昨

JLPT N3

Last (year), yesterday

Readings

On’yomi: サク (saku)

Structure

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Detailed Explanation

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Mnemonic

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Etymology

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Visual Tip

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Vocabulary

昨日

きのう

yesterday

昨年

さくねん

last year

昨夜

さくや

last night

昨日中

きのうじゅう

within yesterday

昨今

さっこん

recently

Example Sentences

昨日雨でした。

きのうあめでした。

It rained yesterday.

昨年日本へ行きました。

さくねんにほんへいきました。

I went to Japan last year.

昨夜遅くまで働きました。

さくやおそくまではたらきました。

I worked late last night.

昨日中に終わります。

きのうじゅうにおわります。

It will finish within yesterday.

昨今の問題です。

さっこんのもんだいです。

It is a recent issue.

Cultural Note

🎎 昨 is often used in formal or written Japanese to refer to time in the past — it carries a slightly literary or refined tone.
• For example, while 昨日 (きのう) is common in conversation, 昨日 (さくじつ) is used in news reports or business contexts.
• Expressions like 昨今 (さっこん) and 昨年 (さくねん) are frequent in written and official communication.
• The kanji reflects the Japanese appreciation for the passage of time and the subtle difference between past (過去) and recent past (昨) — highlighting mindfulness of what has just gone by.