Lesson 5: Telling the Time

Time matters in Japan: trains leave on the minute and workplaces expect you to be early. This lesson gives you the hours, the minutes and the patterns to ask and answer.

Hours: ～じ

Minutes: ～ふん / ～ぷん

The ending changes between fun and pun depending on the number before it. The pattern is: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 take ぷん (with small っ or ん), the others take ふん.

Saying the full time

ごぜん = a.m., ごご = p.m. (they come before the number). Ask with いま なんじですか. Timetables and announcements often use the 24-hour clock: 13:05 is じゅうさんじ ごふん.

From ... until ...: から and まで

から = from, まで = until/to, like देखि and सम्म in Nepali. They work with times and places.

Time-of-day words

Kanji spotlight

Timetables use these kanji: 9時30分 = 9:30. Once you know the readings, you can read a train or work timetable.

Dialogue: at the station

Every ▶ button plays a clear computer voice, which is good for learning sounds and rhythm but is not a native speaker. Pitch (the rise and fall of the voice) can sound a little flat. Also listen to real Japanese as often as you can: videos, news for learners (NHK Easy), and Japanese people around you.

Check yourself

Try to answer every question before you look at the answers.

1. Read 4:00.
2. Read 7:00 and 9:00.
3. Which numbers take ぷん?
4. Read 3:15 p.m.
5. Say 6:30 in two ways.
6. Ask "What time is it now?"
7. Say: "The bank is open from 9 to 3."
8. What do ごぜん and ごご mean, and where do they go?
9. How is 13:05 said on a timetable?
10. What does the kanji 分 read as for minutes?

Answers

Count your correct answers. If you got fewer than 7 out of 10, read the lesson again and listen to the audio once more.

1. よじ.
2. しちじ and くじ.
3. 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 (いっぷん, さんぷん, よんぷん, ろっぷん, はっぷん, じゅっぷん).
4. ごご さんじ じゅうごふん.
5. ろくじ はん / ろくじ さんじゅっぷん.
6. いま なんじですか。
7. ぎんこうは くじから さんじまでです。
8. a.m. and p.m.; they come before the number.
9. じゅうさんじ ごふん.
10. ふん / ぷん.