time-related phrases 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!)

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Happy learning! 😊