In this section, we will learn how to talk about days of the week, times of the day, and how to count in Japanese. This is essential for daily conversations and understanding schedules.
β° Times of the Day - γγγ (jikan)
In Japanese, telling time is straightforward. The word for time is γγγ (jikan). To express the time, you use the following structure: (hour) γ (ji) (minute) γ΅γ (fun) or (minute) γ·γ (pun). The word γ (ji) means hour, and γ΅γ (fun) or γ·γ (pun) means minute. Once you learn how to combine γ (ji) for hours and γ΅γ / γ·γ for minutes. But be careful! Some numbers cause pronunciation changes. Here are examples of times:
Hours - γ (ji)
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| γγ‘γ | ichiji | 1 o'clock |
| γ«γ | niji | 2 o'clock |
| γγγ | sanji | 3 o'clock |
| γγ | yoji | 4 o'clock |
| γγ | goji | 5 o'clock |
| γγγ | rokuji | 6 o'clock |
| γγ‘γ | shichiji | 7 o'clock |
| γ―γ‘γ | hachiji | 8 o'clock |
| γγ | kuji | 9 o'clock |
| γγ γγ | juuji | 10 o'clock |
| γγ γγγ‘γ | juuichiji | 11 o'clock |
| γγ γγ«γ | juuniji | 12 o'clock |
π Note: Numbers 4, 7, and 9 have special pronunciations when used with time. Instead of γγ (yon), γͺγͺ (nana), and γγ γ (kyuu), they become γγ (yoji), γγ‘γ (shichiji), and γγ (kuji) respectively.
Minutes - γ΅γ (fun) / γ·γ (pun)
The word for minutes is γ΅γ (fun) or γ·γ (pun). The pronunciation changes depending on the number of minutes. The general rules is:
Additionally, 1, 6, 8, and 10 use the small γ£ (tsu) to indicate a pause in pronunciation.
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| γγ£γ·γ | ippun | 1 minute |
| γ«γ΅γ | nifun | 2 minutes |
| γγγ·γ | sanpun | 3 minutes |
| γγγ·γ | yonpun | 4 minutes |
| γγ΅γ | gofun | 5 minutes |
| γγ£γ·γ | roppun | 6 minutes |
| γͺγͺγ΅γ | nanafun | 7 minutes |
| γ―γ£γ·γ | happun | 8 minutes |
| γγ γγ΅γ | kyuufun | 9 minutes |
| γγ γ£γ·γ | juppun | 10 minutes |
π§ Sample Times
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | γγ‘γ | ichiji |
| 2:30 | γ«γγγγγ γ£γ·γ | niji sanjuppun |
| 3:15 | γγγγγ γγγ΅γ | sanji juugofun |
| 4:45 | γγγγγγ γγγ΅γ | yoji yonjuugofun |
| 5:50 | γγγγγ γ£γ·γ | goji gojuppun |
| 6:05 | γγγγγ΅γ | rokuji gofun |
| 7:20 | γγ‘γγ«γγ γ£γ·γ | shichiji nijuppun |
π°οΈ Special Case
There are aspecial cases when telling time in Japanese. When speaking about the 30th minute, you use the word γ―γ (han), which means "half." This will come after the hour, making the saying "half past X o'clock". For example:
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| γγ‘γγ―γ | ichiji han | 1:30 |
| γγγγ―γ | sanji han | 3:30 |
| γγγ―γ | goji han | 5:30 |
π°οΈ Morning and Afternoon
Similar to English A.M. and P.M., Japanese has specific terms for morning and afternoon. In Japanese, you use γγγ (gozen) for the morning (A.M.) and γγ (gogo) for the afternoon (P.M.). These words come before the time to indicate whether it is in the morning or afternoon. Here are some examples:
| Time | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 A.M. | γγγγ―γ‘γ | gozen hachiji |
| 1:30 P.M. | γγγγ‘γγ―γ | gogo ichiji han |
| 3:15 P.M. | γγγγγγγ γγγ΅γ | gogo sanji juugofun |
| 6:45 P.M. | γγγγγγγγγ γγγ΅γ | gogo rokuji yonjuugofun |
In addition to using γγγ (gozen) and γγ (gogo), Japanese also have a special way to express noon and midnight:
| Time | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 P.M. | γγγγ | shougo |
| 12:00 A.M. | γΎγγͺγ | mayonaka |
What time is it? - (γγΎγ―)γͺγγγ§γγοΌ (nanji desu ka?)
To ask for the time in Japanese, you can use the phrase (γγΎγ―)γͺγγγ§γγοΌ ((ima wa) nanji desu ka?), which means "(right now) What time is it?" Generally, the word γγΎ (ima), which means "right now," can be excludedHere are some examples of how to ask and answer the time:
| Question | Answer | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| γͺγγγ§γγοΌ | γγ‘γγ§γγ | ichiji desu. |
| γͺγγγ§γγοΌ | γγγγ―γγ§γγ | sanji han desu. |
| γͺγγγ§γγοΌ | γγγγγγ§γγ | gogo rokuji desu. |