遊びの時間は終わり
asobi no jikan wa owari
To say playtime is over in Japanese, use 遊びの時間は終わり (asobi no jikan wa owari).
It can be said literally to children when play has to stop, and also as a dramatic line meaning the fun is over and things are getting serious.
What does it mean word for word?
遊び means play, の links it to 時間, time, は marks the topic and 終わり means the end.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced asobi no jikan wa owari. The particle は is said like wa.
Did you know?
- If you use this phrase in a business or formal setting, it sounds like a line from a villain in an anime rather than a polite request to stop working.
- The word 遊び ('play') is also used in Japanese architecture and engineering to describe 'play' or 'clearance' in a joint to prevent structural failure.
- The concept of 'play' in Japanese can extend to 遊び半分 ('asobi hanbun'), a phrase used to describe doing something half-heartedly or not taking a situation seriously.
Examples in context
- 遊びの時間は終わりです。Asobi no jikan wa owari desu.Playtime is over.
- もう遊びの時間は終わりだよ。Mou asobi no jikan wa owari da yo.Playtime is already over.
- 遊びの時間は終わり、片付けましょう。Asobi no jikan wa owari, katazukemashou.Playtime is over, let's clean up.
Example conversation
A mother tells her son to stop playing games.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮、もう遊びの時間は終わりよ。Ren, mou asobi no jikan wa owari yo.Ren, playtime is over now.
- 蓮 Renえー、あと五分だけやりたい！Ee, ato go-fun dake yaritai!What, I want to play for five more minutes!
- 美咲 Misakiだめ。すぐに片付けて。Dame. Sugu ni katazukete.No. Clean up right away.
- 蓮 Renわかったよ。いま止めるね。Wakatta yo. Ima tomeru ne.I get it. I'll stop now.
