Time is a universal concept that plays a crucial role in daily communication. In Japanese, expressing time involves specific vocabulary and structures that differ significantly from English. This comprehensive guide will walk you through how to ask for the time, understand basic time-related vocabulary, and articulate hours and minutes in Japanese. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to polish your skills, mastering these expressions will enhance your ability to schedule activities, make plans, and navigate daily life in Japan.
- How to Ask for the Time in Japanese
- Basic Words for Time
- Telling Time in Japanese: Hours Chart
- Telling Time in Japanese: Minutes Chart
- Combine Time (Hours & Minutes Example)
- How to Answer for the Time
How to Ask for the Time in Japanese
When you need to ask someone for the time in Japanese, you can use the following phrase:
- 今何時ですか？ (Ima nan-ji desu ka?)
- Translation: What time is it now?
This phrase is both polite and straightforward, making it suitable for a wide range of situations. “今” (ima) means “now,” “何時” (nan-ji) translates to “what time,” and “ですか” (desu ka) turns the phrase into a question.
Basic Words for Time (hour, minute, second, time…)
To discuss time more effectively, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the basic time-related vocabulary:
- 時間 (Jikan) – Time
- 時 (Ji) – Hour
- 分 (Fun/Pun) – Minute
- 秒 (Byou) – Second
These terms form the foundation of telling time in Japanese and are used in various combinations to articulate specific times of the day.
Telling Time in Japanese: Hours Chart
Here is a simple chart explaining how to say the hours in Japanese. Note that in Japan, the 12-hour clock is commonly used in conversation, with context indicating whether it’s AM or PM.
| English | Japanese | Pronunciation |
| 1 o’clock | 一時 (いちじ) | Ichi-ji |
| 2 o’clock | 二時 (にじ) | Ni-ji |
| 3 o’clock | 三時 (さんじ) | San-ji |
| 4 o’clock | 四時 (よじ) | Yo-ji |
| 5 o’clock | 五時 (ごじ) | Go-ji |
| 6 o’clock | 六時 (ろくじ) | Roku-ji |
| 7 o’clock | 七時 (しちじ) | Shichi-ji |
| 8 o’clock | 八時 (はちじ) | Hachi-ji |
| 9 o’clock | 九時 (くじ) | Ku-ji |
| 10 o’clock | 十時 (じゅうじ) | Juu-ji |
| 11 o’clock | 十一時 (じゅういちじ) | Juu-ichi-ji |
| 12 o’clock | 十二時 (じゅうにじ) | Juu-ni-ji |
Telling Time in Japanese: Minutes Chart
Minutes in Japanese are expressed by simply adding the number before “分 (fun/pun).” Here is how you might articulate different minutes:
| English | Japanese | Pronunciation |
| 1 minute | 一分 (いっぷん) | Ippun |
| 5 minutes | 五分 (ごふん) | Gofun |
| 10 minutes | 十分 (じゅっぷん) | Juppun |
| 15 minutes | 十五分 (じゅうごふん) | Juugo-fun |
| 30 minutes | 三十分 (さんじゅっぷん) | Sanjuppun |
| 45 minutes | 四十五分 (よんじゅうごふん) | Yonjuugo-fun |
| 59 minutes | 五十九分 (ごじゅうきゅうふん) | Gojuukyuu-fun |
Combine Time (Hours & Minutes Example)
To combine hours and minutes, simply state the hour followed by the minute:
- 三時十五分 (さんじじゅうごふん)
- Translation: 3:15
Here’s how you would say a few more combinations:
- 七時二十分 (しちじにじゅっぷん) – 7:20
- 十一時五十分 (じゅういちじごじゅっぷん) – 11:50
How to Answer for the Time in Japanese
When responding to someone asking the time, you can structure your response in the same way you would state the time normally. For example, if someone asks “今何時ですか？ (Ima nan-ji desu ka?)” meaning “What time is it now?”, a polite response would be to say the current time.
