Class 8: Telling Time, Days, Months, and Years in Japanese
Goal: Learn how to tell time, talk about days of the week, months, and years in Japanese.
1. Telling Time in Japanese
To express time in Japanese, use the format: Number + じ (ji) for the hour, and Number + ふん (fun) or ぷん (pun) for the minute.
Examples:
- 1:00 – いちじ (ichiji)
- 3:15 – さんじじゅうごふん (sanji juugofun)
- 7:30 – しちじはん (shichiji han) (はん means "half," so 7:30 is literally "7 half")
Hours:
- 1 o'clock: いちじ (ichiji)
- 2 o'clock: にじ (niji)
- 3 o'clock: さんじ (sanji)
- 4 o'clock: よじ (yoji) (Note: しじ is not used for 4 o'clock)
- 5 o'clock: ごじ (goji)
Minutes:
- ふん (fun) is used after 2, 5, 7, 9 (e.g., にふん – 2 minutes)
- ぷん (pun) is used after 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 (e.g., さんぷん – 3 minutes)
2. Examples of Telling Time
- いまなんじですか？ (Ima nanji desu ka?) – What time is it now?
- いまはごじはんです。 (Ima wa goji han desu.) – It’s 5:30 now.
- かいぎはくじさんじゅっぷんです。 (Kaigi wa kuji sanjuppun desu.) – The meeting is at 9:30.
3. Days of the Week
Here are the days of the week in Japanese:
4. Examples of Talking About Days
- きょうはなんようびですか？ (Kyou wa nan youbi desu ka?) – What day is it today?
- きょうはげつようびです。 (Kyou wa getsuyoubi desu.) – Today is Monday.
- あしたはどようびですか？ (Ashita wa doyoubi desu ka?) – Is tomorrow Saturday?
5. Months in Japanese
Japanese months are simple: you use the number of the month followed by がつ (gatsu). For example:
6. Examples of Talking About Months
- いまはなんがつですか？ (Ima wa nan gatsu desu ka?) – What month is it now?
- いまはしちがつです。 (Ima wa shichigatsu desu.) – It’s July now.
- あなたのたんじょうびはなんがつですか？ (Anata no tanjoubi wa nan gatsu desu ka?) – What month is your birthday?
7. Years in Japanese
To talk about years, you use the number of the year followed by ねん (nen).
- 2025: にせんにじゅうごねん (nisen nijuu go nen)
8. Examples of Talking About Years
- こんねんはなんねんですか？ (Konnen wa nan nen desu ka?) – What year is it this year?
- こんねんはにせんにじゅうごねんです。 (Konnen wa nisen nijuu go nen desu.) – It’s the year 2025.
- せんきゅうひゃくきゅうじゅうねんにうまれました。 (Senkyuuhyaku kyujuu nen ni umaremashita.) – I was born in 1990.
9. Vocabulary for Time, Days, and Months
Here are some useful words related to time:
10. Kanji (5 More Kanji)
Here are 5 kanji related to time, days, months, and years:
11. Sentence Practice
Practice making sentences with time, days, and months:
- かいぎはなんじですか？ (Kaigi wa nanji desu ka?) – What time is the meeting?
- わたしのたんじょうびはごがつです。 (Watashi no tanjoubi wa gogatsu desu.) – My birthday is in May.
- らいしゅうのにちようびにあいましょう。 (Raishuu no nichiyoubi ni aimashou.) – Let’s meet next Sunday.
12. Listening Practice
Listen to conversations or audio clips where people discuss times, dates, and schedules. Practice identifying the times, days, and months mentioned.
13. Homework
- Write 5 sentences about different times, days, or months.
- Memorize the 5 new kanji (時, 分, 月, 日, 年).
- Practice telling time and mentioning the date.
In the next class, we will focus on adjectives in Japanese and how to use them in sentences. Let me know if you have any questions about this class!
