Mastering the Clock: Japanese Numbers & Time Kanji (JLPT N5)

In Japanese, talking about time is one of the most practical skills you can master. It is also a major milestone for the JLPT N5 exam. This guide will walk you through the essential Kanji for numbers and time, explain crucial pronunciation irregularities, and show you how to build complete sentences using time particles.

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1. The Core Kanji: Numbers & Time

To tell time, you must first master the Kanji for numbers 1 to 10, along with the two primary time markers: 時 (hour/o'clock) and 分 (minute).時分

Stroke Order Tip:

• 時 (Hour): Write the left radical first (日 - sun, 4 strokes), followed by the right radical (寺 - temple, 6 strokes).時日寺
• 分 (Minute): Write the top "eight" shape (八) first, followed by the "knife" radical (刀) underneath.分八刀

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2. Telling the Hour: 〜時 (じ - ji)

To express o'clock, attach 時 (じ) to the number. While most numbers behave normally, three hours are highly irregular and are heavily tested on the JLPT:時

• 4 o'clock: 四時 $\rightarrow$ よじ (yoji) — Never say "yon-ji" or "shi-ji"!四時
• 7 o'clock: 七時 $\rightarrow$ しちじ (shichiji) — Though "nana-ji" is sometimes heard in casual speech, "shichiji" is the standard exam form.七時
• 9 o'clock: 九時 $\rightarrow$ くじ (kuji) — Never say "kyū-ji"!九時

Quick Reference:

• 1:00 = 一時 (いちじ)一時
• 2:00 = 二時 (にじ)二時
• 3:00 = 三時 (さんじ)三時
• 4:00 = 四時 (よじ) ⚠️四時
• 5:00 = 五時 (ごじ)五時
• 6:00 = 六時 (ろくじ)六時
• 7:00 = 七時 (しちじ) ⚠️七時
• 8:00 = 八時 (はちじ)八時
• 9:00 = 九時 (くじ) ⚠️九時
• 10:00 = 十時 (じゅうじ)十時

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3. Telling the Minutes: 〜分 (ふん/ぷん)

Minutes are trickier because the pronunciation of 分 changes between ふん (fun) and ぷん (pun) depending on the preceding number to make pronunciation smoother (euphony).分

• Half-hour (30 mins): You can use 三十分 (さんじゅっぷん) or simply replace it with 半 (はん - han), meaning "half".
  • Example: 2:30 $\rightarrow$ 二時半 (にじはん - niji-han).二時半
  三十分半二時

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4. Grammar: Putting Time in a Sentence

To specify the time at which an action occurs, use the time destination particle に (ni) (equivalent to "at" in English).

Sentence Pattern:

[Time] に [Verb]
(Action) at (Time)

Examples:

1. 私は午前六時に起きます。私午前六時起

   • Watashi wa gozen roku-ji ni okimasu.
   • I get up at 6:00 AM.
   • (Note: 午前/ごぜん = AM, 午後/ごご = PM)午前後
   私午前六時起

2. 九時半に学校へ行きます。九時半学校行

   • Ku-ji han ni gakkō e ikimasu.
   • I go to school at 9:30.
   九時半学校行

3. 会議は十時十五分から十一時までです。会議十時五分

   • Kaigi wa jū-ji jūgo-fun kara jūichi-ji made desu.
   • The meeting is from 10:15 to 11:00.
   • (Note: から = from, まで = until)
   会議十時五分

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5. Quick Challenge!

Can you translate this sentence into Japanese using Kanji?

"I study at 8:00 PM."

(Scroll down for the answer!)

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Answer:

午後八時に勉強します。
(ごごはちじにべんきょうします / Gogo hachi-ji ni benkyō shimasu.)午後八時勉強