時間
jikan[d͡ʑikã̠ɴ]
In Japanese, 'hour' is expressed as 時間 (jikan). Wiktionary also lists 時 (ji).
Meaning: time period of sixty minutes (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 時 | ji | [to̞kʲi] (narrow) [sa̠da̠] (narrow) |
| 時間 | jikan | [d͡ʑikã̠ɴ] (narrow) [t͡ɕikã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
時間 (jikan) refers to a duration or a period of sixty minutes. It can also be used to refer to 'time' in a general sense, such as when saying one has no time.
Which one should you use?
時間 is used to indicate a duration of time, such as 'one hour'. In contrast, 時 (ji) is used to indicate a specific point in time, such as 'o'clock'.
How does it change in a sentence?
While English speakers might change the word to indicate plurality, the Japanese word 時間 does not change its form to express 'hours'. Instead, the number of hours is indicated by the counter placed before it. Additionally, while 時間 refers to a duration, 時 is the form used for specific points on a clock.
How do you pronounce it?
jikan
Did you know?
- One theory suggests that the ancient root of 時 is related to the word 研ぐ, which means 'to sharpen'.
Examples in context
- １時間前に出たよ。He left an hour ago.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 時 to denote a time period.Tatoeba #235771 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #73151 by CK
- 私は１時間待った。I waited an hour.Tatoeba #3366915 by arnab, translation #2549386 by CK
- バスで1時間だよ。It takes an hour by bus.Tatoeba #12018727 by small_snow, translation #9981360 by sundown
- 「新幹線は東京から大阪まで、約2時間かかります。」The Shinkansen takes approximately 2 hours from Tokyo to Osaka.
- 「電車の時刻表で、出発時間を確認しましょう。」Let's check the train schedule to confirm the departure time.
- 220 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are talking about a movie they want to watch.
- 蓮 Renこの映画は何時間あるの？Kono eiga wa nan-jikan aru no?How many hours long is this movie?
- 結衣 Yuiだいたい２時間くらいだと思うよ。Daitai ni-jikan kurai da to omou yo.I think it's about two hours.
- 蓮 Renそれなら時間があるから大丈夫だね。Sorenara jikan ga aru kara daijōbu da ne.If that's the case, we have enough time, so it's okay.
- 結衣 Yuiうん、すぐにチケットを買おう。Un, sugu ni chiketto o kaō.Yeah, let's buy the tickets right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hour” translations and entries 時, 時間, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 時, 時間, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
