๐ Telling the Time โ ๆ้ใใใ
๐ Telling the Time โ ๆ้ใใใ
Hours, minutes, AM/PM, and making plans โ everything you need to talk about time in natural, everyday Japanese. Watch out for the three irregular hours!
๐ข The Hours at a Glance โ ไฝๆ๏ผ
Most hours are straightforward โ but 4, 7 and 9 o'clock have irregular readings. They are highlighted below.
ใใกใ๏ผไธๆ๏ผ
ichi-ji
1 o'clock
ใซใ๏ผไบๆ๏ผ
ni-ji
2 o'clock
ใใใ๏ผไธๆ๏ผ
san-ji
3 o'clock
ใใ๏ผๅๆ๏ผ
yo-ji โ
4 o'clock
ใใ๏ผไบๆ๏ผ
go-ji
5 o'clock
ใใใ๏ผๅ
ญๆ๏ผ
roku-ji
6 o'clock
ใใกใ๏ผไธๆ๏ผ
shichi-ji โ
7 o'clock
ใฏใกใ๏ผๅ
ซๆ๏ผ
hachi-ji
8 o'clock
ใใ๏ผไนๆ๏ผ
ku-ji โ
9 o'clock
ใใ
ใใ๏ผๅๆ๏ผ
juu-ji
10 o'clock
ใใ
ใใใกใ๏ผๅไธๆ๏ผ
juuichi-ji
11 o'clock
ใใ
ใใซใ๏ผๅไบๆ๏ผ
juuni-ji
12 o'clock
๐ฌ Dialogues
โ Asking the Time โ ใใพใชใใใงใใ๏ผ
A:
ใใฟใพใใใใใพใชใใใงใใ๏ผ
Sumimasen, ima nanji desu ka?
Excuse me, what time is it now?
B:
ใใใใฏใใงใใ
Sanji han desu.
It's half past three.
A:
ใใใใจใใใใใพใ๏ผ
Arigatou gozaimasu!
Thank you very much!
โก Making Plans โ ใใใใ
A:
ใชใใใซใใใพใใใใ๏ผ
Nanji ni aimashou ka?
What time shall we meet?
B:
ใใใใกใใฏใฉใใงใใ๏ผ
Gogo shichi-ji wa dou desu ka?
How about 7pm?
A:
ใใใงใใญ๏ผใใใใใใกใใซใ
Ii desu ne! Jaa, shichi-ji ni.
Sounds good! See you at seven then.
โข Train Departure โ ใงใใใใฎใใใ
A:
ใคใใฎใงใใใใฏใชใใใงใใ๏ผ
Tsugi no densha wa nanji desu ka?
What time is the next train?
B:
ใใ
ใใใใ
ใใใตใใงใใ
Juuji juugo-fun desu.
It's at ten fifteen.
A:
ใใจใใตใใใใชใ๏ผใใใพใใใ๏ผ
Ato go-fun shika nai! Ikimashou!
We only have five minutes left! Let's go!
โฃ Opening Hours โ ใใใใใใใใ
A:
ใใฟใพใใใใชใใใใใใใพใใ๏ผ
Sumimasen, nanji kara akimasu ka?
Excuse me, what time do you open?
B:
ใใใใใใใใใใ
ใใใพใงใงใใ
Asa ku-ji kara yoru juuji made desu.
From 9am until 10pm.
A:
ใใใใพใใใใใใใจใใใใใพใใ
Wakarimashita, arigatou gozaimasu.
I understand, thank you.
โค Restaurant Reservation โ ใใใ
A:
ใชใใใซใใใใใพใใ๏ผ
Nanji ni yoyaku shimasu ka?
What time shall we make the reservation?
B:
ใใใใใใฏใใฏใฉใใงใใ๏ผ
Gogo roku-ji han wa dou desu ka?
How about half past six in the evening?
A:
ใใใงใใญใใใญใใใใพใใ
Ii desu ne, onegai shimasu.
Sounds good, please go ahead.
โฅ Running Late โ ใใใใ
A:
ใใพใฉใใงใใ๏ผใใใฏใกใใงใใ๏ผ
Ima doko desu ka? Mou hachi-ji desu yo!
Where are you now? It's already eight o'clock!
B:
ใใใใชใใ๏ผใใจใใ
ใฃใทใใงใคใใพใใ
Gomennasai! Ato juppun de tsukimasu.
I'm sorry! I'll arrive in ten minutes.
A:
ใใใฃใใใพใฃใฆใใพใใ
Wakatta, matte imasu.
Okay, I'll be waiting.
๐ Vocabulary List โ ใใ
20 key words for telling the time. Verbs are in polite masu-form. Note the irregular hour readings!
| # | Japanese | Romaji | English | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ใชใใ๏ผไฝๆ๏ผ | nanji | what time / which hour | question | ใชใ = "what number" + ใ = hour |
| 2 | ใใ๏ผใๆ๏ผ | ~ji | o'clock (hour counter) | counter | attach to a number: ใใใ = 3 o'clock |
| 3 | ใใตใ๏ผใใทใ๏ผใๅ๏ผ | ~fun / ~pun | minutes | counter | ใใตใ=5 min, ใใ ใฃใทใ=10 min |
| 4 | ใฏใ๏ผๅ๏ผ | han | half past | noun | ใใใใฏใ = half past three |
| 5 | ใใใ๏ผๅๅ๏ผ | gozen | AM / morning | noun | ใใใใใ = 9am |
| 6 | ใใ๏ผๅๅพ๏ผ | gogo | PM / afternoon | noun | ใใใใใ = 3pm |
| 7 | ใใพ๏ผไป๏ผ | ima | now | adverb | ใใพใชใใ๏ผ= What time is it now? |
| 8 | ใใ๏ผๆ๏ผ | asa | morning | noun | |
| 9 | ใใ๏ผๅค๏ผ | yoru | evening / night | noun | |
| 10 | ใใใ | ~kara | from (starting time) | particle | ใใใใ = from 9 o'clock |
| 11 | ใใพใง | ~made | until (ending time) | particle | ใใ ใใใพใง = until 10 o'clock |
| 12 | ใใ | goro | around / approximately | adverb | ใใใใใ = around 3 o'clock |
| 13 | ใใ | mou | already | adverb | ใใใฏใกใ = it's already 8! |
| 14 | ใใจใใตใ | ato ~fun | in ~ minutes / ~ minutes left | phrase | ใใจใใตใ = 5 minutes left |
| 15 | ใใใ๏ผไบ็ด๏ผ | yoyaku | reservation / booking | noun | used for restaurants, hotels, trains |
| 16 | ใใใพใ๏ผ้ใใพใ๏ผ | akimasu | to open (a shop etc.) | verb | ใชใใใใใใใพใใ๏ผ= What time do you open? |
| 17 | ใใพใใพใ๏ผ้ใพใใพใ๏ผ | shimarimasu | to close | verb | ใชใใใซใใพใใพใใ๏ผ= What time do you close? |
| 18 | ใคใใพใ๏ผ็ใใพใ๏ผ | tsukimasu | to arrive | verb | ใใ ใฃใทใใงใคใใพใ = I'll arrive in 10 min |
| 19 | ใพใกใพใ๏ผๅพ ใกใพใ๏ผ | machimasu | to wait | verb | ใพใฃใฆใใพใ = I am waiting |
| 20 | ใฏใใพใใพใ๏ผๅงใพใใพใ๏ผ | hajimarimasu | to begin / start | verb | ใชใใใซใฏใใพใใพใใ๏ผ= What time does it start? |
โ The Three Irregular Hours โ Watch Out! Most hours follow a simple pattern (number + ใ), but three are irregular and will catch you out if you apply the rules blindly: 4ๆ = ใใ (not ใใใ), 7ๆ = ใใกใ (not ใชใชใ), and 9ๆ = ใใ (not ใใ
ใใ). These are so common that using the wrong reading sounds obviously unnatural to a Japanese ear โ worth drilling until they're automatic. A handy memory trick: 4, 7, and 9 are the same three numbers that are irregular when counting plain objects too, so once you know them in one context they'll feel familiar everywhere.