How to Tell the Time in Japanese: Hours, Minutes and 半

The hours

Most hours are just the number + じ. Three are different: 4 is よじ (not よんじ), 7 is しちじ and 9 is くじ, using the older readings of the numbers.

Time	Meaning	Note
ichi-ji	1:00
ni-ji	2:00
san-ji	3:00
yo-ji	4:00	special: not よんじ
go-ji	5:00
roku-ji	6:00
shichi-ji	7:00	special: not ななじ
hachi-ji	8:00
ku-ji	9:00	special: not きゅうじ
jū-ji	10:00
jūichi-ji	11:00
jūni-ji	12:00

Minutes: ふん or ぷん

分 is read fun after 2, 5, 7 and 9, and pun after 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10, where the number also shortens. Tens follow the last digit: 20 is にじゅっぷん, 25 is にじゅうごふん.

Try it: read any time aloud

Change the hour and minutes, then press play. This uses 半 for half past, as speakers usually do.

7:15 am午前七時十五分ごぜんしちじじゅうごふんgozen shichi-ji jūgo-fun

AM, PM and the 24-hour clock

午前 and 午後 go before the time, not after. Timetables, tickets and opening hours use the 24-hour clock, read the same way: 十八時 is 18:00.

The days of the week

Each day is a kanji + 曜日 yōbi (day of the week). The kanji are the sun, the moon and the five classical elements, which were linked to the planets in ancient astronomy. Calendars often shorten them to one kanji: (月), (火).

Learn the kanji and the elements and the week is easy: fire Tuesday, water Wednesday, wood Thursday, metal Friday, earth Saturday.

Times of day and “about”

Add ごろ goro after a time to mean “about”, and から … まで for “from … until”.

How long: 〜時間 and 〜分間

Add 間 (kan) for a length of time. 三時 is three o’clock; 三時間 is three hours.

Phrase	Meaning	Point or length
san-ji	three o’clock	point in time
sanjikan	three hours	length
juppun	ten past / ten minutes	both
juppunkan	for ten minutes	length
ichijikan han	an hour and a half	length

Before, after and until

Time phrases combine with 前 (before), 後 (after), まで (until) and までに (by).

寝るねるnerusleep前まえmaebeforeにni(time)歯はhateethをo(object)磨きますみがきますmigakimasubrush

Neru mae ni ha o migakimasu.“I brush my teeth before bed.”Why: Dictionary form + 前に.

食べたたべたtabetaate後あとatoafterでde(time)散歩しますさんぽしますsanpo shimasutake a walk

Tabeta ato de sanpo shimasu.“I take a walk after eating.”Why: た form + 後で.

五時ごじgo-jifiveまでmadeuntil働きますはたらきますhatarakimasuwork

Go-ji made hatarakimasu.“I work until five.”Why: まで: continuing until.

五時ごじgo-jifiveまでにmade niby帰りますかえりますkaerimasugo home

Go-ji made ni kaerimasu.“I’ll be home by five.”Why: までに: a deadline.

Reading a timetable

Timetables and opening hours use the 24-hour clock and a few fixed words.

Check yourself

Say each time, then open the answer.

4 o’clock
Show answer
yo-jiNot よんじ.
7:30
Show answer
shichi-ji han
9:10
Show answer
ku-ji juppun
3 pm
Show answer
gogo san-ji午後 goes first.
for two hours
Show answer
nijikan間: a length of time.

Time in sentences

A specific time takes に (at); words like 今日 or 毎日 do not.

今いまimanow何時なんじnan-jiwhat timeですdesuisかka(question)

Ima nan-ji desu ka.“What time is it now?”Why: The answer replaces 何時 with the time: 今四時です, “it’s four now”.

毎朝まいあさmaiasaevery morning七時しちじshichi-jiseven o’clockにniat起きますおきますokimasuget up

Maiasa shichi-ji ni okimasu.“I get up at seven every morning.”Why: に marks the clock time. 毎朝 is a general time word, so it takes no particle.

店みせmisethe shopはwa(topic)十時じゅうじjū-jitenからkarafrom八時はちじhachi-jieightまでmadeuntilですdesuis

Mise wa jū-ji kara hachi-ji made desu.“The shop is open from ten to eight.”Why: から and まで work like English “from” and “until”; です stands in for “is open”.

Telling the time: 時, 分 and 半