How do you say 'What time is it?' in Japanese?

You can say '今何時ですか？ (Ima nanji desu ka?)' to ask 'What time is it?' in Japanese.

How do you tell the hour and minutes in Japanese?

Hours are expressed with '〜時' (ji) and minutes with '〜分' (fun/pun). For example, 3:15 is '三時十五分 (san-ji juu-go fun)'.

How do you say AM and PM in Japanese?

AM is 午前 (gozen) and PM is 午後 (gogo). For example, 8 AM is '午前8時' and 3 PM is '午後3時'.

What are some useful time-related phrases in Japanese?

Some useful phrases include '何時に〜しますか？' (What time do you ~?), '今は〜時です' (It is ~ o'clock now), and '遅れます' (I'm late).

How to Tell Time in Japanese – Hours, Minutes & Questions (Lesson 5)

日本語で時間を言う – 時、分、質問の仕方。「何時」「何分」などの時間の聞き方・言い方を学びましょう。よく使われる時間表現と例文も含まれています。

✨ Why Learn Japanese Time Expressions?

Knowing how to ask and tell the time is essential for making plans, discussing schedules, and managing daily activities in Japanese. Master these basics to communicate smoothly!

🗝️ Key Japanese Phrases

🔹What time is it now?
　今(は)何時ですか。
　いま(は) なんじですか。
　Ima (wa) nanji desu ka?

🔹It’s 9:15 now.
　今(は)9時15分です。
　いま(は) 9じ15ふんです。
　Ima (wa) 9 ji 15 fun desu.

🔹As for lunch break, it is from 12:00 to 1:00.
　昼休みは12時から1時までです。
　ひるやすみは　12じから 1じまで　です。
　Hiruyasumi wa 12-ji kara 1-ji made desu.

🎯 Japanese Words for Time

Basic Time Words

Time: 時刻(じこく)｜jikoku
What time?: 何時(なんじ)｜nanji
What minute?: 何分(なんぷん)｜nanpun
O’clock: ～時(じ)｜～ji
Minutes: ～分(ふん/ぷん)｜～fun/pun
Half (30 minutes): 半(はん)｜han
AM (morning): 午前(ごぜん)｜gozen
PM (afternoon): 午後(ごご)｜gogo
Now: 今(いま)｜ima
Lunch break: 昼休み(ひるやすみ)｜hiruyasumi
Work: 仕事(しごと)｜shigoto

Key Grammar Points

Particle「が：ga」＝ Subject marker, specifies something important
「Noun + の：no + Noun」＝ “of” / Possession
「～から…まで：～kara…made」＝ “From… to…”

⏰ Telling the Time: Hours & Minutes

Hours: 時(じ)｜ji

1:00 – １時(いちじ)｜ichi-ji
2:00 – ２時(にじ)｜ni-ji
3:00 – ３時(さんじ)｜san-ji
4:00 – ４時(よじ)｜yo-ji
5:00 – ５時(ごじ)｜go-ji
6:00 – ６時(ろくじ)｜roku-ji
7:00 – ７時(しちじ)｜shichi-ji
8:00 – ８時(はちじ)｜hachi-ji
9:00 – ９時(くじ)｜ku-ji
10:00 – １０時(じゅうじ)｜juu-ji
11:00 – １１時(じゅういちじ)｜juuichi-ji
12:00 – １２時(じゅうにじ)｜juuni-ji

Minutes: 分(ふん・ぷん)｜ fun/pun

1 min – １分(いっぷん)｜ippun
2 min – ２分(にふん)｜ni-fun
3 min – ３分(さんぷん)｜san-pun
4 min – ４分(よんぷん)｜yon-pun
5 min – ５分(ごふん)｜go-fun
10 min – １０分(じゅっぷん)｜juppun
30 min (half past) – ３０分(さんじゅっぷん)／半(はん)｜sanjuppun / han

AM/PM Expressions

9:50 AM – 午前９時５０分(ごぜんくじごじゅっぷん)｜Gozen kuji gojuppun
8:30 PM – 午後８時３０分(ごごはちじさんじゅっぷん)｜Gogo hachiji sanjuppun

📝 Practice Questions

今、何時ですか？
いま、なんじですか？
Ima, nanji desu ka?
What time is it now?
学校・会社は何時から何時までですか？
がっこう・かいしゃは　なんじから　なんじまで　ですか？
Gakkou/Kaisha wa nanji kara nanji made desu ka?
From what time to what time is school/work?
昼休みは何時から何時までですか？
ひるやすみは　なんじから　なんじまで　ですか？
Hiruyasumi wa nanji kara nanji made desu ka?
From what time to what time is lunch break?
午前の仕事は何時から何時までですか？
ごぜんのしごとは　なんじから　なんじまで　ですか？
Gozen no shigoto wa nanji kara nanji made desu ka?
What time does morning work start and end?
午後の仕事は何時から何時までですか？
ごごのしごとは　なんじから　なんじまで　ですか？
Gogo no shigoto wa nanji kara nanji made desu ka?
What time does afternoon work start and end?
何曜日が仕事ですか？
なんようびが　しごとですか？
Nanyoubi ga shigoto desu ka?
What days do you work?
何曜日が休みですか？
なんようびが　やすみですか？
Nanyoubi ga yasumi desu ka?
What days are you off?

Practicing these words and sentences will help you confidently express time in Japanese. Keep practicing, and soon it will become second nature! 🚀

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