JPABLE Blog
How to Tell Time and Dates in Japanese (Complete Guide)
Complete guide to Japanese time and date expressions with common irregular forms and daily usage patterns.
February 3, 20263 min read
TimeDatesJLPT N5Daily Japanese
Author
Deepak Mahule
Updated
April 15, 2026
Time and date expressions appear in daily conversation and JLPT from N5 onward. You need accurate forms for schedules, appointments, and plans.
Telling Time
Core pattern:
- [number] + ji for hour
- [number] + fun/pun for minutes
Examples:
- 7:00 -> shichiji
- 8:30 -> hachiji sanjuppun
- 9:15 -> kuji juugofun
Saying Dates
Dates are day-specific and some are irregular.
- 1st: tsuitachi
- 14th: juuyokka
- 20th: hatsuka
- 24th: nijuuyokka
Weekday and Month Essentials
- Monday: getsuyoubi
- Friday: kinyoubi
- January: ichigatsu
- December: juunigatsu
Common Sentence Frames
- Nanji desu ka. (What time is it?)
- Kyoo wa nannichi desu ka. (What is today's date?)
- Kaigi wa kuji ni hajimarimasu. (The meeting starts at 9.)
Final Tip
Practice with your real daily schedule. Personal context makes time and date expressions stick.
FAQs
What is the fastest way to remember this pattern?
Study the rule with two or three short example sentences and then produce your own sentence immediately.
Should I memorize rules or examples first?
Start with the core rule, then lock it in with examples you can reuse in speaking or review practice.