Japanese Time Expressions: Complete Grammar Guide on Date and Time

Learning how to express time when studying Japanese can feel tricky at first. You've got particles to worry about, different counting systems, and rules that seem to contradict each other. But here's the thing: once you understand the basic patterns, it all clicks into place pretty quickly. We'll break down exactly how this works, plus cover everything else you need to know about expressing time naturally in Japanese.

The particle に (Ni): When to use it and when to skip it

This is where most people get stuck when they learn Japanese. The particle に attaches to specific, concrete points in time. Think of it as pinpointing an exact moment on a timeline.

You use に with:

Here's a full sentence example:
。
Let's meet at 3 o'clock tomorrow.

But you DON'T use に with relative time expressions. These are words that describe time in relation to now:

So you'd say , meaning "Let's meet tomorrow," with no particle needed.

Why the difference? Specific time points get marked with に because you're pinpointing an exact moment. Relative time words already function as time expressions on their own. They describe when something happens without needing extra marking.

Could you please provide some clarity, possibly sticking to my examples and pointing out possible errors? Sure. A common mistake is saying . This sounds unnatural to native speakers. Just use by itself. Same with , which is wrong. The correct form is just .

Another tricky one: meaning "morning." You typically say , "I ate breakfast in the morning," without に. But if you're being very specific, like , "at 6 in the morning," then you use に because you've specified an exact time.

How to tell time in Japanese: Hours and minutes

When you want to know what time it is, you ask , which means "What time is it now?"

The basic structure for telling time in Japanese uses for hours and for minutes. The counter changes pronunciation depending on the number, which takes some practice.

Hours: The pattern is number plus . Most are straightforward:

The exceptions you need to memorize are , , and . Understanding Japanese numbers and counting helps a lot here.

Minutes: This gets more complex because the pronunciation changes based on the number. Here are the key ones:

Notice the pattern? Numbers ending in 1, 3, 6, 8, and 10 typically use "pun," while others use "fun." This follows Japanese phonetic rules that make pronunciation smoother.

For a complete time expression: means "3:15." When speaking, you'd say this as "sanji juugofun."

Half past the hour: Japanese has a convenient expression for this. means "half," so means "3:30" or "half past three."

Minutes past the hour: You can use , which means "past." So means "a little after 3:15." This is more casual and approximate.

Time ranges: Using から (Kara) And まで (Made)

When you want to express a time range, Japanese uses two particles that work together: から meaning "from" and まで meaning "until" or "to."

Example:
。
I work from 9 to 5.

You can use these with all kinds of time expressions:

You can also use から or まで independently. Just から indicates a starting point: means "starting tomorrow." Just まで indicates an endpoint: means "until 5 o'clock."

Notice that when you use から and まで, you typically don't need に on the time expressions. The particles から and まで already mark the time function, so adding に would be redundant.

Combining time expressions: The largest to smallest rule

Japanese follows a logical order when combining multiple time elements.

This is actually the opposite of how English often works. In English, we might say "3:30 PM on Monday, May 3rd, 2024." In Japanese, you'd structure it as .

When you need to connect time expressions, you use の. This possessive particle links the elements together. For example: means "tomorrow afternoon." The の connects "tomorrow" with "afternoon."

Common time-related phrases you’ll actually use

Beyond the basic grammar, there are tons of useful time phrases that come up in everyday conversation. Here are the essential ones:

Frequency expressions: These tell you how often something happens. Many of these are covered in our guide on Japanese adverbs of frequency and time.

Duration expressions: These specify how long something takes or lasts. You use as a suffix for duration.

Example:
。
I study two hours every day.

Parts of the day: These are super useful for casual time references:

Specialized terms: Are there any time-related words in Japanese you still want to know? The vocabulary we've covered here handles probably 90% of everyday situations. But there are some specialized terms worth picking up as you advance:

Common mistakes to watch out for

Even after you understand the rules, there are some tricky spots where learners commonly mess up:

Using に with relative time words: We covered this, but it's worth repeating because it's so common. Don't say or . Just use the time word alone.

Forgetting に with specific times: The opposite mistake is also frequent. When you have a concrete time like or , you need that に in most contexts. Without it, the sentence feels off.

Mixing up duration and point in time: Remember that means "two hours" (duration), while means "2 o'clock" (point in time). These aren't interchangeable.

Wrong particle with time ranges: When using から and まで together, you don't need に on the time expressions.

Pronunciation of minutes: Those minute counters are genuinely tough. is ippun, not ichibun. is sanpun, not sanfun. This just takes repetition to get right.

Order of time elements: Remember to go from largest to smallest.

Catching these mistakes early helps you build correct habits. When you're practicing, try saying your sentences out loud. Your ear will start picking up what sounds natural and what doesn't.

Putting it all together: How to learn Japanese time expressions

Understanding Japanese time expressions really comes down to a few core principles. Use に with specific, concrete time points. Skip に with relative time words. Combine time elements from largest to smallest. Use から and まで for ranges.

Once you've got these patterns down, expressing time in Japanese becomes pretty straightforward. You can talk about your schedule, make plans, discuss when things happened, and understand time-related information you encounter in Japanese media or conversations.

If you're actively learning Japanese and want to see these time expressions in action, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words and phrases instantly while watching Japanese shows or reading articles. You'll see how native speakers actually use these patterns in real contexts. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.

Trust the magic of media consumption when learning vocabulary

The vocabulary might seem overwhelming at first, especially with all those counter variations for minutes and the different particles. But you don't need to memorize everything at once. Start with the most common expressions, the ones you'd actually use in your daily life, and build from there. Naturally, as you consume more media, you will gradually internalize the high-frequency ones!

Let time and consistency do the tricks!