来週

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 来週東京に行きます。▶ —
   I'm going to Tokyo next week.
2. 来週の予定はありますか。▶ —
   Do you have plans next week?

Collocations

Mnemonic

らいしゅう — 来週, Sino-Japanese. Unpack the two kanji ── 来 (to come) + 週 (week) = 'the week that comes' = next week. Pair it with 先週 senshuu and an intriguing asymmetry appears ── 先週 (past): 先 (ahead) ── what has already flowed ahead. 来週 (future): 来 (coming) ── what is approaching toward you. On one timeline, two directional metaphors overlap ── the past 'went ahead', the future 'is coming'. The speaker stands mid-river, the passed water before them, the coming water arriving. Korean 'jinanju / daeum ju' both use a sequence metaphor ('passed / next'), whereas Japanese-Chinese 先 / 来 use spatial direction ── two cultures' different pictures of time. The Korean readings rae / ju are sister to the onyomi らい / しゅう.

Quick check

1. Correct grasp of 先週/来週 metaphors?

   • Past = flowed-ahead, future = incoming
   • Both behind the speaker
   • Both ahead of the speaker
   • No metaphor — arbitrary