本日(ほんじつ)

ほんじつ
noun
today (formal)
1. today (formal)
A formal way to say 'today,' commonly used in business settings, announcements, and formal speech.
本日(ほんじつ)はご来店(ごらいてん)ありがとうございます。
Thank you for visiting our store today.
本日(ほんじつ)の会議(かいぎ)は中止(ちゅうし)になりました。
Today's meeting has been cancelled.
本日(ほんじつ)より新(しん)サービスを開始(かいし)いたします。
We will begin our new service starting today.

本日(ほんじつ) is the formal equivalent of 今日(きょう). It is used in polite and official contexts where 今日(きょう) would sound too casual.

COMMON CONTEXTS:

  • Business emails and communications
  • Store and restaurant announcements
  • Formal speeches and ceremonies
  • Written notices and signs

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • 本日(ほんじつ)は〜: today ~ (opening a formal statement)
  • 本日(ほんじつ)より: starting from today
  • 本日(ほんじつ)限(かぎ)り: today only
  • 本日(ほんじつ)休業(きゅうぎょう): closed today

FORMALITY SCALE:

  • 今日(きょう): neutral/casual (everyday conversation)
  • 本日(ほんじつ): formal (business, announcements, ceremonies)

Note: In spoken Japanese, using 本日(ほんじつ) in casual conversation sounds stiff and overly formal.

general
Added 2026.2.3 11:58 · Revised 2026.3.25 18:40
09500/09643_honjitsu