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!)
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Vikas Kumar is a multilingual educator, language specialist, and book author, and the founder of My Language Classes, an independent language learning platform dedicated to structured, clarity-driven language education.
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