一日 にじゅういちにち
二十二日 にじゅうににち
二十三日 にじゅうさんにち
二十四日 にじゅうよっか／にじゅうよんにち
二十五日 にじゅうごにち
二十六日 にじゅうろくにち
二十七日 にじゅうしちにち
二十八日 にじゅうはちにち
二十九日 にじゅうくにち
三十日 さんじゅうにち
三十一日 さんじゅういちにち

 

[NewHero]

Thanks for the answers. I have several more questions... In English, we can also say: "Today is the 25th day of October." To say this in Japanese, would you simply say?:

今日は10月の25日です。

All I am adding is the の.

Is this a common expression? In English, saying "Today is October 25th" is more common, perhaps because it is shorter. We also often say: "Today is the 25th." We omit the month. I guess I could say this as:

今日は25日です。

Correct?

In informal writing, would you drop the です? Or would you add だよ to make it more to the point?

今日は25日だよ。

Here is my next question: Can you use western numerals for week days? For example, I think that the following is correct:

今日は土曜日です。

But could I replace the day with a numeral, as Japanese does with months? So we have something like this:

今日は7曜日です。

(This assumes that Saturday is the 7th day of the week. By the way, what does Japan consider to be the first day of the week? In many countries, the first day of the week is Sunday.)

My last question has to with this kanji 日. In handwritten Japanese, would write this character with two little legs or should the character look exactly as it is typed?

Thanks for all the help.

 

[Ashikaga]

In informal writing, would you drop the です? Or would you add だよ to make it more to the point?

今日は25日だよ。

You could do either. However, unless you are confident enough to handle informal speech, and judging from the fact you are asking these questions, you are not, I think you should stick with formal/polite speech for now until you are more familiar with different speech patterns and find the one that fits your personality. だよ is just one of the many cadences used in conversational Japanese.

But could I replace the day with a numeral, as Japanese does with months? So we have something like this:

今日は7曜日です。

No. This is not done with the days of the week.

My last question has to with this kanji 日. In handwritten Japanese, would write this character with two little legs or should the character look exactly as it is typed?

This character with two little legs? I don't understand what you mean. 日 should be written 日.

 

[undrentide]

My last question has to with this kanji 日. In handwritten Japanese, would write this character with two little legs or should the character look exactly as it is typed?

As Ashikaga san confirmed, 日 is the same whether typed or hand-written.
this character with two little legs is a different kanji.

月 : tsuki (moon, month)
貝 : kai (shellfish)

 

[Glenn]

Although, 貝 is 目 with two little legs, not 日. I don't think I've ever seen 日 with two little legs (unless it had 立 on top of it, e.g., 竟).

 

[undrentide]

Although, 貝 is 目 with two little legs, not 日. I don't think I've ever seen 日 with two little legs (unless it had 立 on top of it, e.g., 竟).

My bad!!! :jawdrop: (I'm making a great example that native speakers are not always the best teachers...) Indeed it is 目 not 日.

And in any case, 日 is written as it is typed.

 

[Toritoribe]

My last question has to with this kanji 日. In handwritten Japanese, would write this character with two little legs or should the character look exactly as it is typed?

What the OP wanted to describe might be these ones.

 

[NewHero]

Yes, that's what I mean! In handwritten Japanese, are those little stubby "legs" visible or do you square it off?

 

[grapefruit]

It is so interesting to witness how non-native writers of kanji notice things that native writers of kanji do not notice. Such differences seem to illustrate well the complexity of how human visual perception functions in association with pre-established categories in the individual's mind.

 

[NewHero]

yes I was surprised that it took this long for you to figure out what I was referring to...

That kanji character reminds me of a refrigerator walking on two legs. You all don't see that? Maybe I am just hungry...

 

[Glenn]

Well, when I think of legs in terms of kanji, I think of either 儿 or the short dot stroke version of those (or "walking legs," if you did RTK: 夂). What the OP was talking about I think of more as protruding strokes, I suppose because they don't have any meaning, whereas the legs do (the dot strokes may be an exception though. At least I can't find anything on them atm...).

 

[Nall-ohki]

Sorry, haven't had a date (Japanese or not) in over year.

Can't help you.

 

[undrentide]

Sorry, haven't had a date (Japanese or not) in over year.

Can't help you.

................filler..................

 

[Tomii515]

If one were to write a date in Japanese, would this be the correct order?:

day-of-week year mouth day?

like...

今日は木曜日２００８年１０月３０日です。

I know I've asked this before... I just forgot.

 

[Mike Cash]

Although, 貝 is 目 with two little legs, not 日. I don't think I've ever seen 日 with two little legs (unless it had 立 on top of it, e.g., 竟).

児

 

[undrentide]

If one were to write a date in Japanese, would this be the correct order?:

day-of-week year mouth day?

like...

今日は木曜日２００８年１０月３０日です。

I know I've asked this before... I just forgot.

Day of the week should come at the very end, otherwise it is OK.
今日は２００８年１０月３0日木曜日です。

 

[Glenn]

ﾅｽ邃｢

fillerfillerfillerfillerfiller

Yeah, I thought of that one too, but left it off because in my way of thinking, it's 窶ｹﾅ with two legs. Yeah, that may be a screwy way of looking at it, but it's mine and I won't apologize for it! (you can't see that, can you?)