- Hours: number + じ (時). 3 o’clock = さんじ.
- Watch out for 4, 7 and 9 o’clock: よじ, しちじ, くじ.
- Minutes: number + ふん / ぷん (分), with small sound changes.
- Half past = はん (半). 3:30 = さんじはん.
- AM = ごぜん (午前), PM = ごご (午後), placed before the time.
What time is it?
- いまなんじですかima nanji desu kaWhat time is it now?今何時ですか.
- いまさんじですima sanji desuIt’s 3 o’clock now.
Hours: 時 (ji)
Simply add じ to the number. Three hours need special attention:
- いちじichiji1:00
- にじniji2:00
- さんじsanji3:00
- よじyoji4:00Not よんじ.
- ごじgoji5:00
- ろくじrokuji6:00
- しちじshichiji7:00Not ななじ (though you may hear it).
- はちじhachiji8:00
- くじkuji9:00Not きゅうじ.
- じゅうじjūji10:00
- じゅういちじjūichiji11:00
- じゅうにじjūniji12:00
Minutes: 分 (fun / pun)
Minutes use 分, read either ふん (fun) or ぷん (pun) depending on the number before it. This is the trickiest part, so here are 1 to 10:
| Minutes | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | いっぷん | ippun |
| 2 | にふん | nifun |
| 3 | さんぷん | sanpun |
| 4 | よんぷん | yonpun |
| 5 | ごふん | gofun |
| 6 | ろっぷん | roppun |
| 7 | ななふん | nanafun |
| 8 | はっぷん / はちふん | happun / hachifun |
| 9 | きゅうふん | kyūfun |
| 10 | じゅっぷん / じっぷん | juppun / jippun |
The pattern repeats: 15 minutes is じゅうごふん, 20 is にじゅっぷん, 45 is よんじゅうごふん. The ぷん readings come after 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 (and multiples of 10).
Putting it together
- さんじじゅうごふんsanji jūgofun3:15
- さんじはんsanji han3:30 (half past three)半 (han) = half.
- くじよんじゅっぷんkuji yonjuppun9:40
- じゅうにじはんjūniji han12:30
Japanese doesn’t usually say “quarter to” or “ten past”. You just say the hour and minutes. To say before, add まえ: ごじごふんまえ (goji gofun mae), five minutes to five.
AM, PM and the 24-hour clock
- ごぜんgozenAM · 午前
- ごごgogoPM · 午後
- ごぜんくじgozen kuji9 am
- ごごしちじgogo shichiji7 pm
Note the order: AM/PM comes first. Timetables, opening hours and tickets usually use the 24-hour clock: 19:00 is read じゅうくじ (jūkuji).
You may also see times past 24:00 on bar and late-night TV schedules, like 25:00, meaning 1 am the following night.
Useful time expressions
- ごろgoroaround, about (time)さんじごろ = around 3.
- ちょうどchōdoexactlyちょうどさんじ = exactly 3.
- あさasamorning
- ひるhirunoon, daytime
- よるyorunight, evening
- なんじにあいましょうかnanji ni aimashō kaWhat time shall we meet?
- しちじにあいましょうshichiji ni aimashōLet’s meet at 7.
Notice the particle に in the last examples: it marks the time something happens. Combine this with days and months and you can make any appointment.
How do you say 4:00?
How do you say 9:30?
What is ごごしちじ?
How do you say 10 minutes?
Frequently asked questions
How do you say what time is it in Japanese?
Say 今何時ですか (ima nanji desu ka). The answer follows the pattern: 今〇時です (ima ... ji desu).
How do you say o'clock in Japanese?
Add 時 (ji) after the number: ichiji (1:00), niji (2:00), sanji (3:00). Note the exceptions yoji (4:00), shichiji (7:00) and kuji (9:00).
How do you say minutes in Japanese?
Add 分, read fun or pun depending on the number: ippun (1), nifun (2), sanpun (3), yonpun (4), gofun (5), roppun (6), nanafun (7), happun (8), kyūfun (9), juppun (10).
How do you say AM and PM in Japanese?
AM is 午前 (gozen) and PM is 午後 (gogo). They are placed before the time: gozen kuji (9 am), gogo sanji (3 pm).