21.06 Time
Seconds
| Numbers | Romaji | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ichi byou | |
| 2 | ni byou | |
| 3 | san byou | |
| 4 | yon byou | (“shi” is not used for 4) |
| 5 | go byou | |
| 6 | roku byou | |
| 7 | nana byou | |
| 8 | hachi byou | |
| 9 | kyuu byou | (“ku” is not used for 9) |
| 10 | ju byou | |
| 11 | juichi byou | Combine “juu” with the number |
| 12 | juuni byou | |
| 13 | juusan byou | |
| 14 | juuyon byou | |
| 15 | juugo byou | |
| 16 | juuroku byou | |
| 17 | juunana byou | |
| 18 | juuhachi byou | |
| 19 | juukyuu byou | |
| 20 | nijyuu byou | Use kanji numerals for tens digit + “byou” |
| 24 | nijuu yon byou | |
| 59 | gojuu kyuu byou |
Minutes
| Numbers | Romaji (Standard) | Romaji (Alternative) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ippun | - |
| 2 | nifun | - |
| 3 | sanpun | sanfun |
| 4 | yonpun | yonfun |
| 5 | gofun | - |
| 6 | roppun | - |
| 7 | nanafun | - |
| 8 | happun | hachifun |
| 9 | kyuufun | - |
| 10 | juppun | - |
| 11 | juuippun | - |
| 12 | juunifun | - |
| 13 | juusanpun | juusanfun |
| 14 | juuyonpun | juuyonfun |
| 15 | juu gofun | - |
| 16 | juuroppun | - |
| 17 | juunanafun | - |
| 18 | juuhappun | juuhachifun |
| 19 | juukyuufun | - |
| 20 | nijuuppun | - |
| 24 | nijuu yonpun | nijuu yonfun |
| 59 | gojuu kyuufun | - |
Hours
Hour time:
| Numbers | Romaji (Standard) | Romaji (Alternative) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ichiji | - |
| 2 | niji | - |
| 3 | sanji | - |
| 4 | yoji | - |
| 5 | goji | - |
| 6 | rokuji | - |
| 7 | shichiji | nanaji |
| 8 | hachiji | - |
| 9 | kuji | - |
| 10 | juuji | - |
| 11 | juuichiji | - |
| 12 | juuniji | - |
Hour duration:
| Numbers | Romaji |
|---|---|
| 1 | ichijikan |
| 2 | nijikan |
| 3 | sanjikan |
| 4 | yojikan |
| 5 | gojikan |
| 6 | rokujikan |
| 7 | shichijikan, nanajikan |
| 8 | hachijikan |
| 9 | kujikan |
| 10 | juujikan |
| 11 | juuichijikan |
| 12 | juunijikan |
| 13 | juusanjikan |
| 14 | juuyojikan |
| 15 | juugojikan |
| 16 | juurokujikan |
| 17 | juushichijikan, juunanajikan |
| 18 | juuhachijikan |
| 19 | juukujikan |
| 20 | nijuu jikan |
| 24 | nijuu yojikan |
Notes:
- The pronunciation of the numbers is the same as for “hour” in time of day.
- “4” is pronounced “yo” and “9” is pronounced “ku”.
- The following are not correct: “shijikan”, “yonjikan”, “kyuujikan”.
Telling Time
| Time | Romaji |
|---|---|
| 1:09 | ichiji kyuu fun |
| 2:27 | niji ni juu nana fun |
| 3:35 | sanji san juu go fun |
| 4:52 | yoji go juu ni fun |
| 6:18 | rokuji juu hachi fun |
| 7:43 | shichiji yon juu san pun |
| 8:46 | hachiji yon juu roku pun |
| 9:01 | kuji ip pun |
| 12:30 | juuni ji san juu pun, juuni ji han |
Half
「半（はん）」は「half」という意味です。 (Han means “half”)
| Time | Reading | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5秒 | れいてんごびょう (rei ten go byou - 0.5 seconds) | |
| 1分半（いっぷんはん） | いっぷん＋30びょう (ippun han - 1 and a half minutes) | 90秒 (kyuu juu byou - 90 seconds) |
| 2時間半（にじかんはん） | にじかん＋30ふん (ni jikan han - 2 and a half hours) | 150分 (hyaku go juu pun - 150 minutes) |
| 3時半（さんじはん | 3:30朝 (san ji han asa - 3:30 am) または 3:30午後 (san ji han gogo - 3:30 pm) | |
| 1日半（いちにちはん） | いちにち＋はんにち (ichi nichi han - 1 and a half days) | |
| 2か月半（にかげつはん） | ２かげつ＋はんつき (ni kagetsu han - 2 and a half months) | |
| 1年半（いちねんはん） | いちねん＋ろっかげつ (ichi nen han - 1 and a half years) | 18か月 (jyuu hachi kagetsu - 18 months) |
We don’t say “han byou”, “han fun”, or “han jikan” by putting “han” before.
For “day” and longer durations, “han” can come before the number.
- 半日（はんにち） (han nichi - half day)
- 半月（はんつき） (han tsuki - half month)
- 半年（はんとし） (han toshi - half year)
However, be careful of the pronunciation:
- ×はんげつ (han getsu - incorrect for half month)
- ×はんねん (han nen - incorrect for half year)
We often use “han nichi”, “han tsuki”, and “han toshi” for approximate halves.
If you want to say exactly half, use “jyuu ni jikan”, “jyuu go nichi”, or “roku kagetsu”.
Others
Notes:
- There is a clear distinction between “2時 (2 o’clock)” and “2時間 (2 hours).”
- For other units like “秒 (second),” “分 (minute),” “日 (day),” “月 (month),” and “年 (year),” you can use 間 (kan) or not to express duration.
- This applies when expressing duration, not for the current time.
- Examples:
- “1秒” or “1秒間” (one second)
- “5分” or “5分間” (five minutes)
- “2日” or “2日間” (two days)
- “2ヶ月” or “2ヶ月間” (two months)
- “1年” or “1年間” (one year)
- Both are acceptable and mean the same thing.
- “15分待って下さい” or “15分間待って下さい” (Please wait 15 minutes.)
- “3年勉強しました” or “3年間勉強しました” (I studied for 3 years.)
- In conversation, 間 is often omitted.
Other ways to express time:
- 2時ちょうど (2 ji choudo): Exactly 2:00
- 正午 (shougo): 12:00 noon
- 2時15分前 (2 ji 15 pun mae): 1:45 (not 2:14)
- 2時前 (2 ji mae): Around 1:50 to 2:00
- 2時過ぎ (2 ji sugi): Around 2:00 to 2:10
- 2時より前 (2 ji yori mae): Before 2:00 (until 1:59)
- 2時より後 (2 ji yori ato): After 2:00 (from 2:00 onwards)
- 2時以降 (2 ji igo): After 2:00 (from 2:00 onwards)
- 2時頃 (2 ji goro): Around 2:00
- 2時近い (2 ji chikai): Close to 2:00
- 2時ちょっと前 (2 ji chotto mae): A little before 2:00
- 2時ちょっと過ぎ (2 ji chotto sugi): A little after 2:00
- 2時台 (2 ji dai): The 2:00 hour (from 2:00 to 2:59)
- 2時過ぎから3時頃まで (2 ji sugi kara 3 ji goro made): From around 2:00 to around 3:00
- 2時ちょうどに会おう (2 ji choudo ni aou): Let’s meet at exactly 2:00.
- 2時頃までに来てください (2 ji goro made ni kite kudasai): Please come by around 2:00.
- 2時以降は来ないでください (2 ji igo wa konai de kudasai): Please don’t come after 2:00.
- 2時15分前に駅で待ち合わせ (2 ji 15 pun mae ni eki de machiawase): Let’s meet at the station at 1:45.
- 2時前後は忙しいので、連絡は控えてください (2 ji zen go wa isogashii node, renraku wa hikaete kudasai): I’m busy around 2:00, so please refrain from contacting me.
- There are nuances between “2時前” and “2時より前.”
- 2時前: A little before 2:00
- 2時より前: Vaguely before 2:00
- 2時以降 and 2時以後 are interchangeable.