How to Say "One Hour" in Japanese

一時間

ichijikan

In Japanese, "one hour" is said as 一時間 (ichijikan).

The phrase refers to a period of time lasting sixty minutes.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of 一 (one), 時 (hour/time) and 間 (interval/duration).

ichijikan

In traditional Japanese timekeeping, an 'hour' was not sixty minutes but a variable length of time that changed depending on the season.
The character 間 in 一時間 originally depicted a gate with the sun shining through it, representing the space or interval between two points.
If you remove the final character 間 from 一時間, the phrase changes from meaning a duration of 'one hour' to meaning the specific time 'one o'clock'.

私は彼女と一時間話した。
I spoke with her for one hour.
This sentence is useful for describing the duration of a conversation using 一時間.
Tatoeba #153438 by bunbuku, translation #1529665 by erikspen
私は一時間勉強しました。
I studied for one hour.
This sentence is useful for describing the duration of study using 一時間.
Tatoeba #158482 by bunbuku, translation #256047 by CK
毎日昼は一時間休みます。
Every day at noon I have a one hour break.
This sentence is useful for describing the length of a break using 一時間.
Tatoeba #10917223 by small_snow, translation #11468874 by beannie
今日のミーティングは一時間です。
Today's meeting will be one hour.
バスの待ち時間は60分間です。
The waiting time for the bus is sixty minutes.
3 more sentences on Tatoeba

Yui and Ren are deciding when to meet for coffee.

結衣 Yui

あと一時間で着くよ。
ato ichijikan de tsuku yo.
I'll arrive in one hour.
蓮 Ren

わかった。ゆっくり来てね。
wakatta. yukkuri kite ne.
Got it. Take your time.
結衣 Yui

一時間くらい待てる？
ichijikan kurai materu?
Can you wait for about one hour?
蓮 Ren

大丈夫だよ。本を読んで待ってるね。
daijobu da yo. hon o yonde matteru ne.
That's fine. I'll read a book while I wait.

Sources

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