Telling Time in Japanese: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

Introduction

Knowing how to tell time in Japanese is an essential skill for learners. Whether you’re scheduling a meeting, checking train times, or simply asking what time it is, understanding hours, minutes, AM/PM, and the 24-hour system will help you navigate life in Japan with confidence.

In this guide, we will cover:
✔ How to read and say time in Japanese
✔ The AM/PM system and 24-hour clock
✔ Common mistakes and pronunciation tips
✔ Practice exercises to reinforce your learning

Let’s get started!

1. How to Say Hours in Japanese

To express time in Japanese, you use 時 (じ, ji) after a number to indicate the hour.

Basic Hour List

🔹 Pronunciation Tips:

• 4:00 is よじ (yoji), not “shi ji”
• 7:00 is しちじ (shichiji), not “nana ji”
• 9:00 is くじ (kuji), not “kyuu ji”

These special readings help avoid confusion with similar-sounding words in Japanese.

2. How to Say Minutes in Japanese

Minutes are expressed using 分 (ふん / ぷん, fun / pun) after the number.

Basic Minute List

🛑 Special Pronunciations:

• 01, 06, 08, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 → ぷん (pun) (e.g., いっぷん, sanpun, juppun)
• 02, 04, 05, 07, 09 → ふん (fun) (e.g., にふん, よんぷん, ごふん)
• 30 minutes can also be said as 半 (はん, han) → e.g., にじ はん (2:30)

3. AM, PM, and the 24-Hour System

Japanese uses both AM/PM (12-hour format) and the 24-hour clock, depending on the situation.

AM & PM in Japanese

💡 Example Sentences:

• 7:00 AM → ごぜん しちじ (Gozen shichiji)
• 7:00 PM → ごご しちじ (Gogo shichiji)

The 24-Hour Clock in Japan

Japan commonly uses the 24-hour format, especially for:
✔ Train & bus schedules
✔ Official announcements
✔ TV schedules & events

💡 Examples:

• 7:00 PM → 19時 (じゅうきゅうじ, juuku ji)
• 11:30 PM → 23時30分 (にじゅうさんじ さんじゅっぷん, nijuusan ji sanjuppun)

🚨 Note: In 24-hour time, you do not use 午前 (AM) or 午後 (PM).

4. How to Read Time in Sentences

Now let’s put everything together!

✔ What time is it?
🔹 今何時ですか？ (いま なんじ ですか？, Ima nanji desu ka?)

✔ It’s 3:15.
🔹 三時十五分です (さんじ じゅうごふん です, Sanji juugo fun desu).

✔ The movie starts at 7:30 PM.
🔹 映画は午後七時半に始まります (えいが は ごご しちじ はん に はじまります, Eiga wa gogo shichiji han ni hajimarimasu).

✔ The last train leaves at 23:45.
🔹 終電は二十三時四十五分です (しゅうでん は にじゅうさんじ よんじゅうごふん です, Shuuden wa nijuusan ji yonjuugo fun desu).

5. Common Mistakes and Tips

🚫 Confusing 4, 7, and 9
🔹 Use よじ (yoji) instead of “shi ji”, しちじ (shichiji) instead of “nana ji”, and くじ (kuji) instead of “kyuu ji”.

🚫 Forgetting the pronunciation rules for minutes
✔ 1, 6, 8, 10 → ぷん (pun) (e.g., いっぷん, ろっぷん, はっぷん, じゅっぷん)
✔ 2, 4, 5, 7, 9 → ふん (fun) (e.g., にふん, よんぷん, ごふん)

🚫 Using AM/PM with 24-hour time
✔ “午後19時 (Gogo juuku ji)” is incorrect. Just say “19時”.

6. Practice Exercises

Listening & Speaking Practice

🔹 Read the following times out loud:
✔ 10:05 AM → ごぜん じゅうじ ごふん (Gozen juuji gofun)
✔ 4:20 PM → ごご よじ にじゅっぷん (Gogo yoji nijuppun)
✔ 23:15 → にじゅうさんじ じゅうごふん (Nijuusan ji juugo fun)

🔹 Try writing down the time in Japanese for:
✔ 7:45 AM
✔ 3:30 PM
✔ 9:10 PM

7. FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

8. Conclusion: Master Japanese Time Expressions!

Telling time in Japanese is a key skill for daily conversations. Whether using the 12-hour or 24-hour clock, learning these patterns will help you understand schedules, appointments, and casual conversations.