Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 時間 | jikan | [d͡ʑikã̠ɴ] (narrow) [t͡ɕikã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| 時 | ji | [to̞kʲi] (narrow) [sa̠da̠] (narrow) |
In Japanese, the concept of time is expressed through different words depending on whether you are talking about a specific point in time or a length of time. Related terms for measuring specific units include 秒 (second), 分 (minute), 分間 (minutes) and 時 (hour). You can also specify periods of the day using terms like 朝 (morning), 午前中 (in the morning), 昼 (midday/noon), 正午 (noon), 午後 (p.m.), 夜 (evening/night), 深夜 (late at night) and 夜中 (midnight).
Which one should you use?
The distinction between the two main forms is a matter of quantity versus a specific point. 時間 refers to a duration or an amount of time. In contrast, 時 refers to a specific point in time or a clock hour.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting clock hours, attach 時 to numbers, such as 一時 for one o'clock. To express a duration of hours, attach 時間 to numbers, such as 一時間 for one hour.
How do you pronounce it?
jikan
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to use 時 to mean a duration of time. This word only refers to the specific hour on the clock.
Did you know?
- One linguistic theory suggests that the native Japanese word 時 may be related to the word for 'sharpening' or 'happening quickly'.
- The word 'time' in Japanese can be thought of as an 'interval', a meaning reflected in the character 間.
Examples in context
- 何時ですか。What time do you have?This sentence is useful for asking what time someone has using 時.Tatoeba #5059 by bunbuku, translation #24596 by blay_paul
- 寝る時間よ。It's time to go to bed.This sentence is useful for indicating a time to do something using 時間.Tatoeba #145662 by bunbuku, translation #31220 by CK
- 時は金なり。Time is money.This sentence is a proverb using 時.Tatoeba #2825431 by tommy_san, translation #566026 by CK
- ３分Three minutes
- ５時半に会いましょう。Let's meet at 5:30.
- 1761 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Himari are deciding how long to study.
- 健太 Kenta勉強にどれくらい時間がかかりますか。Benkyou ni dorekurai jikan ga kakarimasu ka.How much time will it take to study?
- 陽葵 Himari二時間くらいだと思います。Ni-jikan kurai da to omoimasu.I think it will take about two hours.
- 健太 Kenta時間が足りないかもしれませんね。Jikan ga tarinai kamo shiremasen ne.We might not have enough time.
- 陽葵 Himariじゃあ、急いで始めましょう。Jaa, isoide hajimemashou.Then, let's start quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “time” translations and entries 時間, 時, 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.
