Being able to express time and date in Japanese is essential for daily communication, whether you’re making plans, scheduling appointments, or simply talking about your day. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll teach you how to express time and date in Japanese, including days of the week, months, years, and common phrases related to time.
I. Days of the Week
Days of the week in Japanese are easy to learn, as they all end in 曜日 (yōbi), which means “day of the week.” Each day is named after a celestial body or element, similar to the days of the week in English.
Monday: 月曜日 (getsuyōbi) – “Moon day”
Tuesday: 火曜日 (kayōbi) – “Fire day”
Wednesday: 水曜日 (suiyōbi) – “Water day”
Thursday: 木曜日 (mokuyōbi) – “Wood day”
Friday: 金曜日 (kin’yōbi) – “Gold day”
Saturday: 土曜日 (doyōbi) – “Earth day”
Sunday: 日曜日 (nichiyōbi) – “Sun day”
Tip: To help remember the days of the week, create mnemonic associations with the English days of the week or their corresponding elements/celestial bodies.
II. Months
Months in Japanese are simple to learn, as they are numbered from one to twelve, followed by the word 月 (gatsu), which means “month.” For example, January is 一月 (ichigatsu), February is 二月 (nigatsu), and so on.
January: 一月 (ichigatsu)
February: 二月 (nigatsu)
March: 三月 (sangatsu)
April: 四月 (shigatsu)
May: 五月 (gogatsu)
June: 六月 (rokugatsu)
July: 七月 (shichigatsu)
August: 八月 (hachigatsu)
September: 九月 (kugatsu)
October: 十月 (jūgatsu)
November: 十一月 (jūichigatsu)
December: 十二月 (jūnigatsu)
Tip: Practice counting from one to twelve in Japanese to help remember the months of the year.
III. Dates
To express dates in Japanese, use the numbered day of the month followed by the counter 日 (nichi). However, the first ten days and the 14th, 20th, and 24th days have irregular readings.
1st: 一日 (tsuitachi)
2nd: 二日 (futsuka)
3rd: 三日 (mikka)
4th: 四日 (yokka)
5th: 五日 (itsuka)
6th: 六日 (muika)
7th: 七日 (nanoka)
8th: 八日 (yōka)
9th: 九日 (kokonoka)
10th: 十日 (tōka)
14th: 十四日 (jūyokka)
20th: 二十日 (hatsuka)
13. 24th: 二十四日 (nijūyokka)
For all other dates, simply use the number followed by 日 (nichi). For example, the 11th is 十一日 (jūichinichi), the 15th is 十五日 (jūgonichi), and so on.
Tip: Practice saying different dates in Japanese to become familiar with the irregular readings.
IV. Years
To express years in Japanese, you can use the Western calendar (Gregorian calendar) or the Japanese calendar, which is based on the reigning emperor’s era. For the Western calendar, simply add the suffix 年 (nen) after the year number. For example, 2023 is 2023年 (nisen nijūsan nen).
In the Japanese calendar, you’ll use the name of the era followed by the year within that era. For example, the year 2023 corresponds to the 5th year of the Reiwa era, which is expressed as 令和5年 (Reiwa gonen).
Tip: Familiarize yourself with the current era name and its corresponding Western years to convert between the two systems.
V. Expressing Time
When telling time in Japanese, you’ll use the hour followed by the counter 時 (ji) and the minute followed by the counter 分 (fun or pun). For example, 3:15 is 三時十五分 (sanji jūgofun). The readings for some of the minutes are irregular:
15 minutes: 十五分 (jūgofun)
30 minutes: 三十分 (sanjuppun)
45 minutes: 四十五分 (yonjūgofun)
Tip: Practice telling time in Japanese by reading the time on a clock or a watch and saying it out loud in Japanese.
VI. Common Phrases Related to Time and Date
Here are some common phrases related to time and date that you may find helpful in daily conversations:
Today: 今日 (kyō)
Tomorrow: 明日 (ashita)
Yesterday: 昨日 (kinō)
This week: 今週 (konshū)
Next week: 来週 (raishū)
Last week: 先週 (senshū)
This month: 今月 (kongetsu)
Next month: 来月 (raigetsu)
Last month: 先月 (sengetsu)
This year: 今年 (kotoshi)
Next year: 来年 (rainen)
Last year: 去年 (kyonen)
Conclusion
Being able to express time and date in Japanese is crucial for effective communication in various situations. By learning the days of the week, months, years, and how to tell time, you’ll be better prepared to navigate daily conversations and make plans in Japanese. With practice, these phrases and expressions will become second nature, allowing you to communicate with confidence. Keep studying and practicing, and soon you’ll be an expert in expressing time and date in Japanese. がんばってください (Ganbatte kudasai) – Good luck on your Japanese language journey!