I can say and ask what time it is and when I get up, work, and go to bed: なんじですか, 7時におきます, 11時ごろねます.
What time is it: ～時, ～分, 半
What time is it: ～時, ～分, 半
You need the time to arrange a meeting and to talk about your day. To ask: いまなんじですか。 To answer: 9時です。
Hours: number ＋ じ (時). Three of the hours aren't read like the plain number and are learned whole: 4時 — よじ, 7時 — しちじ, 9時 — くじ. The rest follow the rule; see the table below.
Minutes: number ＋ ふん (分). After 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 10, ふん becomes ぷん; after 1, 6, 8, and 10 there is also a pause one mora long before it, the small っ: いっぷん, ろっぷん, はっぷん, じゅっぷん. 3 and 4 have no pause: さんぷん, よんぷん. “How many minutes” is なんぷん.
Half past can be said two ways: 7時半 or 7時30分. ごぜん is a.m. (night and morning, before noon); ごご is p.m. (afternoon and evening). Unlike English a.m. and p.m., they go before the time: ごご3時 is 3 p.m., 15:00 on a digital clock.
An exact time takes the particle に, like English “at”: 7時におきます。 An approximate time takes ごろ (“around”), usually with no particle after it: 11時ごろねます。 まいあさ, まいにち, and まいばん also answer “when?” but take no particle, like English “every morning”.
Common mistakes:
• NOT よんじ — 4時 is read よじ.
• NOT いちふん — 1分 is read いっぷん.
• NOT まいあさにおきます — no particle after まいあさ.
• NOT 7時おきます — an exact time needs に.
• NOT 3時ごご → ごご3時: ごご goes before the time.
Hours: number ＋ じ
Three of the hours aren't read like the number itself — they're highlighted. Learn them whole.
| Written form | How it's read |
|---|---|
| 1時 | いちじ |
| 2時 | にじ |
| 3時 | さんじ |
| 4時 | よじ |
| 5時 | ごじ |
| 6時 | ろくじ |
| 7時 | しちじ |
| 8時 | はちじ |
| 9時 | くじ |
| 10時 | じゅうじ |
| 11時 | じゅういちじ |
| 12時 | じゅうにじ |
| what time is it? | なんじ |
Minutes: number ＋ ふん or ぷん
After 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 10 you hear ぷん; 1, 6, 8, and 10 also add the pause っ before it. Half an hour is はん.
| Written form | How it's read |
|---|---|
| 1分 | いっぷん |
| 2分 | にふん |
| 3分 | さんぷん |
| 4分 | よんぷん |
| 5分 | ごふん |
| 6分 | ろっぷん |
| 7分 | ななふん |
| 8分 | はっぷん |
| 9分 | きゅうふん |
| 10分 | じゅっぷん |
| 15分 | じゅうごふん |
| 30分 | さんじゅっぷん (or はん) |
| how many minutes? | なんぷん |
When: に, ごろ, or nothing
After ごろ the particle is usually dropped; まいあさ, まいにち, and まいばん take no particle.
| Exact time — に | Approximate — ごろ | Every time — no particle |
|---|---|---|
| 8時に | 8時ごろ | まいあさ |
| ごご2時に | ごご2時ごろ | まいにち |
| 10時半に | 10時半ごろ | まいばん |
Lesson notes
What time is it: ～時, ～分, 半
You need the time to arrange a meeting and to talk about your day. To ask: いまなんじですか。 To answer: 9時です。
Hours: number ＋ じ (時). Three of the hours aren't read like the plain number and are learned whole: 4時 — よじ, 7時 — しちじ, 9時 — くじ. The rest follow the rule; see the table below.
Minutes: number ＋ ふん (分). After 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 10, ふん becomes ぷん; after 1, 6, 8, and 10 there is also a pause one mora long before it, the small っ: いっぷん, ろっぷん, はっぷん, じゅっぷん. 3 and 4 have no pause: さんぷん, よんぷん. “How many minutes” is なんぷん.
Half past can be said two ways: 7時半 or 7時30分. ごぜん is a.m. (night and morning, before noon); ごご is p.m. (afternoon and evening). Unlike English a.m. and p.m., they go before the time: ごご3時 is 3 p.m., 15:00 on a digital clock.
An exact time takes the particle に, like English “at”: 7時におきます。 An approximate time takes ごろ (“around”), usually with no particle after it: 11時ごろねます。 まいあさ, まいにち, and まいばん also answer “when?” but take no particle, like English “every morning”.
Common mistakes:
• NOT よんじ — 4時 is read よじ.
• NOT いちふん — 1分 is read いっぷん.
• NOT まいあさにおきます — no particle after まいあさ.
• NOT 7時おきます — an exact time needs に.
• NOT 3時ごご → ごご3時: ごご goes before the time.