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Tag: how to tell time in Japanese
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Time Expressions in Japanese, Days of the Week, Date | My Language Classes
Mastering Time Expressions in Japanese
Mastering time expressions in Japanese is essential for effective communication. Whether you’re discussing plans, recounting past events, or simply trying to understand the time, having a grasp of Japanese time vocabulary will make your conversations smoother and more precise. This guide will walk you through everything from days and dates to time particles and duration expressions.
1. Days of the Week in Japanese
Days of the Week
Understanding the days of the week in Japanese is fundamental when learning how to tell time in Japanese:
- 月曜日 (げつようび) – Monday
- 火曜日 (かようび) – Tuesday
- 水曜日 (すいようび) – Wednesday
- 木曜日 (もくようび) – Thursday
- 金曜日 (きんようび) – Friday
- 土曜日 (どようび) – Saturday
- 日曜日 (にちようび) – Sunday
To express “on a specific day,” simply add the particle “に” after the day name:
- 月曜日に会いましょう。
(げつようびに あいましょう)
Let’s meet on Monday.
Dates in Japanese
The Japanese date format is Year + Month + Day. Here’s how to say dates in Japanese:
- Year: 2024年 (2024ねん)
- Month: 1月 (いちがつ) – January
- Day: 1日 (ついたち) – 1st
Example:
- 2024年12月24日 (2024ねん 12がつ 24にち) – December 24, 2024.
Special Days
- 今日 (きょう) – Today
- 明日 (あした) – Tomorrow
- 昨日 (きのう) – Yesterday
2. Hours and Minutes in Japanese
Japanese Hours
To express hours, use the counter ～時 (～じ):
- 1時 (いちじ) – 1 o’clock
- 2時 (にじ) – 2 o’clock
Japanese Minutes
For minutes, use the counter ～分 (～ふん/～ぷん):
- 1分 (いっぷん) – 1 minute
- 5分 (ごふん) – 5 minutes
Example:
- 今は3時15分です。
(いまは さんじ じゅうごふん です)
It is 3:15 now.
3. Relative Time Expressions in Japanese
Past, Present, and Future
- 今 (いま) – Now
- さっき – A moment ago
- 後で (あとで) – Later
- もうすぐ – Soon
Example:
- 今、テレビを見ています。
(いま、てれびを みています)
I am watching TV now.
Frequency Expressions in Japanese
- 毎日 (まいにち) – Every day
- 時々 (ときどき) – Sometimes
- よく – Often
- たまに – Occasionally
4. Japanese Time Particles: に, まで, and から
に (ni)
The particle “に” is used for specific points in time:
- 午後5時に会いましょう。
(ごご ごじ に あいましょう)
Let’s meet at 5 PM.
まで (made)
“まで” indicates “until” a point in time:
- 5時まで働きます。
(ごじまで はたらきます)
I work until 5 o’clock.
から (kara)
“から” means “from” a point in time:
- 9時から会議があります。
(くじ から かいぎ が あります)
There is a meeting from 9 o’clock.
5. Expressing Duration in Japanese
To express duration, use ～時間 (～じかん) for hours and ～分間 (～ふんかん) for minutes:
- 2時間 (にじかん) – 2 hours
- 30分間 (さんじゅっぷんかん) – 30 minutes
Example:
- 3時間勉強しました。
(さんじかん べんきょうしました)
I studied for 3 hours.
6. Common Japanese Time-Related Phrases
- What time is it?
今何時ですか？
(いま なんじ ですか) - At what time will you arrive?
何時に着きますか？
(なんじ に つきますか) - I will arrive at 8 o’clock.
8時に着きます。
(はちじ に つきます)
Tips for Learning Time Grammar in Japanese
- Master the Particles: Words like に, まで, and から are vital for expressing time accurately.
- Practice Pronunciation: Be mindful of counters like 分 (ふん/ぷん) which change pronunciation based on the preceding number.
- Learn Contextual Usage: Time expressions in Japanese can vary between casual and formal contexts. For instance, 今 (now) is common in casual settings, while 現在 (げんざい) is used in formal situations.
By incorporating these Japanese time expressions for beginners into your daily practice, you’ll build confidence and fluency. Don’t forget to share your favorite Japanese time phrases list or ask questions in the comments below. Happy learning! 今日も頑張りましょう! (Let’s do our best today!)
If you enjoyed this lesson, be sure to check out more posts like this on my blog at My Language Classes. Don’t forget to subscribe my YouTube channel and follow me on Instagram for the latest language learning tips and lessons. Leave a comment below to share your thoughts, or ask any questions you have about nouns.
Happy learning! 😊
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How to Tell Time in Japanese | My Language Classes
How to Ask and Tell Time in Japanese
こんにちは！(Konnichiwa!) If you’ve ever wondered how to ask or tell time in Japanese, you’ve come to the right place! Mastering time expressions is essential for everyday conversations, making plans, or simply understanding schedules in Japan. In this guide, we’ll dive deep into the vocabulary, grammar, and practice to ensure you ace your time-telling skills.
1. Asking the Time in Japanese
To ask someone what time it is in Japanese, use the following sentence:
今、何時ですか？ (いま、なんじですか？ / Ima, nanji desu ka?)
Translation: “What time is it now?”You can also modify the sentence to ask about specific events or times. For example:
- 映画 (えいが/eiga) は 何時ですか？
“What time is the movie?” - 朝ごはん (あさごはん/asagohan) は 何時ですか？
“What time is breakfast?”
When answering, you’ll simply state the time using the format [Hour] + 時 (じ/ji) + [Minute] + 分 (ふん/fun). Let’s explore this in more detail below.
2. How to Tell Time in Japanese
Telling time in Japanese is straightforward once you learn the pattern. The structure is:
[Hour] + 時 (じ/ji) + [Minute] + 分 (ふん/fun)
Here’s a breakdown of hours and minutes.
Hours
- 1 o’clock: いちじ (ichiji)
- 2 o’clock: にじ (niji)
- 3 o’clock: さんじ (sanji)
…and so on up to 12 o’clock.
Minutes
Minutes in Japanese follow this pattern but note some unique pronunciations:
- 1 minute: いっぷん (ippun)
- 2 minutes: にふん (nifun)
- 3 minutes: さんぷん (sanpun)
- 4 minutes: よんぷん (yonpun)
- 5 minutes: ごふん (gofun)
- 10 minutes: じゅっぷん (juppun)
- 30 minutes: さんじゅっぷん (sanjuppun)
AM and PM
Japanese uses 午前 (ごぜん/gozen) for AM and 午後 (ごご/gogo) for PM.
- 3:15 AM → ごぜん さんじ じゅうごふん (gozen sanji juu go fun)
- 7:30 PM → ごご しちじ さんじゅっぷん (gogo shichiji sanjuppun)
3. Essential Time-Related Vocabulary
General Time Words
- 今日 (きょう/kyou): Today
- 明日 (あした/ashita): Tomorrow
- 昨日 (きのう/kinou): Yesterday
- 今 (いま/ima): Now
- 時 (じ/ji): Hour
- 分 (ふん/fun): Minute
- 秒 (びょう/byou): Second
Parts of the Day
- 午前 (ごぜん/gozen): AM
- 午後 (ごご/gogo): PM
- 朝 (あさ/asa): Morning
- 昼 (ひる/hiru): Afternoon
- 夕方 (ゆうがた/yuugata): Evening
- 夜 (よる/yoru): Night
Duration Words
- ～時間 (じかん/jikan): For ~ hours
- Example: 2時間 (にじかん/nijikan): For 2 hours
- ～分間 (ふんかん/funkan): For ~ minutes
- Example: 30分間 (さんじゅっぷんかん/sanjuppunkan): For 30 minutes
4. Practice Questions
Let’s see how much you’ve learned! Try translating these times into Japanese or English. Answers are provided below.
Questions
- What is 10:45 PM in Japanese?
- Translate ごご はちじ ごふん into English.
- How do you say “2:30 AM” in Japanese?
- If someone says いま よじ じゅっぷん です, what time is it?
5. Answers
- ごご じゅうじ よんじゅうごふん (gogo juuji yonjuugo fun)
- 8:05 PM
- ごぜん にじ さんじゅっぷん (gozen niji sanjuppun)
- 4:10
6. Tips for Mastering Japanese Time Expressions
- Practice daily: Look at the clock and say the time aloud in Japanese.
- Listen to native speakers: Watch Japanese TV shows or YouTube videos to hear time-related expressions in real-life contexts.
- Flashcards: Create flashcards for hours, minutes, and time-specific vocabulary.
- Roleplay: Practice asking and answering time-related questions with a friend or language partner.
Conclusion
Now you’re ready to confidently ask and tell time in Japanese! Time expressions are a key part of everyday conversation, and with practice, you’ll become fluent in no time. If you found this guide helpful, subscribe to my blog or check out my YouTube channel for more Japanese lessons. またね！(Matane!)
If you enjoyed this lesson, be sure to check out more posts like this on my blog at My Language Classes. Don’t forget to subscribe my YouTube channel and follow me on Instagram for the latest language learning tips and lessons. Leave a comment below to share your thoughts, or ask any questions you have about nouns.
Happy learning! 😊
- 映画 (えいが/eiga) は 何時ですか？