Time 時間 (Jikan)

Tell the time in Japanese. Using the number post and combine it with 時 (ji) and 分 (fun/pun), we can easily tell the time.

Hours じ (ji)

The kanji for hours is written as 時.

number + じ = hour

いちじ
ichi-ji

にじ
 ni-ji

さんじ
san-ji

よじ
yo-ji (note: 4 is "yon", but when used with hour its "yo")

ごじ
go-ji

ろくじ
roku-ji

しちじ
shichi-ji (note: 7 is "nana" but "shichi" is preferred when used with hour)

はちじ
hachi-ji

くじ
ku-ji (note: 9 is "kyuu", but when used with hour its "ku")

じゅうじ
juu-ji

じゅういちじ
juuichi-ji





じゅうにじ
juuni-ji

Minutes ふん/ぷん (fun/pun)

The kanji for hours is written as 分. "fun" or "pun" is used depending on the minute it is, no choice but to memorize it.

number + ふん/ぷん = minute

1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 uses ふん
2, 5, 7, 9 uses ぷん

1 - いっぷん(ip-pun)
2 - にふん (ni-fun)
3 - さんぷん (san-pun)
4 - よんぷん (yon-pun)
5 - ごふん (go-fun)
6 - ろっぷん (rop-pun)
7 - ななふん (nana-fun)
8 - はっぷん (hap-pun) or はちふん (hachi-fun)
9 - きゅうふん (kyuu-fun)
10 - じゅっぷん (jup-pun)
11 - じゅういっぷん (juuip-pun)
30 - さんじゅっぷん (sanjup-pun) or はん (han) note: はん means half. (E.g: san-ji han = 03:30)

A.M. ごぜん (gozen) & P.M. ごご (gogo)

A.M. - 午前 (gozen)
P.M. - 午後 (gogo)

"gozen" and "gogo" is said before the time.


Examples:
いまはなんじですか。(ima wa nan-ji desu ka)
What is the time now?
ごぜんはちじにじゅっぷんです。(gozen hachi-ji nijup-pun desu)
It is 08:20AM.

東京はいまなんじですか。(Toukyou wa ima nanji desu ka)
What is the time now in Tokyo?
ごごくじはんです。(gogo ku-ji han desu)
It is 09:30PM.


Let's do some self practice:
1) 02:00AM
2) 07:03AM
3) 10:45PM
4) 12:30AM
5) 12:30PM
6) 05:11AM
7) 08:08PM
8) 01:59AM