Word
日課
Meaning in Englishdaily work, daily routine
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
日課 means a daily routine or a set of tasks performed every day, forming part of one's regular schedule. It describes habitual activities such as study, exercise, or duties that are carried out on a daily basis.
Main meanings
- The regular set of tasks performed every day as part of a normal schedule (nikka).
- A fixed portion of a daily timetable used for routines like study, work, or chores (nikka).
- In educational or professional contexts, the standard daily program that repeats with regularity (nikka).
How to use it
Used to denote a person’s ordinary daily activities or routine, in both formal and informal contexts. It can describe daily study, exercise, or duties, and is common when referencing a school or workplace’s recurring daily program; usage often pairs with modifiers like 毎日 or いつもの to emphasize regularity.
Variants and close terms
- 日常のルーティン (にちじょうのルーティン, nichijō no rutina) daily routine
- 習慣的な日課 (しゅうかんてきなにっか, shūkan-teki na nikka) habitual daily routine
- 日課 (にっか, nikka) daily routine in casual speech
Composition
- 日 = day, sun
- 課 = lesson, duty, assignment
Etymology
日 day; 課 lesson, duty. The pronunciation nikka arises from combining the kanji in a native Japanese compound, with phonetic assimilation typical of two-kanji formations.
Word class
noun (名詞)
Related words by kanji and components
N2
日にち
hinichi
date (of a planned event, act, etc.), day
N2
日の入り
hinoiri
sunset
N2
日の出
hinode
sunrise
N2
平日
heijitsu
weekday
N2
三日月
mikazuki
crescent moon
N2
夕日
yuuhi
(in) the evening sun, setting sun
N2
来日
rainichi
coming to Japan, visit to Japan
N3
生年月日
seinengappi
birth date
N3
課
ka
section, department, lesson, chapter