How to Tell the Time in Japanese: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

Learning how to tell the time in Japanese is one of the most practical skills for beginners. Whether you’re planning to visit Japan, preparing for the JLPT exam, or simply exploring Japanese culture, understanding how time is expressed can make your daily communication smoother and more natural.

Fortunately, how to tell the time in Japanese for beginners is quite simple. Unlike English, where we use expressions like “quarter past” or “half to,” Japanese time-telling relies primarily on numbers and counters. Once you get used to the system, you’ll realize that it’s very logical and easy to remember.

Let’s dive into everything you need to know to master time in Japanese hiragana, hours, minutes, and even months.

The Basic Words You Need to Know How to Tell the Time in Japanese

Before learning how to say time in Japanese, let’s begin with the essential vocabulary. To tell the time correctly, you’ll use these key terms:

• 時 (じ, ji) = hour
• 分 (ふん・ぷん, fun/pun) = minutes
• 半 (はん, han) = half past
• 午前 (ごぜん, gozen) = AM
• 午後 (ごご, gogo) = PM

These elements combine with Japanese numbers to form complete expressions of time.

You can explore more study tips and grammar guides at Japanese language institute.

Saying the Hours in Japanese

The structure for expressing hours in Japanese is simple: Number 時 (ji).
For example, “1 o’clock” is 一時 (いちじ, ichi ji).

Here’s the list of hours from 0 to 24 in Japanese:

• 零時 (れいじ, rei ji) = 0 o’clock
• 一時 (いちじ, ichi ji) = 1 o’clock
• 二時 (にじ, ni ji) = 2 o’clock
• 三時 (さんじ, san ji) = 3 o’clock
• 四時 (よじ, yo ji) = 4 o’clock
• 五時 (ごじ, go ji) = 5 o’clock
• 六時 (ろくじ, roku ji) = 6 o’clock
• 七時 (しちじ, shichi ji) = 7 o’clock
• 八時 (はちじ, hachi ji) = 8 o’clock
• 九時 (くじ, ku ji) = 9 o’clock
• 十時 (じゅうじ, jū ji) = 10 o’clock
• 十一時 (じゅういちじ, jūichi ji) = 11 o’clock
• 十二時 (じゅうにじ, jūni ji) = 12 o’clock
• 二十四時 (にじゅうよじ, nijūyo ji) = 24 o’clock

When specifying morning or afternoon, you simply add AM (午前 gozen) or PM (午後 gogo) before the time.

Learn more about essential Japanese grammar rules to strengthen your JLPT N1 preparation.

Examples:

• 午前七時 (ごぜんしちじ, gozen shichiji) = 7 AM
• 午後二時 (ごごにじ, gogo niji) = 2 PM

Pro Tip: In Japan, you may sometimes see times written as 26:00 or 28:00 on schedules. This means the time goes past midnight, often used for transport, TV schedules, or nightlife timings.

Read More-: https://youtube.com/shorts/4jb-Sjbehlc?si=O0Mj6ObK0QZrBCxf

How to Say the Minutes in Japanese

Saying minutes in Japanese can be tricky because the pronunciation of “分” (minute) changes depending on the number. It is either fun (ふん) or pun (ぷん), and certain numbers cause slight pronunciation changes.

Let’s look at some examples to make this clear.

Use ふん (fun) when the number ends in 2, 5, 7, or 9:

• 二分 (にふん, ni fun) = 2 minutes
• 五分 (ごふん, go fun) = 5 minutes (5 minutes in Japanese)
• 七分 (ななふん, nana fun) = 7 minutes
• 九分 (きゅうふん, kyū fun) = 9 minutes

Use ぷん (pun) when the number ends in 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, or 10:

• 一分 (いっぷん, ippun) = 1 minute
• 三分 (さんぷん, san pun) = 3 minutes
• 四分 (よんぷん, yon pun) = 4 minutes
• 六分 (ろっぷん, roppun) = 6 minutes
• 八分 (はっぷん, happun) = 8 minutes
• 十分 (じゅっぷん, juppun) = 10 minutes

Once you’ve mastered this pattern, you’ll be able to easily combine hours and minutes.

Check out the Top 10 Japanese phrases every traveler must know to boost your everyday communication.

Combining Hours and Minutes

When combining both, the hour comes first, followed by the minute.

Examples:

• 一時半 (いちじはん, ichi ji han) = half past one
• 三時三十六分 (さんじさんじゅうろっぷん, san ji sanjū roppun) = 3:36
• 午前七時十五分 (ごぜんしちじじゅうごふん, gozen shichiji jūgo fun) = 7:15 AM

This structure works for any time of day and is very easy to adapt once you know the basic pattern.

Read More-: https://youtu.be/iPHSOE7nnNM?si=Axh7Q4GooYfpnAGj

Understanding “Half Past” and Other Common Time Expressions

In Japanese, half past is expressed using 半 (はん, han) after the hour.
For instance:

• 六時半 (ろくじはん, roku ji han) = half past six (6:30)

If you want to say a specific minute, just replace 半 with the appropriate 分 (fun/pun) expression.

Some additional useful terms:

• 今 (いま, ima) = now
• 時々 (ときどき, tokidoki) = sometimes
• 時間 (じかん, jikan) = time (general concept)

Improve your pronunciation with this detailed Japanese pronunciation guide to sound more natural.

How to Ask the Time in Japanese

If you want to ask someone for the time in Japanese, the most natural way is:

今何時ですか？ (いまなんじですか, Ima nanji desu ka?)
= What time is it now?

You can respond using the same structure:

• 今は三時です (いまはさんじです, Ima wa sanji desu) = It’s 3 o’clock now.

These expressions are very common and essential in daily conversation.

Time in Japanese Hiragana and Kanji

For complete beginners, it’s helpful to learn time in Japanese hiragana along with kanji to improve reading fluency. Here are some examples:

You can enhance your skills through study guides and practice exercises on TLS Resources.

Practicing both scripts helps you recognize time expressions in signs, schedules, and conversations.

Tips for Beginners Learning How to Tell the Time in Japanese Alphabet

When learning how to tell the time in Japanese alphabet, focus on these steps:

1. Memorize numbers 1–24 and their readings in Japanese.
2. Understand counters like 時 (hour) and 分 (minute).
3. Practice pronunciation, especially of 分 (fun/pun).
4. Combine patterns to form complete time expressions.
5. Watch Japanese TV or listen to radio schedules to hear real usage.

Beginners often find pronunciation the hardest part, so repeating time aloud helps solidify memory.

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Understanding Months in Japanese

Although this guide focuses on how to tell the time in Japanese, it’s also useful to know months in Japanese, as they follow a similar numeric system.

Like telling time, months in Japanese are straightforward because they’re simply numbers plus the word 月 (がつ, gatsu).

Common Mistakes and Pronunciation Tips

Here are a few common mistakes beginners make when learning how to tell the time in Japanese:

• Mixing up fun and pun pronunciations.
• Forgetting to use gozen and gogo for AM/PM.
• Confusing 時 (ji) and 分 (fun) order.

Pro Tip: When in doubt, listen to native speakers or use pronunciation apps. Many online platforms, such as TLS – The Japanese Language School, offer pronunciation-focused lessons that help learners sound natural and confident.

Explore the best apps to learn Japanese in 2025 for beginners & JLPT aspirants for efficient learning.

Practice Exercises for Learning Japanese Time

Try these exercises to strengthen your understanding:

1. Translate these into Japanese:
   
   
   • 3:30 PM
   • 9:15 AM
   • 12:45
2. Listen to Japanese announcements (like train schedules) and note the times mentioned.
3. Practice saying what time you wake up, eat, and go to bed — in Japanese.

Example:
私は午前六時に起きます。(Watashi wa gozen rokuji ni okimasu.)
= I wake up at 6 AM.

How to Master Time Expressions Fast

The fastest way to master how to tell the time in Japanese is through regular speaking practice. Watching Japanese dramas, listening to native speakers, and engaging in structured lessons all help you grasp the natural rhythm of time expressions.

If you want guided support, joining a professional course such as those offered by TLS – The Japanese Language School can help you build fluency through live sessions, cultural immersion, and JLPT preparation.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)  How to Tell Time in Japanese Language

Q1. How to tell time in Japanese language?

To tell time in Japanese, you use the structure “X ji Y fun,” where “ji” means hour and “fun/pun” means minute.
For example:

• 3:00 is san-ji (三時)
• 3:30 is san-ji han (三時半)
  The key is learning how to pronounce each number with its correct counter.

Q2. How do you say 77777777777777777 in Japanese?

That large number in Japanese is said by grouping digits every four places, following the man (万) and oku (億) system.
So, 77,777,777,777,777,777 is approximately nanajū-nana-kei-nanajū-nana-chō-nanajū-nana-oku-nanajū-nana-man-nana-sen-nanahyaku-nanajū-nana (七十七京七十七兆七十七億七十七万七千七百七十七).
It’s rarely used in daily conversation but fascinating for language learners!

Q3. What is Gojo's famous line in Japanese?

Gojo Satoru from Jujutsu Kaisen is known for his confident line:
「僕が最強だから」(Boku ga saikyō dakara) meaning “Because I’m the strongest.”
This line reflects his unmatched power and calm arrogance — one of the most iconic quotes in modern anime.

Q4. What does ‘ji’ mean in Japanese time expressions?

In Japanese, “ji” (時) means “hour” and is used to indicate the time of day.
For example, “ichi-ji” (一時) means 1 o’clock, and “ku-ji” (九時) means 9 o’clock.
It’s an essential part of telling time correctly in Japanese.

Q5. How do you say half past in Japanese?

To say “half past” an hour, simply add “han” (半) after the hour.
For instance, “3:30” becomes “san-ji han” (三時半).
It literally means “three hours and a half.”

Q6. How do you ask the time in Japanese?

The common way to ask “What time is it?” in Japanese is “Ima nan-ji desu ka?” (今何時ですか？)
It directly translates to “What hour is it now?”
This phrase is useful in both casual and formal situations.

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Q7. How do you say morning, afternoon, and night in Japanese?

• Morning – asa (朝)
• Afternoon – gogo (午後)
• Night – yoru (夜)
  These words are often combined with time expressions like gozen ku-ji (午前九時 – 9 AM) and gogo go-ji (午後五時 – 5 PM).

Q8. What are the Japanese words for minute and second?

Minute in Japanese is “fun” or “pun” (分) depending on pronunciation, while “byō” (秒) means second.
For example:

• 10 minutes → juppun (十分)
• 15 seconds → jūgo-byō (十五秒)

Start mastering Japanese alphabets with this guide on how to learn Hiragana and Katakana.

Q9. How do you say “It’s 12 o’clock” in Japanese?

“It’s 12 o’clock” in Japanese is “jūni-ji desu” (十二時です).
You can add more detail like gogo jūni-ji desu (午後十二時です) for “It’s 12 PM,” or gozen jūni-ji desu (午前十二時です) for “It’s 12 AM.”

Q10. Why should I learn how to tell time in Japanese?

Learning to tell time in Japanese is essential for daily communication, travel, and JLPT exams.
It helps you understand timetables, class schedules, and polite conversation patterns.
It’s one of the first real-life skills every Japanese learner should master.

Read our article on Korean vs Japanese language comparison to understand which suits your goals better.

Conclusion

Telling the time in Japanese is an essential part of daily communication. With a bit of practice, you’ll find that it’s easier than it seems. Remember the structure—number 時 (hour)  分 (minute)—and use 午前 or 午後 when necessary.

By practicing hours in Japanese, minutes in Japanese, and time in Japanese hiragana, you’ll quickly become confident in expressing any time of day.

Whether you’re studying alone or learning through a reputed language institute like TLS – The Japanese Language School, this skill will bring you one step closer to mastering Japanese fluency.