Mastering time expressions in Japanese is one of the most useful early skills. Whether you’re reading a train timetable, planning a meeting, or checking when a show starts, knowing how to say hours and minutes pays off every day.
Let’s break it down step by step.
The Basics: Hours and Minutes
Time is expressed as number + counter:
- 時 (ji) for hours
- 分 (fun/pun) for minutes
Hours (時 / ji)
Irregular readings to watch: 4 → yo-ji, 7 → shichi-ji (nana-ji is also common), 9 → ku-ji.
| Hour (o’clock) | Kanji | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | １時 | ichi-ji |
| 2 | ２時 | ni-ji |
| 3 | ３時 | san-ji |
| 4 | ４時 | yo-ji (not yon-ji) |
| 5 | ５時 | go-ji |
| 6 | ６時 | roku-ji |
| 7 | ７時 | shichi-ji (nana-ji also used) |
| 8 | ８時 | hachi-ji |
| 9 | ９時 | ku-ji (not kyū-ji for hours) |
| 10 | １０時 | juu-ji |
| 11 | １１時 | juuichi-ji |
| 12 | １２時 | juuni-ji |
Minutes (分 / fun, pun)
What causes fun → pun?
It’s not 連濁 (rendaku). The changes come from 促音化 (sokuonka, gemination with small っ) plus the use of 半濁音 (the p-series) with certain numbers.
Examples: １分＝いっぷん (ippun), ６分＝ろっぷん (roppun), ８分＝はっぷん (happun).
| Minutes | Reading |
|---|---|
| 1 | ippun |
| 2 | ni-fun |
| 3 | san-pun |
| 4 | yon-pun |
| 5 | go-fun |
| 6 | roppun |
| 7 | nana-fun (also shichi-fun) |
| 8 | happun (also hachi-fun) |
| 9 | kyuu-fun |
| 10 | juppun (also jippun) |
Helpful memory cue
- fun with 2, 5, 7, 9 → ni-fun, go-fun, nana-fun, kyuu-fun
- pun with 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 → ippun, san-pun, yon-pun, roppun, happun, juppun
Saying the Full Time
Combine hour + minute:
３時１５分 → san-ji juu-go-fun (“3:15”)
７時半 → shichi-ji han (“7:30”)
半 (han) means “half past” and replaces ３０分 in casual statements.
A.M. and P.M.
Place 午前 (gozen) = A.M. or 午後 (gogo) = P.M. before the time:
午前６時 → gozen roku-ji (6 a.m.)
午後３時 → gogo san-ji (3 p.m.)
Asking the Time
今何時ですか？ → Ima nan-ji desu ka?
“What time is it now?”
Quick Practice
8:10 → ８時１０分 → hachi-ji juppun
12:45 → １２時４５分 → juuni-ji yonjuu-go-fun
2:30 p.m. → 午後２時半 → gogo ni-ji han
Last Tips
- Practice the hours first, then add common minute forms (5, 10, 15, 30).
- Pay close attention to pun/fun shifts—listening to native audio helps.
- Read bus and train timetables or set your phone to Japanese to see times in context.
Mastering these patterns boosts everyday communication—from timetables to meetings—minute by minute.
