Japanese Time Vocabulary: Essential Words & Phrases for Learners

Understanding Japanese vocabulary for time is essential for daily communication, from making appointments to discussing schedules. This comprehensive guide covers the Japanese words for time that every learner needs to know, along with practical examples to help you use them confidently.

Essential Time Vocabulary

When you learn Japanese time expressions, start with these fundamental words. They form the foundation for telling time, discussing schedules, and talking about duration.

Word	Pronunciation	English	Example
時間	jikan	time / hour(s)	一時間かかります (Ichi jikan kakarimasu) – It takes one hour.
分	fun / pun	minute(s)	五分待ってください (Go fun matte kudasai) – Please wait five minutes.
秒	byō	second(s)	十秒で終わります (Jū byō de owarimasu) – It will end in ten seconds.
今	ima	now	今、何時ですか (Ima, nanji desu ka) – What time is it now?
午前	gozen	AM / morning	午前九時に会いましょう (Gozen kuji ni aimashō) – Let's meet at 9 AM.
午後	gogo	PM / afternoon	午後三時に届きます (Gogo sanji ni todokimasu) – It will arrive at 3 PM.
朝	asa	morning	朝早く起きます (Asa hayaku okimasu) – I wake up early in the morning.
昼	hiru	noon / daytime	昼ご飯を食べました (Hirugohan o tabemashita) – I ate lunch.
夜	yoru	night / evening	夜は静かです (Yoru wa shizuka desu) – The night is quiet.
半	han	half (past)	三時半です (Sanji han desu) – It's half past three.
前	mae	before / ago	三日前に来ました (Mikka mae ni kimashita) – I came three days ago.
後	ato / go	after / later	後で電話します (Ato de denwa shimasu) – I'll call later.
毎日	mainichi	every day	毎日運動します (Mainichi undō shimasu) – I exercise every day.
いつも	itsumo	always	いつも時間通りです (Itsumo jikan dōri desu) – I'm always on time.
時々	tokidoki	sometimes	時々遅れます (Tokidoki okuremasu) – I'm sometimes late.
すぐ	sugu	immediately / soon	すぐ行きます (Sugu ikimasu) – I'll go right away.

Common Phrases

This Japanese lesson on time would be incomplete without practical phrases you'll hear and use constantly. These expressions are essential for scheduling, punctuality, and everyday conversations.

• 何時ですか (Nanji desu ka) – What time is it?
• 何時に〜ますか (Nanji ni ~masu ka) – What time do you ~?
• 〜時から〜時まで (~ji kara ~ji made) – From ~ o'clock to ~ o'clock
• 時間がありません (Jikan ga arimasen) – I don't have time.
• 時間がかかります (Jikan ga kakarimasu) – It takes time.
• ちょっと待ってください (Chotto matte kudasai) – Please wait a moment.
• もう少し (Mō sukoshi) – A little more / A little longer
• そろそろ (Sorosoro) – It's about time (to do something)
• まだ (Mada) – Still / Not yet
• もう (Mō) – Already / Anymore

Usage Notes

When studying Japanese vocabulary for time, keep these important cultural and grammatical points in mind:

• The particle に (ni) is used to mark specific times: 七時に起きます (Shichiji ni okimasu) – I wake up at 7 o'clock. However, relative time words like 今日 (today), 明日 (tomorrow), and 毎日 (every day) typically don't require に.
• Minute pronunciation changes: The counter 分 has irregular readings. Common ones include: ippun (1), sanpun (3), yonpun (4), roppun (6), hachifun/happun (8), juppun (10). Other numbers use fun.
• Punctuality is highly valued in Japanese culture. Arriving 5-10 minutes early for appointments is considered polite. The phrase 時間を守る (jikan o mamoru) means "to keep time" or "to be punctual" and reflects this cultural value.
• 24-hour time is commonly used in Japan for schedules, train times, and formal contexts. You'll often see times like 14:00 or 22:30 on signs and timetables.
• Approximate time can be expressed with ごろ (goro): 三時ごろ (sanji goro) means "around 3 o'clock."

Practice Sentences

Put your Japanese time vocabulary into practice with these example sentences. Try reading them aloud to improve both comprehension and pronunciation.

• 今、午後六時十五分です。
  Ima, gogo rokuji jūgo fun desu.
  It's 6:15 PM now.
• 電車は毎朝七時半に来ます。
  Densha wa maiasa shichiji han ni kimasu.
  The train comes at 7:30 every morning.
• 会議は午前十時から午後一時までです。
  Kaigi wa gozen jūji kara gogo ichiji made desu.
  The meeting is from 10 AM to 1 PM.
• 昨日の夜、友達と映画を見ました。
  Kinō no yoru, tomodachi to eiga o mimashita.
  Last night, I watched a movie with my friend.
• もう時間がないので、急ぎましょう。
  Mō jikan ga nai node, isogimashou.
  We don't have time anymore, so let's hurry.
• いつも朝ご飯を食べる時間がありません。
  Itsumo asagohan o taberu jikan ga arimasen.
  I never have time to eat breakfast.
• 東京まで二時間ぐらいかかります。
  Tōkyō made ni jikan gurai kakarimasu.
  It takes about two hours to Tokyo.
• そろそろ帰る時間です。
  Sorosoro kaeru jikan desu.
  It's about time to go home.

Mastering these Japanese words for time will significantly improve your ability to communicate in everyday situations. Practice using them in context, and you'll find that discussing schedules, making plans, and understanding time-related conversations becomes much more natural.