Introduction
When do you wake up? What time do you study? How long does the café stay open?
In Japanese, time expressions are essential for daily conversation — but here’s the catch:
Sometimes you use particles, and sometimes you don’t. 🤯
Don’t worry! This beginner-friendly guide will walk you through:
✔ Which time expressions need the particle に
✔ When no particle is required
✔ How to say “from __ to __” using から and まで
✔ Lots of real-life examples to sound natural
✔ Common mistakes and an FAQ
Let’s jump into Japanese time talk!
1. Time Expressions: With or Without Particles?
In Japanese, you describe time using two basic types of expressions:
Specific / Absolute Time → Use the particle に
- 🕗 8:00 → はちじ
- 🗓 Sunday → にちようび
✅ Add に to say “at ___” or “on ___”
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 八時に起きます。 | I get up at 8 o’clock. |
| 日曜日に映画を見ます。 | I watch a movie on Sunday. |
Relative / General Time → No particle
- Today → きょう
- Tomorrow → あした
- Yesterday → きのう
❌ No particle needed! These words already work as time markers.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 今日、勉強します。 | I’ll study today. |
| 明日、アメリカに帰ります。 | I’m going back to the U.S. tomorrow. |
| 昨日、コーヒーを飲みました。 | I drank coffee yesterday. |
2. From When to When? Use から and まで
To talk about a time range in Japanese, use:
- から → from
- まで → until
Example:
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 十一時から二十一時まで開いています。 | It’s open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| 七時から八時まで勉強します。 | I study from 7 to 8. |
These are super common when talking about business hours, class schedules, or routines.
3. Time Expression Cheat Sheet
| Expression | Particle | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 (specific) | に | 八時に朝ご飯を食べます。 |
| Sunday | に | 日曜日に映画を見ます。 |
| Today | ❌ | 今日 勉強します。 |
| Tomorrow | ❌ | 明日 アメリカに帰ります。 |
| From 6:00 | から | 六時から走ります。 |
| Until 7:00 | まで | 七時まで走ります。 |
4. Practice Time: Can You Spot the Particle?
Rewrite the sentence with the correct time expression:
- I will sleep at 10:00.
→ 十時に寝ます。 - I will go to the cafe tomorrow.
→ 明日、カフェに行きます。 - I will watch TV from 9:00 to 10:00.
→ 九時から十時までテレビを見ます。
5. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
- QWhy does “today” not use a particle, but “Sunday” does?
- A
Great question! Words like today, tomorrow, yesterday are relative and act like adverbs — they don’t need a particle. Words like Sunday, 8:00, noon are specific points in time and need に.
- QCan I drop “に” even with specific time?
- A
Sometimes! Native speakers sometimes omit に in casual speech. But as a beginner, it’s safer to include it until you’re more confident.
- QCan I use “に” with から and まで?
- A
No, you don’t need to. Use から and まで on their own to express a range. Example: 七時から八時まで働きます。
- QHow do I say “at night” or “in the morning”?
- A
Use words like:
- あさ（朝）→ morning
- よる（夜）→ night
- ごぜん（午前）→ a.m.
- ごご（午後）→ p.m.
6. Conclusion: Talk About Time Like a Native!
Understanding when to use a particle with time expressions — and when not to — is a key part of sounding natural in Japanese.
Now you can:
✅ Use に with specific times
✅ Use no particle with relative time words
✅ Say “from ___ to ___” with から and まで
✅ Make your daily routine sound native-like!
Want to improve your Japanese with real conversations?
Our native Japanese instructors at gokigen japanese can help you perfect your pronunciation and learn real-life usage.
Whether you’re completely new to Japanese or looking to refine your skills, book a one-on-one session.
