Japanese Time: Hours, Days, Months & Duration

Introduction

Time is one of those topics you need from day one in Japanese. Whether you're catching a train, making plans with friends, or just telling someone when you woke up — you'll need time expressions constantly. But between all the counters, irregular readings, and special rules, it can feel like a lot to take in.

The good news? Most of it follows clear patterns, and the irregular parts are limited. In this guide, we'll cover everything from telling time to days of the week, months, and how to express duration. By the end, you'll have all the essentials down.

Quick Answer

Quick Answer: Use 〜時 (ji) for hours, 〜分 (fun/pun) for minutes, 〜曜日 (youbi) for days of the week, and 〜月 (gatsu) for months. For duration, add 〜間 (kan) — e.g., 3時間 (san jikan) means "3 hours."

Telling Time: Hours and Minutes

Telling time in Japanese uses two counters: 〜時 (ji) for hours and 〜分 (fun/pun) for minutes.

Hours (〜時)

Watch out for the irregulars: 4:00 is よじ (not "shi-ji"), 7:00 is しちじ (not "nana-ji"), and 9:00 is くじ (not "kyuu-ji").

Minutes (〜分)

Minutes are trickier because the reading changes depending on the number:

The pattern: 1, 6, 8, 10 use っぷん (ppun), while 3, 4 use ぷん (pun). The rest use ふん (fun).

To say "AM" and "PM," use 午前 (gozen) and 午後 (gogo) before the time:

• 午前八時 (gozen hachi-ji) — 8 AM
• 午後三時 (gogo san-ji) — 3 PM

If you're studying for JLPT N5, our study guide covers all of these time expressions with practice exercises.

Days of the Week

The days of the week follow a beautiful pattern based on nature and celestial bodies:

Every day ends in 曜日 (youbi). In casual speech, people often drop the 日 and just say 月曜 (getsuyou), 火曜 (kayou), etc.

Useful phrases:

• 今日は何曜日ですか？ (Kyou wa nan youbi desu ka?) — What day is today?
• 毎週月曜日 (maishuu getsuyoubi) — Every Monday

Months of the Year

Here's some good news: months in Japanese are simply number + 月 (gatsu). No unique names to memorize!

The only tricky part: April uses し (shi), July uses しち (shichi), and September uses く (ku) — not yon, nana, or kyuu.

Days of the Month

Days of the month are the most irregular part of Japanese time expressions. The first ten days have special readings:

After the 10th, it becomes more regular: 十一日 (juuichi-nichi), 十二日 (juuni-nichi), etc. But the 14th (十四日, juuyokka), 20th (二十日, hatsuka), and 24th (二十四日, nijuuyokka) are also irregular.

These are worth memorizing — you'll use them constantly for dates and appointments.

Duration: How Long Something Lasts

This is where many beginners get confused. There's a difference between a point in time and a duration of time. Japanese handles this with the suffix 〜間 (kan).

Hours:

• 三時 (san-ji) = 3 o'clock (a point in time)
• 三時間 (san-jikan) = 3 hours (a duration)

Days:

• 三日 (mikka) = the 3rd (a date) OR 3 days (duration — context makes it clear)

Weeks:

• 一週間 (isshuukan) = 1 week
• 三週間 (sanshuukan) = 3 weeks

Months:

• 三月 (san-gatsu) = March (a month name)
• 三か月 (san-ka-getsu) = 3 months (a duration)

Years:

• 二年 (ni-nen) = the year 2 / 2 years
• 二年間 (ni-nenkan) = 2 years (duration, more explicit)

Watch our YouTube lessons for natural examples of these duration expressions used in real conversations.

Example Sentences

Tips for Speakers of Other Languages

Learning Japanese time expressions can feel different depending on your native language. Here are specific tips:

For Korean speakers (한국어 화자) Korean time expressions are structurally nearly identical to Japanese — both use counters attached directly to numbers (시 for hours, 분 for minutes), and Korean months are also just "number + 월 (月)." You'll find the system very intuitive. The main area to watch is specific irregular readings, which differ between the two languages even when the kanji look the same.

For Chinese speakers (中文母语者) Japanese time counter patterns are largely derived from Chinese (時/分/月), making the system feel familiar. The key complication: Japanese has irregular native readings for the first 10 dates (ついたち, ふつか, みっか...) that don't exist in Chinese. Treat these as special Japanese vocabulary that requires separate memorization outside the kanji-based system.

For Vietnamese speakers (Người nói tiếng Việt) Vietnamese time expressions use separate words for hours (giờ) and minutes (phút), similar in structure to Japanese 時/分. However, Vietnamese doesn't have an elaborate date counter system like Japanese, so the first-10-days irregular readings will require focused practice. Use rote memorization with audio for these specific forms.

For Spanish speakers (Hablantes de español) Spanish months have unique names (enero, febrero...), while Japanese months are simply "number + 月" — much simpler. However, Spanish speakers may struggle with counters since Spanish doesn't have a comparable system. Think of Japanese counters as "built-in unit words" that attach to numbers and must be memorized per category (時 for hours, 分 for minutes, か月 for months as duration).

For Indonesian speakers (Penutur bahasa Indonesia) Indonesian also uses separate words for time units (jam, menit, bulan), and the basic structure maps well to Japanese. The main challenge is the Japanese distinction between a time point (三時 — 3 o'clock) and a duration (三時間 — 3 hours), which Indonesian handles through context rather than a dedicated suffix. Mastering 間 (kan) as a duration marker is the key breakthrough for Indonesian speakers.

Common Mistakes

1. Confusing 四時 (yo-ji, 4 o'clock) with 四時間 (yo-jikan, 4 hours): Remember, 間 (kan) turns a time point into a duration.
2. Using the wrong reading for months: April is しがつ (shi-gatsu), not よんがつ. July is しちがつ (shichi-gatsu), not なながつ.
3. Forgetting か in month durations: "3 months" is 三か月 (sankagetsu), not 三月 (sangatsu — which means "March").
4. Mixing up date readings: The first 10 days have special readings. 一日 is ついたち (tsuitachi), not いちにち (though いちにち means "one day" as a duration).
5. Wrong particle with time: Use に with specific times (三時に) but no particle with relative times (明日行きます, not 明日に行きます — though に is also acceptable).

Practice Tips

1. Set your phone to Japanese: You'll see dates and times in Japanese every time you check the time. It's passive but effective practice.
2. Say the time out loud: Every time you look at a clock, say the time in Japanese. Make it a habit.
3. Practice dates with a calendar: Go through a Japanese calendar and read each date out loud. Focus on the first 10 days until they feel natural.
4. Use duration in daily conversation: Try describing your daily routine using duration — 八時間寝ました (I slept 8 hours), 三十分歩きました (I walked 30 minutes).
5. Write a schedule in Japanese: Plan your week using Japanese time expressions. This combines multiple patterns at once.

Real Learner Insights

Based on common patterns we see among Japanese learners:

• The "aha" moment: The most common breakthrough is when learners internalize the 時 vs 時間 distinction. Once they understand that 三時 is "3 o'clock" (a point on a clock) and 三時間 is "3 hours" (a chunk of time that passes), the whole duration system — か月, 週間, 年間 — becomes logical and consistent rather than a list of forms to memorize.
• Common confusion point: The first 10 days of the month consistently cause errors, especially ついたち (1st), ふつか (2nd), and ようか (8th). The most common mistake is reading them as ichi-nichi, ni-nichi, etc. Flashcard practice specifically targeting these 10 forms, separate from general number study, is the fastest fix.
• What works: Setting a phone to Japanese is highly recommended — you encounter dates and times naturally dozens of times per day, and the passive exposure cements the readings without any dedicated study time. Within two weeks, most learners report that the numbers feel automatic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What's the difference between 三日 and 三日間? 三日 (mikka) can mean either "the 3rd day of the month" or "3 days." Adding 間 (kan) makes it explicitly a duration: 三日間 (mikka-kan) = "for 3 days."

Q: Do I always need to say 午前/午後? Not always. If the context is clear, you can just say the time. But in formal situations or when there could be confusion, add 午前 or 午後.

Q: Why are the readings for months different from counting? Months use the on'yomi (Chinese-origin) readings: し (4), しち (7), く (9). Regular counting often uses kun'yomi: よん, なな, きゅう. This is just something you need to memorize.

Q: How do I say "half past"? Add 半 (han) after the hour. So 3:30 is 三時半 (san-ji han). For other minutes, just say the number: 三時十五分 (san-ji juugo-fun) = 3:15.

Q: Is there an easy way to remember the days of the week? Yes — they follow the same celestial pattern as many languages. Moon, Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Earth, Sun. Think of it as nature's weekly cycle.

Q: Is the Japanese time counter system easier for Korean speakers? Yes — Korean time counters (시/분/월) are structurally nearly identical to Japanese 時/分/月. The conceptual approach transfers almost directly. The main differences are in irregular readings (especially for dates) and specific counter words, which must be memorized regardless of your native language.

Q: Why are the first 10 days of the month so irregular? They use ancient native Japanese (yamato-kotoba) readings that predate the adoption of Chinese-based numbers. Words like ついたち, ふつか, and みっか come from classical Japanese counting. Days 11 onward mostly use Chinese-origin readings + にち, which are much more regular. Treat the first 10 as historical vocabulary with special readings.

Related Resources

• Watch: Japanese vocabulary lessons
• JLPT N5 Script Book
• JLPT N4 Script Book
• Browse our study materials

---