Module 3

Telling Time in
Japanese
Dr. Lety Chawag
 What To Remember:

 Know the history of the Japanese Numbers.

 Know the types of Japanese Time Expressions.

 Know Where, When and How the Expressions are used.

 History of Japanese Numbers
Original Japanese Chinese Origin
5th -6th Century 7th-8th Century
1. Hii Ichi Itsi
2. Fuu Ni Ji
3. Mi San San
4. Yo Shi/yon Shi
5. Itsu Go Go
6.Mu Roku Roku
7.Nana Shichi/nana Shitsu
8.Ya Hachi Hatsu
9.kokono Kyuu Kyuu
10.too juu juu
 How to Count Hours
“How Many Hours?”
[Nanjikan]

I hour ichijikan 6 hours rokujikan

2 hours nijikan 7 hours shichijikan/ nanajikan
3 hours sanjikan 8 hours hachijikan
4 hours yonjikan 9 hours kyuujikan
5 hours gojikan 10 hours juujikan
 How To Express Hours and Minutes
O’clock is Translated as “ji”
Minute is translated as “pun/fun”

1 o’clock ichiji 7 o ‘clock nanaji

2 o’clock niji 8 o’clock hachiji
3 o’clock sanji 9 o’clock kyuuji
4 o’clock yonji 10 o’clock juuji
5 o’clock goji 11 o’clock juuichiji ( juu=10 , ichi -1)
6 o’clock rokuji 12 o’clock juuniji
 How To Count Minutes
Attach the suffix “pun” or “fun” to the numbers
i-ichi
1 minute ippun 11 minutes juuippun 21 minutes nijjuippun
2 minutes nifun 12 minutes juunifun 22 minutes nijuunippun
3 minutes sanpun 13 minutes juusanpun 23 minutes nijuusanpun
4 minutes yonpun 14 minutes juuyonpun 24 minutes nijuuyonpun
5 minutes gofun 15 minutes juugofun 25 minutes nijuugofun
6 minutes roppun 16 minutes juuroppun 26 minutes nijuuroppun
7 minutes nanapun 17 minutes juunanafun 27 minutes nijuunanafun
8 minutes hachifun 18 minutes juuhappun 28 minutes nijuuhappun
9 minutes kyuufun 19 minutes juukyuufun 29 minutes nijuukyuufun
10 minutes juupun 20 minutes nijuuppun 30 minutes sanjuuppun
 Sample Sentences
Question: How long does it take from here to your house?
koko kara anata no uchi made dono gurai kakarimasu ka.

Answer: It takes about an hour.

Ichiijikan gurai kakarimasu.

Note: The word “ gurai” means “ about” when referring o a particular

length of time.

“Nijikan gurai” is translated as “ about two hours.”

It takes about twenty minutes. Nijuppun gurai kakarimasu .

Question: How long does it take from Manila to Makati?

Manira kara Makati made nanpun kakarimasu ka?

Answer: It takes thirty minutes.

Sanjuppun gurai kakarimasu.

Question: Ashita wa nanji ni ao kana? (What time will I meet you tomorrow? )

Answer: Ashita wa gogo gojii ni o aishimasu./aimasu

( I will meet you at 5:00 PM tomorrow.)
 How to Count Weeks in Japanese
[Nan shuukan]
1 week ishuukan 6 weeks rokushuukan
2 weeks nishuukan 7 weeks nanashuukan
3 weeks sanshuukan 8 weeks hashuukan
4 weeks yonshuukan 9 weeks kyuushuukan
5 weeks goshuukan 10 weeks juushuukan
 Days of The Week

•日曜日   nichi-yôbi Sunday (“Day of the Sun”)

•月曜日  getsu-yôbi Monday ("Day of the Moon")
•火曜日  ka-yôbi Tuesday ("Day of Fire")
•水曜日  sui-yôbi Wednesday ("Day of Water")
•木曜日  moku-yôbi Thursday ("Day of Wood")
•金曜日  kin-yôbi Friday ("Day of Gold")
•土曜日  do-yôbi Saturday ("Day of the Earth")
 Days of the Month

１ st tsuitachi* １１ jûichi-nichi ２１   nijûichi-nichi

２ nd futsuka*/futska/ １２ jûni-nichi ２２   nijûni-nichi
３ rd  mikka* １３ jûsan-nichi ２３   nijûsan'-nichi
４  yokka* １４ jûyokka* ２４   nijûyokka*
５  itsuka* １５ jûgo-nichi ２５   nijûgo-nichi
６  muika* １６ jûroku-nichi ２６   nijûroku-nichi
７  nanoka* １７ jûshichi-nichi ２７   nijûshichi-nichi
８  yôka* １８ jûhachi-nichi ２８   nijûhachi-nichi
９  kokonoka* １９ jûku-nichi ２９   nijûku-nichi
10 toka* ２０ hatsuka* ３０   sanjû-nichi
３１   sanjûichi-nichi
 Sentence use:
1.Question: Nansai desu ka.   (How old are you? 
Answer:Watashiwa juukyuu sai desu. ( I am 19 years old) sai- years old.

2.Question: Anata no tanjoubi wa itsu desu ka. (When is your birthday?) 

Answer:Watashi no tanjoubi wa rokugatsu no mikka.  ( My birthday is June 3rd).

3. Question: Nan ji ni denwa shite kuremasu.  (What time will you call me?) 
Answer: Watashi wa gogo hachiji sanjuppun ni anata o yobida shimasu. 
( I will call you at 8:30 pm.)  gogo-pm
 How to Count Months
Add the suffix “kagetsu”
1 month ikkagetsu 6 months rokukagetsu
2 months nikagetsu 7 months nanakagetsu
3 months sankagetsu 8 months hakkagetsu
4 months shi/yonkagetsu 9 months kyuukagetsu
5 months gokagetsu 10 months jukkagetsu

6 months vs 6th month

roku (6) + kagetsu (months) roku (6th) + gatsu – rokugatsu
rokukagetsu
 Sentence Use:
1. Haru wa sankagetsu tzudsuki masu. ( Spring lasts for three months.)
2. Haru wa sangatsu ni hajimarimasu. ( Spring begins in March.)
3. Natsu wa gokagetsu tzudsuki masu. ( Summer lasts for five months.)
4. Natsu wa gogatsu ni hajimarimasu. ( Summer begins in May.)
5. Aki wa sankagetsu tzudsuki masu. ( Autumn lasts for three months.)
6. Aki wa kuugatsu ni hajimarimasu. ( Autumn begins in September.)
7. Fuyu wa sankagetsu matzudsuki masu. ( Winter lasts for three months.)
8. Fuyu wa juunigatsu ni hajimarimasu. ( Winter begins in December.)
 Months of the Year
Add the suffix “ gatsu”

January ichigatsu July nanagatsu

February nigatsu August hachigatsu
March sangatsu September kyuugatsu
April yongatsu October juugatsu
May gogatsu November juuichigatsu
June rokugatsu December juunigatsu
Sentence use:
1. Watashi no tanjoubi wa juuni-juuman ni-sen niche desu.
My birthday is June 20,2001.
2. Watashi wa juuni-juuman nisen ichi nen umaremashita.
I was born on June 20, 2001.
3. Watashi wa rokugatsu itsuka ni umaremashita.
I was born on the fifth day of June.

Ni- always added to the date – at , on or in

 Exercise
Match the clock drawings on the left with the corresponding time
expressions that answer the question, “ Ima nanji desu ka?

a.
1. Ichiji-juunifun desu. ( It’s twelve minutes past one o’clock.)

2. Nijijuuppun mae desu. ( It’s ten minutes before two o’clock.) b.

3. Juuji-juuppun desu. ( It’s ten minutes past ten o’clock.)

c.
 Days of the Week in Japanese
Add the suffix “ youbi”

Monday getsuyoubi
Tuesday kayoubi
Wednesday suiyoubi
Thursday mokuyoubi
Friday kinyoubi
Saturday doyoubi
Sunday nichiyoubi
 Things to remember
When Telling Time in Japanese
There are two types of time expressions :
1. Specific Time -days , week, month, year and hour
Rule: If the time given is specific, use the particle “ ni.”
Example: In June, on the 13th, in 2018, on Saturday at 7:00

Sample Sentence:
Kare wa rokugatsu ni kimasu. ( He will come in June.)
He June particle come verb
2. Relative Time – next week, yesterday, last month, last week

Rule: Do not use the particle “ni” if the time expression indicates
relative time. Just add the particle “wa.”

Sample Sentence: Kare wa raishuu kimasu.

He will come next month.
 Practice Conversation
Student 1: Ima nanji desu ka? ( What time is it now)
Student 2: Rokujii desu. ( it’s six o’clock.)
Student 1: Watashi wa Firipin no yuujin to hanashi o motte imasu. Firipin wa
ima nanji desu ka? (I want to talk to our friend in the Philippines .
What time is it now in the Philippines ?)
Student 2: Shichijii desu. (It’s seven o’clock .)
Student 1: Gozen shichiji desu ka. ( Is it seven o’clock am?)
Student 2: Hai, soo desu. ( Yes, it is. )
Student 1: Watashi wa sonogo, Firipin no yuujin ni denwa shimasu.
( I will make a phone call to our friend in the Philippines then.)
 Practice Exercise 2
Gakusei 1 ( Student 1) : Naniji desu ka? ( What time is it?)
Gakuesei 2( Student 2) : Choodo juuji desu. ( It’s exactly 10
o’clock. )
Gakusei 1( Student 1): Moo osoi desu ne. ( Ir’s already late,
isn’t it? )
Gakusei 2(Student 2): Osoku natte sumimasen. ( Sorry, I’m
late)
Gakusei 1 ( Student 1) : Shinpaishinaide kudasai. Daijoobu
desu. ( Don’t worry. It’s fine with me.)
Gakusei 3 ( Student 3) : Sono tokei wa susunde imasu ka?
( Is that watch advanced or late?)
Gakusei 1: ( Student 1) Tokei wa susunde iru to omoimasu.
( I think that watch is advanced.)
Gakusei 2.( Student 2) Tata no kuuji desu.
( It’s only 9:00 )
Vocabulary:
Ima – now asa- morning
Choodo- exactly kara -from
Mae- before made- until
Sugi- past okurete imasu- late
Han- half past shoogo- noon
Pun/fun- minute yoru-night
Ji- o’clock tokei- watch/clock
Gozen – am 7:30 am – gozen hachiji han
Gogo- pm 30 minutes past 7:00 am
seven past half