Rule for reading of 日？

[SilverIvy]

I’ve noticed over the course of my last couple levels that I always get the じつ and にち readings for 日 mixed up. I was wondering if there is a specific rule for which reading is used or if how just have to have it memorized. I’ve had these words for two weeks, and still enter きんにち for 近日, and I bet a lot of other people have the same problem.

[emucat]

Throw a dice

[MissMisc]

Unfortunately there are no set rules for the readings of 日, in the end it mostly comes down to memorization and learning through practice/exposure (such go the stories of 人 and 月 as well )

Once you see the different words 日 appears in enough, you start getting a feel for what the readings will be, so practice + time will make it easier ^^

If you’re having particular difficulty between readings like this, it can help to add an extra layer to the reading mnemonics as to make it more memorable for yourself – for example, maybe adding some sort of image in your mind of naruto characters doing some sort of jutsu for when it’s the じつ reading or something c: (it doesn’t have to be perfect, whatever make it stick!)

Also, sometimes practicing going reverse from JP → EN with something like KaniWani or KameSame can make the words and their readings come more naturally to you as well and will help you get that feel for what it should be

がんばって !

[SilverIvy]

Alright, thanks for the help!

[Borx]

Off topic, but…

[sergiop]

Nope. Watch out for 何日（なんにち）ー this one I always used to have problems because lots of compounds (without hiragana) with 日 use じつ

[SilverIvy]

This somehow both warms my heart and breaks it at the same time. Also this is literally me running around as a “mature adult” at Disneyland. I mean who wouldn’t want to give a big fluffy mascot a hug?

[KinokoNeko]

Exposure to native materials will help cement a lot of those annoying readings into your brain. You’ll start to get the hang of it eventually. Just takes time and consistent effort.

If it makes you feel any better, ESL learners have to content with English’s ridiculous spelling system. Imagine being a non-native speaker and looking at
breathe - breath
knife
whether - weather
weak - week
soothe
mosquito

Etc and trying to figure it out just based on the sounds the letters should make.

[Doncanor]

I highly doubt that’s actually how it works, but to me じつ sounds more formal or fancier :

• 今日 (きょう) vs 本日 (ほんじつ)

• 昨日 (きのう) vs 昨日 (さくじつ)

• 近日 vs the thousand other ways to say “soon”

• 両日 which I don’t really understand why I’d ever use

• 先日 vs この間

You could alter your mnemonics so the じつ readings have your sun wearing a monocle and a top hat, I guess.

[SilverIvy]

Hmm, could work. Thanks for the help! I will “alter my mnemonics” in order to account for this new information that I have now processed and integrated into my system. Robot? What’s that?

[lollipophuho]

I find the 日 ones much, MUCH easier to remember than the 人 ones which seem sometimes to be almost random, so I use nintendo relation to remember the にん readings and if I can’t remember a nintendo link it must be じん。Ie 証人 is a witness for Nintendo’s copyright cases against youtubers because nintendo hates fair use, 悪人 villains show up at the end of every nintendo game, etc.