Japanese Time Words: Hours, Minutes & Telling Time Guide
Master telling time in Japanese! Learn hours, minutes, AM/PM, and essential time phrases. Perfect for JLPT N5 beginners with examples and tips.
"What time is it?" – you'll ask (and answer!) this question countless times in Japan. ⏰ From catching trains to meeting friends, telling time is essential survival Japanese. The good news? Japanese time-telling follows a very logical pattern!
Let's master the clock! 今何時？🕐
Hours 時 (じ) 🕐
The counter for hours is 時 (ji). Here are all 12:
| Time | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | 一時 | ichi-ji |
| 2:00 | 二時 | ni-ji |
| 3:00 | 三時 | san-ji |
| 4:00 | 四時 | yo-ji ⚠️ |
| 5:00 | 五時 | go-ji |
| 6:00 | 六時 | roku-ji |
| 7:00 | 七時 | shichi-ji |
| 8:00 | 八時 | hachi-ji |
| 9:00 | 九時 | ku-ji ⚠️ |
| 10:00 | 十時 | juu-ji |
| 11:00 | 十一時 | juuichi-ji |
| 12:00 | 十二時 | juuni-ji |
Minutes 分 (ふん/ぷん) ⏱️
Minutes use the counter 分, which reads as ふん (fun) or ぷん (pun):
| Minute | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| 1分 | いっぷん | ip-pun |
| 2分 | にふん | ni-fun |
| 3分 | さんぷん | san-pun |
| 4分 | よんぷん | yon-pun |
| 5分 | ごふん | go-fun |
| 6分 | ろっぷん | rop-pun |
| 7分 | ななふん | nana-fun |
| 8分 | はっぷん | hap-pun |
| 9分 | きゅうふん | kyuu-fun |
| 10分 | じゅっぷん | jup-pun |
| 15分 | じゅうごふん | juugo-fun |
| 30分 | さんじゅっぷん | sanjup-pun |
Half Past & Quarters
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 半 | はん | half (30 min) |
| 三時半 | san-ji han | 3:30 |
Example: 今、八時半です。(Ima, hachi-ji han desu.) - It's 8:30 now.
AM & PM 🌅🌙
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 午前 | ごぜん (gozen) | AM / morning |
| 午後 | ごご (gogo) | PM / afternoon |
| 朝 | あさ (asa) | morning |
| 昼 | ひる (hiru) | noon/daytime |
| 夜 | よる (yoru) | night |
Examples:
- 午前九時 = 9 AM
- 午後三時 = 3 PM
- 朝七時に起きます = I wake up at 7 in the morning
Asking & Telling Time 🗣️
Asking What Time
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 今何時ですか？ | What time is it now? |
| 何時に？ | At what time? |
| 何時から？ | From what time? |
| 何時まで？ | Until what time? |
Answering
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 今、三時です。 | It's 3 o'clock now. |
| 三時十五分です。 | It's 3:15. |
| 午後四時半です。 | It's 4:30 PM. |
Time-Related Words ⏰
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今 | いま | now |
| 時間 | じかん | time / hour(s) |
| 秒 | びょう | second |
| 今日 | きょう | today |
| 明日 | あした | tomorrow |
| 昨日 | きのう | yesterday |
| 毎日 | まいにち | every day |
Duration: How Long? ⏳
For duration, use 時間 (jikan) for hours:
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 一時間 | 1 hour |
| 二時間 | 2 hours |
| 三十分 | 30 minutes |
| 半時間 | half an hour |
Examples:
- 電車で一時間かかります = It takes 1 hour by train
- 二時間待ちました = I waited 2 hours
Common Time Expressions 📅
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 朝ごはん | breakfast |
| 昼ごはん | lunch |
| 夜ごはん | dinner |
| もうすぐ | soon |
| あと五分 | 5 more minutes |
| ちょっと待って | wait a moment |
| 時間がない | no time / in a hurry |
| 遅い | late / slow |
| 早い | early / fast |
Practice: Read These Times! 📖
Try reading these:
- 013:45 = 三時四十五分 (san-ji yonjuugo-fun)
- 027:30 AM = 午前七時半 (gozen shichi-ji han)
- 0310:15 PM = 午後十時十五分 (gogo juu-ji juugo-fun)
- 0412:00 noon = 正午 (shougo) or 午後十二時
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 4:00 "yo-ji" not "shi-ji"?
The reading し (shi) sounds like 死 (death), so it's avoided. 四 can be read よん (yon) or し (shi), but for time, よ (yo) is used.
How do I say "at" a specific time?
Add に after the time:
- 三時に会いましょう = Let's meet at 3 o'clock
What's the difference between 時 and 時間?
- 時 (ji) = o'clock (point in time)
- 時間 (jikan) = hours/duration
Conclusion: 時間を大切に！⏰
Telling time is one of the most practical skills in Japanese! From train schedules to dinner plans, you'll use these words daily.
Key takeaways: ✅ Hours use 時 (ji) – watch for 4 and 9! ✅ Minutes use 分 (fun/pun) ✅ 半 (han) = half past ✅ 午前/午後 = AM/PM ✅ Use に for "at" a time
Your next step: Practice numbers with KanaDojo →
時間を大切に！⏰ (Jikan wo taisetsu ni!) Value your time!
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