日課

にっか

daily work, daily routine

JLPT N2

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"日課" (にっか) refers to tasks or activities that one does regularly every day. It often implies a habitual or routine action that is part of a person's daily schedule.

Common Contexts

This word is frequently used when talking about personal habits like exercise, study, or reading. For example, "毎朝のジョギングは私の日課です" means jogging every morning is part of the speaker's daily routine.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 日課をする: to do one's daily routine
  • 日課として〜する: to do something as a daily routine
  • 日課を欠かさない: to not skip one's daily routine

These collocations emphasize the regularity and importance of the activity.

Register and Nuance

"日課" is neutral and can be used in both casual and formal contexts. It highlights the habitual nature of an action rather than a one-time task.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse "日課" with "習慣" (しゅうかん), which means habit but is broader and not necessarily daily. "日課" specifically means something done every day, so use it when emphasizing daily repetition.

Example Sentences

まいあさのじょぎんぐはわたしのにっかです。

Jogging every morning is my daily routine.

にっかとしてにほんごのべんきょうをしています。

I study Japanese as a daily routine.

いそがしくても、にっかのどくしょはかかさないようにしている。

Even when busy, I try not to skip my daily reading.