二十日

はつか

twenty days, twentieth (day of the month)

JLPT N5

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"二十日" (はつか) primarily refers to the twentieth day of a month in Japanese. It can also mean a period of twenty days depending on context.

Common Contexts

It is often used in dates, such as "二十日に会議があります" (There is a meeting on the twentieth). It can also be used to indicate duration, for example, "二十日間" means "for twenty days".

Collocations and Patterns

  • 二十日 (はつか): the twentieth day of the month.
  • 二十日間 (はつかかん): a period of twenty days.
  • 二十日に (はつかに): on the twentieth day.

Usage Notes

When using 二十日 to indicate a date, it is common in formal and informal speech. When expressing duration, the suffix 間 (かん) is added to specify the length of time. Avoid confusing 二十日 (twentieth day) with just the number twenty; context clarifies the meaning.

Common Mistake

Learners sometimes confuse 二十日 (はつか) with the number twenty (にじゅう). Remember that 二十日 specifically refers to the date or a time period, not just the number.

Example Sentences

きょうははつかです。

Today is the twentieth (day of the month).

はつかにかいぎがあります。

There is a meeting on the twentieth.

くすりははつかかんのんでください。

Please take the medicine for twenty days.