Hours of the Day: じ, ぶん, ぷん
Learning to tell time is a fundamental skill in any language, and in Japanese, it's no different. If you're preparing for the JLPT N5 exam, knowing how to read and say the hours of the day will be crucial. Let's break down how to tell time in Japanese, using vocabulary and kanji appropriate for the N5 level, including じ (hours), ぶん (minutes), and ぷん (minutes).
Hours (じ)
In Japanese, hours are indicated using the kanji 時 (じ), pronounced "ji." Here are the basic hours of the day, written in both kanji and hiragana:
Hours Kanji Hiragana 1:00 一時 いちじ 2:00 二時 にじ 3:00 三時 さんじ 4:00 四時 よじ 5:00 五時 ごじ 6:00 六時 ろくじ 7:00 七時 しちじ 8:00 八時 はちじ 9:00 九時 くじ 10:00 十時 じゅうじ 11:00 十一時 じゅういちじ 12:00 十二時 じゅうにじ
Note the pronunciation for 4:00 (よじ, yo-ji) and 9:00 (くじ, ku-ji), which differ from the usual readings of 四 (し, shi) and 九 (きゅう, kyū). This is important to remember for correct time-telling.
Minutes (ぶん / ぷん)
Minutes in Japanese are indicated using the kanji 分, which can be read as ぶん (bun) or ぷん (pun), depending on the number preceding it. Here's a list of how to say minutes:
Minutes Kanji Hiragana 1 一分 いっぷん 2 二分 にふん 3 三分 さんぷん 4 四分 よんぷん 5 五分 ごふん 6 六分 ろっぷん 7 七分 ななふん 8 八分 はっぷん 9 九分 きゅうふん 10 十分 じゅっぷん
Combining Hours and Minutes
To state a specific time, combine the hour and minute.
一時五分 - いちじごふん
三時十分 - さんじじゅっぷん
七時十五分 - しちじじゅうごふん
十二時三十分 - じゅうにじさんじゅっぷん
Examples in Sentences
Here are some examples of how you might use these times in sentences:
いま は なんじ です か。 - What time is it now?
いま は さんじ です。 - It is 3:00 now.
がっこう は なんじ に はじまります か。 - What time does school start?
がっこう は はちじはん に はじまります。 - School starts at 8:30.
でんしゃ は なんじ に きます か。 - What time does the train come?
でんしゃ は しちじ じゅうごふん に きます。 - The train comes at 7:15.
えいが は なんじ に おわります か。 - What time does the movie end?
えいが は じゅうじ に おわります。 - The movie ends at 10:00.
By mastering these basics, you'll be well on your way to passing the JLPT N5 and improving your overall Japanese proficiency. Practice frequently, and soon, telling time in Japanese will become second nature!
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Learning to tell time is a fundamental skill in any language, and in Japanese, it's no different. If you're preparing for the JLPT N5 exam, knowing how to read and say the hours of the day will be crucial. Let's break down how to tell time in Japanese, using vocabulary and kanji appropriate for the N5 level, including じ (hours), ぶん (minutes), and ぷん (minutes).
Hours (じ)
In Japanese, hours are indicated using the kanji 時 (じ), pronounced "ji." Here are the basic hours of the day, written in both kanji and hiragana:
| Hours | Kanji | Hiragana |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | 一時 | いちじ |
| 2:00 | 二時 | にじ |
| 3:00 | 三時 | さんじ |
| 4:00 | 四時 | よじ |
| 5:00 | 五時 | ごじ |
| 6:00 | 六時 | ろくじ |
| 7:00 | 七時 | しちじ |
| 8:00 | 八時 | はちじ |
| 9:00 | 九時 | くじ |
| 10:00 | 十時 | じゅうじ |
| 11:00 | 十一時 | じゅういちじ |
| 12:00 | 十二時 | じゅうにじ |
Note the pronunciation for 4:00 (よじ, yo-ji) and 9:00 (くじ, ku-ji), which differ from the usual readings of 四 (し, shi) and 九 (きゅう, kyū). This is important to remember for correct time-telling.
Minutes (ぶん / ぷん)
Minutes in Japanese are indicated using the kanji 分, which can be read as ぶん (bun) or ぷん (pun), depending on the number preceding it. Here's a list of how to say minutes:
| Minutes | Kanji | Hiragana |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一分 | いっぷん |
| 2 | 二分 | にふん |
| 3 | 三分 | さんぷん |
| 4 | 四分 | よんぷん |
| 5 | 五分 | ごふん |
| 6 | 六分 | ろっぷん |
| 7 | 七分 | ななふん |
| 8 | 八分 | はっぷん |
| 9 | 九分 | きゅうふん |
| 10 | 十分 | じゅっぷん |
Combining Hours and Minutes
To state a specific time, combine the hour and minute.
一時五分 - いちじごふん
三時十分 - さんじじゅっぷん
七時十五分 - しちじじゅうごふん
十二時三十分 - じゅうにじさんじゅっぷん
Examples in Sentences
Here are some examples of how you might use these times in sentences:
いま は なんじ です か。 - What time is it now?
いま は さんじ です。 - It is 3:00 now.
がっこう は なんじ に はじまります か。 - What time does school start?
がっこう は はちじはん に はじまります。 - School starts at 8:30.
でんしゃ は なんじ に きます か。 - What time does the train come?
でんしゃ は しちじ じゅうごふん に きます。 - The train comes at 7:15.
えいが は なんじ に おわります か。 - What time does the movie end?
えいが は じゅうじ に おわります。 - The movie ends at 10:00.
By mastering these basics, you'll be well on your way to passing the JLPT N5 and improving your overall Japanese proficiency. Practice frequently, and soon, telling time in Japanese will become second nature!