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

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.