週 – Kanji Meaning, Reading, and Common Words

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What does 週 mean in Japanese?

週 means week in Japanese. It is the kanji behind 今週 (this week), 来週 (next week), and 先週 (last week), the time words you will use in almost every plan you make.

週 has one main reading: シュウ (shuu). Unlike most kanji in this guide, it has no common kun’yomi, so once you know シュウ you can read 週末 (shuumatsu, weekend), 毎週 (maishuu, every week), and 一週間 (isshuukan, one week). It sits between 日 (day) and 月 (month) in the ladder of time units.

Reading

On’yomi: シュウ (shuu)

Kun’yomi: —

Basic Information

Kanji 週
Meaning week
Stroke Count 11
JLPT Level N4

How to Understand This Kanji

週 is unusual among everyday kanji: it is read シュウ in virtually every word, with no common kun’yomi to learn. The prefixes 今 (this), 来 (next), and 先 (last) attach to it exactly as they do to 月 (month) and 年 (year), so mastering 今週・来週・先週 unlocks the same pattern across all time units. Duration uses 〜週間, as in 一週間 (one week) and 二週間 (two weeks).

Common Words

  • 今週（こんしゅう / konshuu） — this week
  • 来週（らいしゅう / raishuu） — next week
  • 先週（せんしゅう / senshuu） — last week
  • 毎週（まいしゅう / maishuu） — every week
  • 週末（しゅうまつ / shuumatsu） — weekend
  • 一週間（いっしゅうかん / isshuukan） — one week (duration)

Example Sentences

  • 来週、日本語のテストがあります。

    らいしゅう、にほんごのてすとがあります。 / Raishuu, nihongo no tesuto ga arimasu.

    There is a Japanese test next week.

  • 週末は何をしますか。

    しゅうまつはなにをしますか。 / Shuumatsu wa nani o shimasu ka.

    What will you do on the weekend?

  • 一週間、京都に泊まりました。

    いっしゅうかん、きょうとにとまりました。 / Isshuukan, Kyouto ni tomarimashita.

    I stayed in Kyoto for one week.

Related Kanji

  • 日

    — 日 means day, the unit below 週; the days of the week all end in 曜日, tying the two kanji together.

  • 月

    — 月 means month, the unit above 週 in the time ladder; the prefixes 今, 来, and 先 work identically for both.

  • 年

    — 年 means year, the largest everyday time unit; 日, 週, 月, and 年 form the complete ladder for talking about time.

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

Learn the trio 今週, 来週, 先週 together, then reuse the same prefixes with 月 and 年: 今月, 来月, 先月, and so on. 週末 (weekend) is the natural word for making plans, as in 週末は何をしますか. For duration, add 間: 一週間 means a span of one week, not a point in time. 毎週 follows the 毎 pattern alongside 毎日 and 毎朝.

Summary

週 means week, read シュウ in every common word, and powers the essential planning vocabulary 今週, 来週, 先週, and 週末.