Days, Dates & Time
Japanese Basic Conversation 1
Chapter 7 ยท Days, Dates & Time
๐ Days, Dates & Time โ ใใใณใใฒใฅใใใใใ
This is the second three-part chapter, and it is the one with the most things to memorise: Part 1 covers the days of the week and the months; Part 2 covers the days of the month (the tricky ones); Part 3 covers the clock. Learn one part at a time and use the dialogs to practise out loud. Romaji is shown under every line of Japanese.
โ Part 1 โ What Day Is It Today? โ ใใใใฏ ใชใใใใณ๏ผ
A:
ใใใใฏ ใชใใใใณใงใใใ
Kyล wa nan'yลbi desu ka.
What day of the week is it today?
B:
ใใใใใณใงใใ
Kin'yลbi desu.
It's Friday.
A:
ใใใใฏ ใฉใใใณใงใใญใ
Ashita wa doyลbi desu ne.
Tomorrow is Saturday, then.
B:
ใฏใใใใใงใใ
Hai, sล desu.
Yes, that's right.
โก Part 1 โ A Birthday โ ใใใใใใณ
A:
ใใใใใใณใฏ ใใคใงใใใ
Tanjลbi wa itsu desu ka.
When is your birthday?
B:
ใใใใค ใฟใฃใใงใใ
Sangatsu mikka desu.
It's March the 3rd.
A:
ใใใใใงใใญใ
Mล sugu desu ne.
That's soon.
โข Part 2 โ What Date Is It? โ ใชใใซใก๏ผ
A:
ใใใใ
ใใฎ ใใใใใณใฏ ใชใใซใกใงใใใ
Konshลซ no kin'yลbi wa nannichi desu ka.
What date is this Friday?
B:
ใใ
ใใใฃใใงใใ
Jลซyokka desu.
It's the 14th.
A:
ใใใใจใใใใใพใใ
Arigatล gozaimasu.
Thank you.
โฃ Part 3 โ What Time Is It? โ ใใพ ใชใใ๏ผ
A:
ใใฟใพใใใใใพ ใชใใใงใใใ
Sumimasen, ima nanji desu ka.
Excuse me, what time is it now?
B:
ใใใ ใใตใใงใใ
Sanji gofun desu.
It's 3:05.
A:
ใใใใจใใใใใพใใ
Arigatล gozaimasu.
Thank you.
โค Part 3 โ A Meeting โ ใใใ
A:
ใใใใฏ ใชใใใใใงใใใ
Kaigi wa nanji kara desu ka.
From what time is the meeting?
B:
ใใใฎ ใซใใใใงใใ
Gogo no niji kara desu.
From 2 p.m.
A:
ใชใใใพใงใงใใใ
Nanji made desu ka.
Until what time?
B:
ใใใพใงใงใใ
Yoji made desu.
Until 4 o'clock.
โฅ Part 3 โ Your Daily Routine โ ใพใใซใก
A:
ใชใใใซ ใใใพใใใ
Nanji ni okimasu ka.
What time do you get up?
B:
ใใกใใซ ใใใพใใ
Shichiji ni okimasu.
I get up at seven.
A:
ใชใใใซ ใญใพใใใ
Nanji ni nemasu ka.
What time do you go to bed?
B:
ใใ
ใใใกใใฏใใซ ใญใพใใ
Jลซichiji han ni nemasu.
I go to bed at half past eleven.
โ Part 1 โ Days of the Week and Months โ ใใใณใจ ใคใ
The seven days are named after the sun, the moon and the five elements. Each name ends in ใใใณ.
| Day | Japanese | Meaning of the first part |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | ใใคใใใณ getsuyลbi | ใใค = moon |
| Tuesday | ใใใใณ kayลbi | ใ = fire |
| Wednesday | ใใใใใณ suiyลbi | ใใ = water |
| Thursday | ใใใใใณ mokuyลbi | ใใ = wood |
| Friday | ใใใใใณ kin'yลbi | ใใ = gold; metal |
| Saturday | ใฉใใใณ doyลbi | ใฉ = earth; soil |
| Sunday | ใซใกใใใณ nichiyลbi | ใซใก = sun |
| what day? | ใชใใใใณ nan'yลbi |
Months are easy: the number plus ใใค. Just watch out for April, July and September.
| Month | Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| January | ใใกใใค ichigatsu | |
| February | ใซใใค nigatsu | |
| March | ใใใใค sangatsu | |
| April | ใใใค shigatsu | ใ, not ใใ |
| May | ใใใค gogatsu | |
| June | ใใใใค rokugatsu | |
| July | ใใกใใค shichigatsu | ใใก, not ใชใช |
| August | ใฏใกใใค hachigatsu | |
| September | ใใใค kugatsu | ใ, not ใใ ใ |
| October | ใใ
ใใใค jลซgatsu | |
| November | ใใ
ใใใกใใค jลซichigatsu | |
| December | ใใ
ใใซใใค jลซnigatsu |
Words for Today, Tomorrow and Yesterday
ใใฎใ (kinล, yesterday) ยท ใใใ (kyล, today) ยท ใใใ (ashita, tomorrow). And ใใค (itsu) means "when?".
โก Part 2 โ Days of the Month โ ใฒใฅใ
This is the trickiest part of Japanese counting: the first ten days (and a few others) have their own names. From the 11th you just add ใซใก, with the exceptions below. Learn them in small batches: 1 to 5, then 6 to 10.
| Date | Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | ใคใใใก tsuitachi | special |
| 2nd | ใตใคใ futsuka | special |
| 3rd | ใฟใฃใ mikka | special |
| 4th | ใใฃใ yokka | special |
| 5th | ใใคใ itsuka | special |
| 6th | ใใใ muika | special |
| 7th | ใชใฎใ nanoka | special |
| 8th | ใใใ yลka | special |
| 9th | ใใใฎใ kokonoka | special |
| 10th | ใจใใ tลka | special |
| 11th | ใใ
ใใใกใซใก jลซichinichi | number + ใซใก from here |
| 14th | ใใ
ใใใฃใ jลซyokka | special again: 4 is ใใฃใ |
| 20th | ใฏใคใ hatsuka | special |
| 24th | ใซใใ
ใใใฃใ nijลซyokka | special again: 4 is ใใฃใ |
| 30th | ใใใใ
ใใซใก sanjลซnichi | |
| what date? | ใชใใซใก nannichi |
The Exceptions to Remember
1stโ10th are special words. 14th (ใใ
ใใใฃใ) and 24th (ใซใใ
ใใใฃใ) keep the special ใใฃใ. The 20th is ใฏใคใ. All other days are number + ใซใก: the 15th is ใใ
ใใใซใก, the 28th is ใซใใ
ใใฏใกใซใก.
โข Part 3 โ Telling the Time โ ใใใ
Hours are the number plus ใ. Watch for three special numbers: 4 is ใใ, 7 is ใใกใ and 9 is ใใ.
| Time | Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | ใใกใ ichiji | |
| 2:00 | ใซใ niji | |
| 3:00 | ใใใ sanji | |
| 4:00 | ใใ yoji | ใ, not ใใ or ใ |
| 5:00 | ใใ goji | |
| 6:00 | ใใใ rokuji | |
| 7:00 | ใใกใ shichiji | ใใก, not ใชใช |
| 8:00 | ใฏใกใ hachiji | |
| 9:00 | ใใ kuji | ใ, not ใใ ใ |
| 10:00 | ใใ
ใใ jลซji | |
| 11:00 | ใใ
ใใใกใ jลซichiji | |
| 12:00 | ใใ
ใใซใ jลซniji |
Minutes use ใตใ / ใทใ (fun / pun). You met this change in Hiragana 2: ใตใ becomes ใทใ after ใ and after small ใฃ.
| Minutes | Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ใใฃใทใ ippun | |
| 2 | ใซใตใ nifun | |
| 3 | ใใใทใ sanpun | |
| 4 | ใใใทใ yonpun | |
| 5 | ใใตใ gofun | |
| 6 | ใใฃใทใ roppun | |
| 7 | ใชใชใตใ nanafun | |
| 8 | ใฏใฃใทใ happun | |
| 9 | ใใ
ใใตใ kyลซfun | |
| 10 | ใใ
ใฃใทใ juppun | |
| 30 / half past | ใฏใ / ใใใใ
ใฃใทใ han / sanjuppun | ใฏใ is the usual way to say "half past" |
A.M., P.M. and "Half Past"
ใใใ (gozen) is a.m. and ใใ (gogo) is p.m., placed before the time: ใใใใใ is 3 p.m. ใฏใ means "half": ใใใใฏใ is 3:30. And ใใ (from) and ใพใง (until) work with times: ใใใใ ใใใพใง, "from nine to five".
๐ค Three More Verbs โ ใฉใใ
| Verb | Present (polite) | Negative | Past |
|---|---|---|---|
| to get up (ใใใ) | ใใใพใ okimasu | ใใใพใใ okimasen | ใใใพใใ okimashita |
| to sleep; to go to bed (ใญใ) | ใญใพใ nemasu | ใญใพใใ nemasen | ใญใพใใ nemashita |
| to end; to finish (ใใใ) | ใใใใพใ owarimasu | ใใใใพใใ owarimasen | ใใใใพใใ owarimashita |
๐ Vocabulary โ ใใ
20 key words. Read the Japanese first, then check the romaji.
| # | Japanese | Romaji | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ใใใณ | -yลbi | day of the week | noun |
| 2 | ใใคใใใณ | getsuyลbi | Monday | noun |
| 3 | ใใใใณ | kayลbi | Tuesday | noun |
| 4 | ใใใใใณ | suiyลbi | Wednesday | noun |
| 5 | ใใใใใณ | mokuyลbi | Thursday | noun |
| 6 | ใใใใใณ | kin'yลbi | Friday | noun |
| 7 | ใฉใใใณ | doyลbi | Saturday | noun |
| 8 | ใซใกใใใณ | nichiyลbi | Sunday | noun |
| 9 | ใใค | -gatsu | month (counter) | noun |
| 10 | ใซใก | -nichi | day of the month (counter) | noun |
| 11 | ใ | -ji | o'clock | noun |
| 12 | ใตใ / ใทใ | -fun / -pun | minute | noun |
| 13 | ใฏใ | han | half (past) | noun |
| 14 | ใใใ | gozen | a.m.; morning | noun |
| 15 | ใใ | gogo | p.m.; afternoon | noun |
| 16 | ใใพ | ima | now | noun |
| 17 | ใชใใ | nanji | what time | noun |
| 18 | ใใใ | kyล | today | noun |
| 19 | ใใใ | ashita | tomorrow | noun |
| 20 | ใใฎใ | kinล | yesterday | noun |
Real Japanese Tip โ The Date Order
Dates in Japan go from biggest to smallest: year, then month, then day. So 3 March is ใใใใค ใฟใฃใ (March 3rd), not "the 3rd of March". Learn to read dates that way, since it affects every sign, ticket and form.
24-Hour Clock on Timetables
In conversation Japanese people use the 12-hour clock with ใใใ and ใใ, but train timetables, TV listings and shop notices often use the 24-hour clock: ใใ
ใใใใ is 1 p.m. (13:00). When in doubt, count back from 12.
Why the Days Are Named That Way
The names come from the old Chinese idea of the seven heavenly bodies: the moon, fire (Mars), water (Mercury), wood (Jupiter), metal (Venus), earth (Saturn) and the sun. English uses the same idea for three of its days: Monday is the moon day, Saturday is Saturn's day and Sunday is the sun day.
Kanji Spotlight โ ๆฅ ๆ ็ซ ๆฐด ๆจ ้ ๅ
The seven days are written with the seven kanji: ๆฅ (sun), ๆ (moon), ็ซ (fire), ๆฐด (water), ๆจ (wood), ้ (gold) and ๅ (earth), each followed by ๆๆฅ (yลbi, "day of the week"). Kanji for day of the week go: ๆๆๆฅ (Monday) ยท ็ซๆๆฅ (Tuesday) ยท ๆฐดๆๆฅ ยท ๆจๆๆฅ ยท ้ๆๆฅ ยท ๅๆๆฅ ยท ๆฅๆๆฅ. Have a look at each: ๆฅ โธ ยท ๆ โธ ยท ็ซ โธ ยท ๆฐด โธ ยท ๆจ โธ ยท ้ โธ ยท ๅ โธ ยท ๆ โธ
โ๏ธ Try It Yourself โ ใใใใ ใ
Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.
1. Say the days of the week from Monday to Sunday.
Show answer
ใใคใใใณใใใใใณใใใใใใณใใใใใใณใใใใใใณใใฉใใใณใใซใกใใใณ
2. Say "My birthday is March 3rd."
Show answer
ใใใใใใณใฏ ใใใใค ใฟใฃใใงใใ
3. Say "4:30", "7:00" and "9:15".
Show answer
ใใใฏใ ยท ใใกใ ยท ใใ ใใ ใใใตใ
4. Ask what time it is, politely.
Show answer
ใใฟใพใใใใใพ ใชใใใงใใใ
5. Say the 1st, the 14th and the 20th of the month.
Show answer
ใคใใใก ยท ใใ ใใใฃใ ยท ใฏใคใ
6. Say "I get up at seven and go to bed at half past eleven."
Show answer
ใใกใใซ ใใใพใใใใ ใใใกใใฏใใซ ใญใพใใ
Coming Up in Chapter 8
Ordering food and drink at a cafรฉ: ใใ ใใ ใใ, ใใ ใใญใใใใพใ, the katakana menu words (ใณใผใใผ, ใฑใผใญ, ใตใณใใคใใ โฆ) and counting small things.