If you’ve studied basic Japanese numbers in our Numbers lesson, you’re ready to
learn how to tell time in Japanese. Being able to express time and ask for the time
in a language is essential for anyone studying a foreign language or culture. Even
someone just visiting Japan must know how to tell time in order to keep appointments,
catch trains, and make arrangements for sightseeing.
After reviewing the words for numbers 1 through 59, you’ll be ready to learn a few
new time-related words and phrases that are required for telling time in Japanese.
New Time Vocabulary
Besides the numbers 1 through 59, you will need to know the words and phrases in
the table below to be able to tell time. The kanji are listed only because
you might see a time written with kanji, even though it’s more common to
see time written in numerals. Just like you are more likely to see “7:00” than “seven
o’clock” in English, but the latter is still fairly frequent.
* See next section and lesson on 24-hour clock.