Showing Japanese Time
Expression in a sentence -
Free Japanese Lessons: 10

Sentence showing Japanese time expression can be formed using either Noun sentence or Verb sentence.

You will learn how to form sentences showing time and some required particles in this lesson.

So far I have not touched on Japanese verbs yet, but I will give some examples using simple verb sentences.

Please refer to Japanese lesson 18 and onwards for lessons on Japanese verbs and related topics.

You should first take a look at the sections on Japanese time and Japanese Day Month Week to familiarize with how to read time in Japanese.

Let's start with using Noun sentence to show Japanese time expression.

Japanese Time Expression using Noun Sentence

"What is the time now?" How to say it in Japanese? The simplest is to use the following Noun sentence expression...

For example, you can say...

• Question: にほんはいまなんじですか。
  nihon wa ima nanji desu ka
  Meaning: What is the time now in Japan?
  
  Answer: にほんはいまごごさんじです。
  nihon wa ima gogo sanji desu
  Meaning: It is 3pm now in Japan.

Japanese Time Expression using から (kara) and まで (made)

You can use the particles から (kara) and まで (made) to state the time frame from which an event occurs. You can use the following expressions...

The above expressions are best used to ask for the operating time for supermarkets, banks, clinics or works, etc.

• Question: ぎんこうはなんじからですか。
  ginkou wa nanji kara desu ka
  Meaning: What is the opening time for the bank?)
  
  Answer: ぎんこうはごぜんくじからです。
  ginkou wa gozen kuji kara desu
  Meaning: The bank opens at 9am.

• Question: しごとはなんじまでですか。
  shigoto wa nanji made desu ka
  Meaning: What is the time that your work ends?
  
  Answer: しごとはごじまでです。
  shigoto wa goji made desu
  Meaning: My work ends at 5pm.

• Question: スーパーはなんじからなんじまでですか。
  su-pa- wa nanji kara nanji made desu ka
  Meaning: What is the operating time for the supermarket?
  
  Answer: スーパーはごぜんじゅうじからごごじゅうじまでです。
  su-pa wa gozen juuji kara gogo juuji made desu
  Meaning: The supermarket opens at 10am and closes at 10pm.

If you want to ask about which day the bank is closed, use the following expression...

• Question: ぎんこうのやすみのひはなんようびですか。
  ginkou no yasuminohi wa nanyoubi desu ka
  Meaning: What is the rest day for the bank?
  
  Answer: ぎんこうのやすみのひはどようびとにちようびです。
  ginkou no yasuminohi wa doyoubi to nichiyoubi desu
  Meaning: The rest days for the bank are Saturday and Sunday.

Similarly, to ask which month, you can say なんがつ (nangatsu).

Generally, if you want to ask when something will be happened without specifying hour, day or month, the question word is いつ (itsu). For example...

• Question: やすみのひはいつですか。
  yasuminohi wa itsu desu ka
  Meaning: When is your rest day?

Japanese Time Expression using Verb Sentence

When using verb sentence to ask about starting or ending time, what time someone wake up or go to bed, use the following expressions...

For example...

• Question: じゅぎょうはなんじにはじまりますか。
  jugyou wa nanji ni hajimarimasu ka
  Meaning: When is the lesson starts?

• Question: じゅぎょうはなんじにおわりますか。
  jugyou wa nanji ni owarimasu ka
  Meaning: When is the lesson ends?

• Question: あなたはなんじにおきますか。
  anata wa nanji ni okimasu ka
  Meaning: When do you wake up?

• Question: あなたはなんじにねますか。
  anata wa nanji ni nemasu ka
  Meaning: When do you go to bed?

Point to note is that when using verb sentence for Japanese time expression, you must use the particle に (ni).

However, there are certain time expressions where に (ni) is not required. See below (end of this page) for the lists.

Normally for verb sentence, the format is Object を Verb. However, the above 4 verbs...

1. はじまります (hajimarimasu) - start
2. おわります (owarimasu) - end
3. おきます (okimasu) - wake up
4. ねます (nemasu) - go to bed

... are some exceptions where the object is not required.

Typically a verb sentence with Japanese time expression will be...

Let use some examples to show the above expression...

• わたしはまいあさしちじ にあさごはんをたべます。
  watashi wa maiasa shichiji ni asagohan wo tabemasu
  Meaning: I eat breakfast at 7am every morning.

• わたしはまいにちコーヒーをさんばいのみます。
  watashi wa mainichi ko-hi- wo sanbai nomimasu
  Meaning: I drink 3 cups of coffee every day.

• わたしはまいしゅうすいようび にせんたくをします。
  watashi wa maishuu suiyoubi ni sentaku wo shimasu
  Meaning: I do my washing/laundry every Wednesday.

• わたしはこんばんえいがをみます。
  watashi wa konban eiga wo mimasu
  Meaning: I am going to watch movie tonight.

You can also use the general question word いつ (itsu) to ask about timing with verb sentence instead of asking the specific time for the Japanese time expression...

• Question: あなたはいつにほんへいきますか。
  anata wa itsu nihon e ikimasu ka
  Meaning: When do you go to Japan?

Or you can ask directly which month and which day with verb sentence...

• Question: あなたはなんがつなんにち に にほんへいきますか。
  anata wa nangatsu nannichi ni nihon e ikimas ka
  Meaning: What is the date that you go to Japan?
  
  Answer: わたしははちがつふつか に にほんへいきます。
  watashi wa hachigatsu futsuka ni nihon e ikimasu
  Meaning: I go to Japan on 2nd of August.

The following 2 lists show those Japanese time expressions that require the particle に (ni) and those that do not require に (ni).

Japanese Time Expressions that Require に (ni) for Verb Sentence

Japanese Time Expressions that DON'T Require に (ni) for Verb Sentence

The above 2 lists of Japanese time expression are not exhaustive, but you should get the idea which are those that require に (ni).

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