Tips for More Effective Studying
Nihongo Online School > Tips for More Effective Studying > 【numbers】-Lesson 2-3 How to tell Time, Month, Date じかん、ひづけ
【numbers】-Lesson 2-3 How to tell Time, Month, Date じかん、ひづけ
2023/09/18
Lesson 2じかん(時間)のいいかた How to tell time
You learn how to explain “じかんの いいかた =How to tell time ” in Japanese.
When you tell time, usually you say the “じ(hour)”, ふん(minute)”, and occasionally “びょう(second)”. Number + じ + Number + ふん/ぷん” is the basic form. For example, 01:25＝1 じ 25 ふん 、 05:40 ＝ 5 じ 40 ぷん
[count hour]
1じ：ichi ji いちじ
2じ：ni ji にじ
3じ：san ji さんじ
4じ：yo ji よじ
5じ：go ji ごじ
6じ：roku ji ろくじ
7じ：shichi ji しちじ
8じ：hachi ji はちじ
9じ：ku ji くじ
10じ：juu ji じゅうじ
11じ：juuichi ji じゅういちじ
12じ：juuni ji じゅうにじ
Please note that for “4”, you should say ” よ じ “, instead of ” よ ん じ “. Likewise, “7” and “9” are also read irregularly; “しち” and “く” are read as “しちじ”and “くじ”.
※when you ask time, you say “nanji=なんじ？”
Here is some examples.
★Let’s exercise
Q: なんじにしごとがはじまりますか？
Nanji Ni shigoto ga hajimarimasuka?
What time does work start?
A: まいにち、9じにはじまります。
Mainichi, kujini hajimarimasu.
It starts 9am everyday.
Q: まいあさ、なんじにおきますか？
Maiasa, nanji ni okimasuka?
What time do you wake up every morning?
A: まいにち、７じにおきます。
Mainichi, shichiji ni okimasu.
I wake up 7am every day.
[count minute 分（ふん/ぷん)]
basically, number + ふん(hun) ,such as 5分=called ご+ふん go+hun
but, the numbers that end up with “0”, its called “juppun＝じゅっぷん”.
10分 じゅっぷん juppun
20分 にじゅっぷん ni juppun
30分 さんじゅっぷん san juppun
40分 よんじゅっぷん yon juppun
50分 ごじゅっぷん go juppun
60分 ろくじゅっぷん roku juppun
Lesson 3ひづけのいいかた How to tell month/date
Here, You learn how to explain “ひづけのいいかた ＝How to tell month and date” in Japanese.you use
If you would like to say birth date, such as I was born in [12 March, 1990] in Japanese, we say 1990ねん 3 がつ 12 にち.
the format is “ねん(year)”, “がつ(month)”, and ” にち(day)”.
Number+ねん+Number+がつ+Number+にち is the basic form.
月（がつ） Month
We call April for si gatsu
４月 よん →し がつ
We call July for sichi gatsu
７月 なな → しち がつ
We call November for ku gatsu９月 きゅう →く がつ
Q:にほんでは、ゆきはいつからふりますか?
Nihondewa, yukiwa itsukara furimasuka?
When does it star snowing in Japan?
A:12がつころから、ふります。
Juunigatsu korokara furimasu.
It start snowing around December.
There’re many irregular forms of “にち”, especially from 1 to 10.
It’s essential to remember how to read each date from the 1st to the 10th.
When there is “4”, it’s called yokka.
4日、14日、24日 よんにち →よっか
When there is “7”, it’s called sichi.
17日、27日 ななにち → しち
When there is “9”, it’s called ku.19日、29日 きゅう → く
Q:あなたのたんじょうびは、いつですか?
Anatano tanjoubiwa itsudesuka?
When is your birth day ?
A:5がつ23にち です。
Gogatsu njuusan nichi desu.
it is May 23th.