おととい

The Japanese word おととい (ototoi) is a fundamental time-related noun that refers specifically to the day before yesterday. It's a straightforward term used in everyday conversation to pinpoint a past event that occurred two days prior to the current day. Think of it as the direct counterpart to 'yesterday' (きのう - kinou) and 'today' (きょう - kyou). This word is incredibly common and essential for anyone learning to discuss past events in Japanese. It doesn't carry any special connotations of formality or informality; it's a neutral term used across various social situations. For example, if someone asks when you last visited a particular place, you might respond by saying you went there おととい. It's also frequently used when recounting events from a short trip or a specific period in the recent past. Understanding おととい allows you to accurately place events in time relative to the present moment, making your Japanese communication much more precise. It's part of a set of time-related words that build upon each other, helping to construct a clear timeline of past occurrences. Mastering おととい is a key step in moving beyond simply talking about 'today' and 'yesterday' to discussing the immediate past with greater detail. The structure of Japanese time words often follows a logical progression, and おととい fits perfectly into this pattern, representing a clear step back in time from yesterday. Its simplicity and directness make it an easily learnable and highly practical vocabulary item for learners at the A2 CEFR level and beyond.

Etymology Hint

The word おととい is believed to derive from older forms of Japanese, possibly related to 'oto' (late) and 'toi' (day), suggesting 'the later day' in a sequence of past days.

Usage Context

When discussing past events, especially those that happened very recently, おととい is the go-to word. It's as common as 'the day before yesterday' in English. For instance, if you are asked about your weekend activities and the current day is Monday, you might refer to something that happened on Saturday using おととい. It's a building block for more complex time expressions.

Time Progression

In Japanese time expressions, there's a natural progression: きのう (yesterday), おととい (the day before yesterday), and さきおととい (the day before the day before yesterday, less common). おととい is the second step back in this common sequence.

Using おととい (ototoi) in a sentence is quite straightforward. It functions as a noun indicating a specific past day. Typically, it appears at the beginning of a sentence or clause to set the temporal context, or it can follow a subject or topic marker (like は - wa or が - ga) if you want to emphasize the day itself. When describing an action that happened the day before yesterday, you will usually pair おととい with a past tense verb. For instance, to say 'I went to the store the day before yesterday,' you would construct a sentence like: おととい、店に行きました (Ototoi, mise ni ikimashita). Here, おととい clearly sets the time frame for the action 'went to the store' (行きました - ikimashita). You can also use it with particles like に (ni) if you are referring to the specific day itself as a point in time, though this is less common than simply placing it at the start. For example, おとといに友達に会いました (Ototoi ni tomodachi ni aimashita) - 'I met my friend on the day before yesterday.' However, in natural speech, the に is often omitted. When asking someone about their activities, you might ask: おとといは何をしましたか？ (Ototoi wa nani o shimashita ka?) - 'What did you do the day before yesterday?' The particle は here marks おととい as the topic, emphasizing the day about which the question is being asked. It can also be used in conjunction with dates or days of the week, although it's more common to use おととい on its own. For example, if today is Wednesday, おととい would be Monday. You could say: おとといは月曜日でした (Ototoi wa getsuyoubi deshita) - 'The day before yesterday was Monday.' This reinforces the understanding of おととい as a specific point in time. The word is highly versatile for discussing recent past events, from personal anecdotes to reporting on news or events that occurred two days ago. Its placement in a sentence generally follows standard Japanese sentence structure, usually appearing before the verb phrase that describes the action or state on that day. This consistency makes it easy for learners to integrate into their own sentence construction. Remember that when referring to the day before yesterday, the verb must be in the past tense. This is a crucial grammatical point to keep in mind when forming sentences with おととい.

Sentence Structure

Common patterns include: おととい + [topic particle] + [activity] + [past tense verb]. Or simply: おととい + [activity] + [past tense verb].

Example Sentence

おととい、友達と映画を見ました。(Ototoi, tomodachi to eiga o mimashita.) - I watched a movie with my friend the day before yesterday.

Sentence Example

父はおととい来ました。(Chichi wa ototoi kimashita.) - My father came the day before yesterday.

You will hear おととい (ototoi) frequently in everyday Japanese conversations. It's a staple word used by people of all ages and backgrounds when discussing recent past events. Imagine a casual chat between friends: 'What did you do おととい?' or 'I saw a great movie おととい.' This word is particularly common in informal settings like family gatherings, conversations with friends, or discussions with colleagues about shared recent experiences. For instance, if you're discussing a project at work, someone might say, 'We discussed this issue おととい,' indicating that the conversation took place two days prior. In media, such as Japanese dramas, movies, or variety shows, characters will often use おととい when recounting their actions or events that happened in the recent past. News reports might also use it when detailing the timeline of an event, stating, 'The incident occurred おととい.' It's also a common word in educational materials for Japanese language learners, appearing in textbooks and lesson dialogues designed to teach basic time expressions. Even in more formal situations, like a business meeting or a presentation, if the context is about recounting past actions or decisions, おととい can be used, although a more formal phrasing might be preferred depending on the overall tone. However, in most common scenarios, whether you're asking a shopkeeper about when an item arrived or telling a story about something that happened over the weekend, おととい will be the natural word to use. It's part of the core vocabulary for discussing temporal relationships, making it a word you'll encounter constantly as you engage with spoken and written Japanese. Listen for it when people are reminiscing, planning based on past events, or simply catching up on recent happenings. Its ubiquity in daily life makes it an essential word for understanding and participating in Japanese conversations about the immediate past.

Scenario

A friend asks about your weekend plans. You might say: 'I went to the park おととい.' (assuming today is Monday).

Example Dialogue

A: When did you buy that book? B: I bought it おととい.

Common Usage

You might hear this in a weather report: 'It rained おととい.' This implies the day before yesterday experienced rain.

One of the most common mistakes for learners is confusing おととい (ototoi) with other time-related words, especially きのう (kinou - yesterday) or さきおととい (saki ototoi - the day before the day before yesterday). Learners might accidentally use おととい when they mean 'yesterday,' or vice versa, leading to confusion about when an event actually occurred. Another potential pitfall is the incorrect conjugation of verbs when used with おととい. Since おととい refers to a past day, the verb must be in the past tense. Forgetting to use the past tense form of the verb is a frequent error. For example, saying おととい、店に行きます (Ototoi, mise ni ikimasu) instead of おととい、店に行きました (Ototoi, mise ni ikimashita) would mean 'I go to the store the day before yesterday,' which is grammatically incorrect and nonsensical. Some learners might also struggle with the pronunciation, particularly the double 't' sound in おととい, potentially pronouncing it as 'otoi' or 'ototoy'. While not a grammatical error, clear pronunciation is important for effective communication. Additionally, learners might overuse or underuse particles with おととい. While it's often used at the beginning of a sentence without a particle, sometimes learners might incorrectly add particles like で (de) or に (ni) where they are not needed, or omit them when they would be more natural. For instance, saying おとといで、映画を見ました (Ototoi de, eiga o mimashita) is incorrect; it should simply be おととい、映画を見ました. Conversely, while less common, sometimes learners might omit おととい entirely and try to convey the meaning using other phrases, which can be less direct. Finally, learners might confuse the ordering of time expressions. In Japanese, time expressions like おととい generally come before the verb. Trying to place おととい after the verb can sound unnatural and confusing. Careful attention to verb tense and sentence order is crucial when using おととい.

Verb Tense Error

Mistake: おととい、友達に会う。(Ototoi, tomodachi ni au.) Correct: おととい、友達に会いました。(Ototoi, tomodachi ni aimashita.) Explanation: The verb must be in the past tense when referring to the day before yesterday.

Confusing with Yesterday

Mistake: I went to the party おととい. (When meaning yesterday) Correct: I went to the party きのう. (If the event was yesterday). Explanation: Using おととい when きのう is intended will miscommunicate the timing.

Particle Usage

Mistake: おとといで、宿題をしました。(Ototoi de, shukudai o shimashita.) Correct: おととい、宿題をしました。(Ototoi, shukudai o shimashita.) Explanation: The particle で is generally not used with おととい in this context.

While おととい (ototoi) is the standard and most common word for 'the day before yesterday,' there are related terms and ways to express this concept, though they might be less frequent or carry different nuances. The most direct comparison is with きのう (kinou), which means 'yesterday.' These two words form the immediate past time references. Beyond おととい, the next step back in time is さきおととい (saki ototoi). This literally means 'the day before the day before yesterday,' referring to three days ago. However, さきおととい is much less commonly used in everyday speech compared to おととい and can sometimes sound a bit archaic or overly specific. In casual conversation, people might opt for more descriptive phrases rather than using さきおととい. Another way to refer to a past time without using a specific word like おととい is to use numbers with days or weeks. For example, if today is Wednesday, you could say 'two days ago' (二日前 - futsukamae) or 'on Monday' (月曜日に - getsuyoubi ni). Using 二日前 (futsukamae) is a more general way to say 'two days ago' and can be used interchangeably with おととい, though おととい is more specific to the day before yesterday. For instance, if someone asks when you last saw a movie, you could reply おととい or 二日前. However, 二日前 can also refer to any two-day period in the past, not strictly the day before yesterday relative to the current day. For example, you might say 'I visited my grandmother two days before I left for Tokyo' (東京を出る二日前に祖母を訪ねました - Toukyou o deru futsukamae ni sobo o tazunemashita), where 二日前 is a relative past marker. When comparing おととい and 二日前, おととい is more precise for the immediate past day before yesterday. In formal writing or speech, one might also use more elaborate phrasing to indicate this time, but for general conversation, おととい is the standard. It's also important to note that in some dialects or older forms of Japanese, variations might exist, but for standard Japanese (hyoujungo), おととい is the primary term. Therefore, while alternatives like 二日前 exist, おととい remains the most direct and frequently used word for 'the day before yesterday.' Understanding these distinctions helps in choosing the most appropriate word for the context.

Comparison: おととい vs. きのう

おととい: The day before yesterday. きのう: Yesterday. These are sequential past days.

Comparison: おととい vs. さきおととい

おととい: The day before yesterday. さきおととい: The day before the day before yesterday (three days ago). さきおととい is much less common in everyday conversation.

Comparison: おととい vs. 二日前

おととい: Specifically the day before yesterday. 二日前 (futsukamae): Two days ago (more general, can be relative). While often interchangeable, おととい is the default for the day before yesterday.

Example Usage

If today is Friday, you might say: おととい、友達と会いました。(Ototoi, tomodachi to aimashita.) - I met my friend on Wednesday. Alternatively, you could say: 水曜日に友達と会いました。(Suiyoubi ni tomodachi to aimashita.) - I met my friend on Wednesday.