Japanese Time Expressions: Complete Guide to Telling Time, Days, and Dates

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import { Callout, InfoBox } from '@/components/blog/mdx/components' Whether you're scheduling meetings, catching trains, or making dinner plans in Japan, knowing how to express time is absolutely crucial. This guide covers everything you need! Imagine trying to meet a friend in Tokyo without knowing how to say "3 PM on Tuesday"! Time expressions are among the most practical Japanese you'll ever learn. The good news? Japanese time expressions follow logical patterns that are actually easier than English once you get the hang of it. ## How to Tell Time in Japanese Let's start with the basics: telling time on a clock. ### Hours (～時 ji) - 1:00 - **一時** (ichi-ji) - 2:00 - **二時** (ni-ji) - 3:00 - **三時** (san-ji) - 4:00 - **四時** (yo-ji) *Note: NOT yon-ji* - 5:00 - **五時** (go-ji) - 6:00 - **六時** (roku-ji) - 7:00 - **七時** (shichi-ji) *Note: NOT nana-ji* - 8:00 - **八時** (hachi-ji) - 9:00 - **九時** (ku-ji) *Note: NOT kyuu-ji* - 10:00 - **十時** (juu-ji) - 11:00 - **十一時** (juu-ichi-ji) - 12:00 - **十二時** (juu-ni-ji) Pay attention to 4:00 (yo-ji), 7:00 (shichi-ji), and 9:00 (ku-ji). These use special readings to avoid confusion! ### Minutes (～分 fun/pun) Minutes are trickier because the pronunciation changes: **Pattern 1: fun** - 2分 (ni-fun), 5分 (go-fun), 7分 (nana-fun), 9分 (kyuu-fun) **Pattern 2: pun** - 1分 (ip-pun), 3分 (san-pun), 4分 (yon-pun), 6分 (rop-pun), 8分 (hap-pun), 10分 (jup-pun) **Every 5 minutes:** - 5分 (go-fun) - 5 minutes - 10分 (jup-pun) - 10 minutes - 15分 (juu-go-fun) - 15 minutes - 20分 (ni-jup-pun) - 20 minutes - 25分 (ni-juu-go-fun) - 25 minutes - 30分 (san-jup-pun) or **半** (han) - half past - 45分 (yon-juu-go-fun) - 45 minutes ### Putting It Together To say the time, just combine hours + minutes: - 3:15 → **三時十五分** (san-ji juu-go-fun) - 7:30 → **七時半** (shichi-ji han) or **七時三十分** (shichi-ji san-jup-pun) - 9:45 → **九時四十五分** (ku-ji yon-juu-go-fun) ## Days of the Week (曜日 youbi) Japanese days of the week are based on elements and celestial bodies: - Monday - **月曜日** (getsuyoubi) - Moon day - Tuesday - **火曜日** (kayoubi) - Fire day - Wednesday - **水曜日** (suiyoubi) - Water day - Thursday - **木曜日** (mokuyoubi) - Wood day - Friday - **金曜日** (kinyoubi) - Gold/Metal day - Saturday - **土曜日** (doyoubi) - Earth day - Sunday - **日曜日** (nichiyoubi) - Sun day The first five days follow the Chinese five elements: Moon, Fire, Water, Wood, Metal. Weekend days are Earth and Sun! ## Months of the Year (月 gatsu) This is the easiest part - just add 月 (gatsu) to numbers: - January - **一月** (ichi-gatsu) - February - **二月** (ni-gatsu) - March - **三月** (san-gatsu) - April - **四月** (shi-gatsu) - May - **五月** (go-gatsu) - June - **六月** (roku-gatsu) - July - **七月** (shichi-gatsu) - August - **八月** (hachi-gatsu) - September - **九月** (ku-gatsu) - October - **十月** (juu-gatsu) - November - **十一月** (juu-ichi-gatsu) - December - **十二月** (juu-ni-gatsu) ## Dates (日 nichi/ka) Dates are the most complex because the first 10 days have special names: - 1st - **一日** (tsuitachi) *Completely irregular!* - 2nd - **二日** (futsuka) - 3rd - **三日** (mikka) - 4th - **四日** (yokka) - 5th - **五日** (itsuka) - 6th - **六日** (muika) - 7th - **七日** (nanoka) - 8th - **八日** (youka) - 9th - **九日** (kokonoka) - 10th - **十日** (tooka) From 11th onwards, mostly add にち (nichi): - 11th - **十一日** (juu-ichi-nichi) - 12th - **十二日** (juu-ni-nichi) - 13th - **十三日** (juu-san-nichi) **Exceptions:** - 14th - **十四日** (juu-yokka) - 20th - **二十日** (hatsuka) - 24th - **二十四日** (ni-juu-yokka) ## Time-Related Vocabulary ### Times of Day - Morning - **朝** (asa) - Noon - **昼** (hiru) - Afternoon - **午後** (gogo) - Evening - **夕方** (yuugata) - Night - **夜** (yoru) - Midnight - **真夜中** (mayonaka) - Dawn - **明け方** (akegata) ### Relative Time **Days:** - Today - **今日** (kyou) - Yesterday - **昨日** (kinou) - Tomorrow - **明日** (ashita) - Day before yesterday - **一昨日** (ototoi) - Day after tomorrow - **明後日** (asatte) **Weeks:** - This week - **今週** (konshuu) - Last week - **先週** (senshuu) - Next week - **来週** (raishuu) **General:** - Now - **今** (ima) - Later - **後で** (ato de) - Soon - **すぐ** (sugu) - Recently - **最近** (saikin) ## Essential Time Phrases Here are must-know phrases for daily conversation: These five phrases will cover 80% of your time-related conversations! 1. **今何時ですか？** (ima nan-ji desu ka?) - What time is it now? 2. **何時に会いましょうか？** (nan-ji ni aimashō ka?) - What time shall we meet? 3. **何曜日ですか？** (nan-yōbi desu ka?) - What day of the week is it? 4. **今日は何日ですか？** (kyō wa nan-nichi desu ka?) - What's today's date? 5. **何時から何時までですか？** (nan-ji kara nan-ji made desu ka?) - From what time to what time? ## Common Time Patterns ### Making Appointments - **[Day]の[Time]に** - On [Day] at [Time] - Example: 月曜日の三時に (getsuyōbi no san-ji ni) - On Monday at 3 o'clock - **[Date]日の[Time]に** - On the [Date] at [Time] - Example: 十五日の午後二時に (jūgo-nichi no gogo ni-ji ni) - On the 15th at 2 PM ### Duration To express duration, add 間 (kan): - 一時間 (ichi-jikan) - 1 hour - 三十分間 (sanjuppun-kan) - 30 minutes - 二週間 (ni-shūkan) - 2 weeks - 三ヶ月間 (san-kagetsu-kan) - 3 months ## Quick Reference Card Screenshot this section for a handy reference when you're out and about in Japan! **Time Quick Reference:** - Hour: ～時 (ji) - Minute: ～分 (fun/pun) - Half past: 半 (han) - AM: 午前 (gozen) - PM: 午後 (gogo) - What time?: 何時？ (nan-ji?) - When?: いつ？ (itsu?) ## Cultural Notes - **Punctuality is crucial** - Being on time is a sign of respect - **24-hour time** is common for schedules and transportation - **"About" time** - Use ごろ (goro) after time for "around/about" - Example: 三時ごろ (san-ji goro) - Around 3 o'clock ## Conclusion Congratulations! You now have all the tools to handle time in Japanese. Whether you're catching the 7:15 morning train, meeting friends for lunch on Saturday, or scheduling a dentist appointment for the 23rd, you're ready. Remember: - Practice telling the time whenever you look at a clock - Use a Japanese calendar to get familiar with dates - Set your phone to display Japanese days of the week Time expressions might seem overwhelming at first, but they're used so frequently that you'll master them quickly through daily practice. 時間を大切に！(Jikan wo taisetsu ni! - Value your time!)