N5Lesson 13 of 436 min
Telling time
Hours and minutes, including the four readings that refuse to follow the rules.
Time uses 時 (じ) for hours and 分 (ふん / ぷん) for minutes. The structure is simple; the irregular readings are what you have to memorise.
Hours: 時
Mostly number + じ. Four hours break the pattern, and notably they use the readings the last lesson told you to avoid.
| Value | Kanji | Kana | Devanagari |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | 一時 | いちじ | इचि-जि |
| 4:00 | 四時 | よじ | यो-जिよじ: not よんじ. |
| 7:00 | 七時 | しちじ | शिचि-जिHere しち is standard, not なな. |
| 9:00 | 九時 | くじ | कु-जिくじ: not きゅうじ. |
Minutes: 分
Minutes alternate between ふん and ぷん depending on the number before them. The pattern is consistent once you have heard it a few times.
| Value | Kanji | Kana | Devanagari |
|---|---|---|---|
| :01 | 一分 | いっぷん | इप्-पुन |
| :03 | 三分 | さんぷん | सान-पुन |
| :04 | 四分 | よんぷん | योन-पुन |
| :05 | 五分 | ごふん | गो-फुन |
| :10 | 十分 | じゅっぷん | जुप्-पुन |
| :30 | 半 | はん | हान"Half": 三時半 = 3:30. |
- 今、何時ですか いま、なんじですかइमा, नान्जि देस काWhat time is it now?
- 三時半です さんじはんですसान्जि हान देसIt is 3:30
- 九時十五分です くじじゅうごふんですकुजि जूगोफुन देसIt is 9:15
- 午前 / 午後 ごぜん / ごごगोज़ेन / गोगोAM / PM: these come before the time