Clock Time
Hours and Minutes
Clock Time
Clock Hour = 時(じ）
Minutes – 分(ふん)
XX:30 – X時半(はん）
The word for clock hours in Japanese is 時(じ). Simply add a number to make a time.
- 1時 – 1 o’clock.
Times with 4 and 9 have different pronunciations.
- 4時 – よじ
- 9時 –くじ
- 14時 – じゅうよじ
- 19時 – じゅうくじ
- 24時 – にじゅうよじ
You count minutes with 分(ふん). The usual sound changes occur. See the chart below.
- 1時22分 – 1:22
You can use 半(はん) “half” to say XX:30 instead of 30分
- 3時半 – さんじはん – 3:30
Clock Time Table
| Number | ~時(じ） | ~分(fun) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | いちじ | いっぷん |
| 2 | にじ | にふん |
| 3 | さんじ | さんぷん |
| 4 | よじ | よんふん |
| 5 | ごじ | ごふん |
| 6 | ろくじ | ろっぷん |
| 7 | ななじ/しちじ | ななふん |
| 8 | はちじ | はっぷん/はちふん |
| 9 | くじ | きゅうふん |
| 10 | じゅうじ | じゅっぷん |
| 11 | じゅういちじ | じゅういっぷん |
| 12 | じゅうにじ | じゅうにふん |
Time marker に
The particle に is used to specify a time. This に functions like at or in.
- 3時半に -さんじはんに – At 3:30
- 5時に会う – ごじに あう – Meet at 5:00
- 17時半にたべる – じゅうしちじはんに たべる- Eat at 17:00
- 12時21分にみた- じゅうにじ にじゅういっぷんに みた – Saw at 12:21
You can also use に for other types of time words as well:
- ひるにたべる – eat at around noon.
- ごぜんにたべる – eat before noon.
- あさにたべる – Eat in the morning.
ごろ
You may add ごろ before に to indicate an approximate time. に may be dropped, but you will need a comma.
- 5時半ごろ – around 5:30.
- 18時ごろに帰る – Get/go home at around 18:00
- 13時ごろ、魚を食べた – Ate fish around 13:00
See also ぐらい and ごろ
A.M. and P.M.
In Japan, people usually use the 24 hour clock like so:
- 17時 = 5 p.m.
However, you may specify a.m and p.m. by placing the following words before the time.
a.m. words:
- ごぜん – before noon (a.m.)
- あさ – Morning
p.m. words:
- ごご – after noon (p.m.)
- よる – Night
Examples:
- 午前5時 – ごぜん ごじ – a.m. 5:00.
- 午後八時 – ごご はちじ – p.m. 8:00
- 朝7時に起きた – あさ しちじに おきた – I woke up at 7 in the morning.
Please see Past, Present, and Future for more time words.