JIKAN To KAZU
Time and Numbers
The Japanese language is rich in numbers. It uses Japanese numbers and Chinese numbers. And it uses a system of classifiers or “counters” as well. This means that when you count things, you first have to classify them according to what they are, or by their size or shape. For example, to count pencils, bottles, or trees, you use the classifier for long, thin things; to count books or magazines, you use the classifier for bound objects. Later in this lesson you’ll see a chart of some of the most common classifiers.
KAZU
From 1 to 10 only, there are two sets of numbers. The set on the right, of Japanese origin, stops at 10. The set on the left, of Chinese origin, continues indefinitely.
| 1 | Ichi | Hitsotsu |
| 2 | Ni | Futatsu |
| 3 | San | Mittsu |
| 4 | Shi/Yon | Yottsu |
| 5 | Go | Itsutsu |
| 6 | Roku | Muttsu |
| 7 | Nana/shichi | Nanatsu |
| 8 | Hachi | Yattsu |
| 9 | Kyuu/Ku | Kononotsu |
| 10 | Juu | Tou |
11-19
To form numbers from 11 to 19, start with juu, 10, and then add the number you need from the column on the left.
| 11 | Juuichi |
| 12 | Juuni |
| 13 | Juusan |
| 14 | Juuyon |
| 15 | Juugo |
| 16 | Juuroku |
| 17 | Juunana |
| 18 | Juuhachi |
| 19 | Juukyuu |
| 20 | Nijuu |
20-100
The rest is easy. Twenty is two tens, or ni ju, and for 21, just add the 1: ni ju ichi
| 20 (Nijuu) | 21 (nijuuchi) |
| 30 (Sanjuu) | 31(Sanjuuichi |
| 40 (Yonjuu) | 41(Yonjuuichi) |
| 50 (Gojuu) | 51(Gojuuichi) |
| 60 (Rokujuu) | 61(Rokujuuichi) |
| 70 (Nanajuu) | 71(Nanajuuichi) |
| 80 (Hachijuu) | 81(Hachijuuichi) |
| 90 (Kyuujuu) | 91(Kyuujuuichi) |
With 100, hyaku, and 1000, sen, the pattern is basically the same, but there are some sound changes.
| 100 (Hyaku) | 1000(Sen) |
| 200 (Nihyaku) | 2000 (Nisen) |
| 300 (Sanbyaku) | 3000(Sansen) |
| 400 (Yonhyaku) | 4000(Yonsen) |
| 500 (Gohyaku) | 5000(Gosen) |
| 600(Roppyaku) | 6000(Rokusen) |
| 700 (Nanahyaku) | 7000(Nanasen) |
| 800 (Happyaku) | 8000(Hassen) |
| 900 (Kyuuhyaku) | 900(Kyuusen) |
Japanese uses 10,000 as a counting unit. Each unit of 10,000 is called man. So 10,000 is ichi man, 20,000 is ni man. 100,000 is ju man, 200,000 is ni ju man, 1,000,000 is hyaku man (unit of 10,000). This continues until 100,000,000 ichi oku.
JOSSU
ORDINAL NUMBERS
| English Japanese | |||||||||||||||||||||
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CHIGATTA SHURUI NO MONO O KAZOERU
COUNTING DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS
One American is coming.
Amerikajin ga hitori kimasu.
American one
One pencil is on the table.
Enpitsu ga ippon teburu no ue ni arimasu.
pencil one
I have one book.
Hon o issatsu motte imasu.
book one
I’d like one ticket.
Kippu o ichimai kudasai.
Ticket one
People
| 1 | Hitori |
| 2 | Futari |
| 3 | Sannin |
| 4 | Yonnin |
| 5 | Gonnin |
Long, Thin Objects
| 1 | Ippon |
| 2 | Nihon |
| 3 | Sanbon |
| 4 | Yonhon |
| 5 | Gohon |
Thin, Flat Objects
| 1 | Ichimai |
| 2 | Nimai |
| 3 | Sanmai |
| 4 | Yonmai |
| 5 | Gomai |
Floor of the Buildings
| 1 | Ikkai |
| 2 | Nikai |
| 3 | Sankai |
| 4 | Yonkai |
| 5 | Gokai |
Liquid or Dry Measures
| 1 | Ippai |
| 2 | Nihai |
| 3 | Sanbai |
| 4 | Yonhai |
| 5 | Gohai |
Houses, Building
| 1 | Ikken |
| 2 | Niken |
| 3 | Sanken |
| 4 | Yonken |
| 5 | Goken |
Small Objects Not In The Categories Above
| 1 | Ikko,Hitotsu |
| 2 | Niko, Futatsu |
| 3 | Sanko, Mittsu |
| 4 | Yonko, Mittsu |
| 5 | Goko, Itsutsu |
Bound Objects
| 1 | Issatsu |
| 2 | Nisatsu |
| 3 | Sansatsu |
| 4 | Yonsatsu |
| 5 | Gosatsu |
NUMERALS
1-20
| Japanese | Romaji | |
| 0 | ゼロ | Rei, Zero |
| 1 | いち （一） | Ichi |
| 2 | に （二） | Ni |
| 3 | さん （三） | San |
| 4 | よん （四） | Yon/Shi |
| 5 | ご （五） | Go |
| 6 | ろく （六） | Roku |
| 7 | なな （七） | Nana/Shichi |
| 8 | はち （八） | Hachi |
| 9 | きゅう （九） | Kyuu/Ku |
| 10 | じゅう （十） | Juu |
| 11 | じゅういち | Juuichi |
| 12 | じゅうに | Juuni |
| 13 | じゅうさん | Juusan |
| 14 | じゅうよん | Juuyon |
| 15 | じゅうご | Juugo |
| 16 | じゅうろく | Juuroku |
| 17 | じゅうなな | Juunana |
| 18 | じゅうはち | Juuhachi |
| 19 | じゅうきゅう | Juukyuu |
| 20 | にじゅう | Nijuu |
| 30 | さんじゅう | Sanjuu |
| 40 | よんじゅう | Yonjuu |
| 50 | ごじゅう | Gojuu |
| 60 | ろくじゅう | Rokujuu |
| 70 | ななじゅう | Nanajuu |
| 80 | はちじゅう | Hachijuu |
| 90 | きゅうじゅう | Kyuujuu |
100-900
| Japanese | Romaji | |
| 100 | ひゃく | Hyaku |
| 200 | にひゃく | Nihyaku |
| 300 | さんびゃく | Sanbyaku |
| 400 | よんひゃく | Yonhyaku |
| 500 | ごひゃく | Gohyaku |
| 600 | ろっぴゃく | Ropyaku |
| 700 | ななひゃく | Nanahyaku |
| 800 | はっぴゃく | Happyaku |
| 900 | きゅうひゃく | Kyuuhyaku |
1000-9000
| Japanese | Romaji | |
| 1000 | せん ( 千 ) | Sen |
| 2000 | にせん | Nisen |
| 3000 | さんぜん | Sansen |
| 4000 | よんせん | Yonsen |
| 5000 | ごせん | Gosen |
| 6000 | ろくせん | Rokusen |
| 7000 | ななせん | Nanasen |
| 8000 | はっせん | Hassen |
| 9000 | きゅうせん | Kyuusen |
10,000-100,000,000
| Japanese | Romaji | ||
| 10,000 | いちまん ( 一万 ) | Ichiman | |
| 100,000 | じゅうまん ( 十万 ) | Juuman | |
| 1,000,000 | ひゃくまん ( 百万 ) | Hyakuman | |
| 10,000,000 | せんまん ( 千万 ) | Senman | |
| 100,000,000 |
|
Ichioku |
Expressions Of Time
TOKYO
9:00 O’clock
Kuuji desu
ANCHORAGE
3:00 O’clock
Sanji desu
NEW YORK
8:00 O’clock
Hachi desu
PARIS
1:00 O’clock
Ichiji desu
MOSCOW
3:00 O’clock
Sanji desu
To express time in Japanese, we start wih a list of the hours, then a list of the minutes, and then we’ll put them together.
O’clock / Ji
| Japanese | Romaji | |
| 1 | いちじ | Ichiji |
| 2 | にじ | Niji |
| 3 | さんじ | Sanji |
| 4 | よじ | Yoji |
| 5 | ごじ | Goji |
| 6 | ろくじ | Rokuji |
| 7 | しちじ | Shichiji |
| 8 | はちじ | Hachiji |
| 9 | くじ | Kuji |
| 10 | じゅうじ | Juuji |
| 11 | じゅういちじ | Juuichiji |
| 12 | じゅうにじ | Juuniji |
| ? | なんじ？ | Nanji? |
MINUTE – Pun / Fun
| Japanese | Romaji | |
| 1 | いっぷん | Ippun |
| 2 | にふん | Nifun |
| 3 | さんぷん | Sanpun |
| 4 | よんぷん | Yonpun |
| 5 | ごふん | Gofun |
| 6 | ろっぷん | Roppun |
| 7 | ななふん// しちふん | Nanafun/Shichifun |
| 8 | はっぷん | Happun |
| 9 | きゅうふん | Kyuufun |
| 10 | じゅっぷん / じっぷん | Juppun / Jippun |
| 15 | じゅうごふん | Juugofun |
| 30 | はん / さんじゅっぷん / さんじっぷん | Han / Sanjuupun / San jippun |
| ? | なんぷん | Nanpun |
Now let’s put them together. Say the hour first, then the minutes, then add desu. For example:
Nan desu ka. What time is it?
Juujijugofun. It’s 0:15.
Using sugi, which means “past” or “after”, is optional.
Juujijugofun sugi desu. It’s 10:15.
At 15 minutes before the hour, start using mae, which means “to” or “before”.
Juujijugofun mae desu. It’s a quarter to ten.
Han means “half”, as in half past the hour.
Kuuji han desu. It’s 9:30
Ji means hour, jikan means time Byo means seconds.
Juuji juu pun san byo desu it’s 10:10:03.
Ima means now
Ima roku ji han desu It’s now 6:30.
Kara/Made means “From” and “Until”
Go ji kara san ji madedesu. 5:00-3:00
Asa, Hiru, Yoru means morning, afternoon, evening
Asajuu ji han desu. It’s 10:30 in the morning
Gozen is “A.M”. Gogo is “ P.M.” say them before you say the hour.
Gozen shichi desu. it’s 4:00 a.m.
Gogo roku ji nijuu pun desu It’s 6:20 p.m.
For time schedules, as in railway and Airline time table, number 1 to 59 are used for minutes, not “ a quarter to “ or “ ten to “ the hour.
Transportation timetable are based on the 24 –hour clock. Airline and train Schedules are expressed in terms of a point within a 24-hours sequence.
Example:
- Watashi no kisha wa, ju san ji yon ju happun ni demasu
My train depart at 13:48 ( 1:48 p.m.)
Watashi no hikoki wa ju ji go ju san pun ni tsukimasu
My plane arrives at 10:53 ( a.m.)
Day(Nichi)
| Japanese | English | Romaji | |
| おととい |
|
Ototoi | |
| きのう | Yesterday | Kinou | |
| きょう | Today | Kyou | |
| あした | Tomorrow | Ashita | |
| あさって | The day after tomorrow | Asatte | |
| まいにち | Every day | Mainichi |
MORNING (Asa)
| Japanese | English | Romaji |
| おとといのあさ | The morning before the last | Ototoi no asa |
| きのうのあさ | Yesterday morning | Kinou no asa |
| けさ | This morning | Kesa |
| あしたのあさ | Tomorrow morning | Ashita no asa |
| あさってのあさ | The next next morning | Asatte no asa |
| まいあさ | Every morning | Mai asa |
NIGHT (Ban)
| Japanese | English | Romaji |
| おとといのばん | The night before last | Ototoi no ban |
| きのうのばん | Last night | Kinou no ban |
| こんばん | Tonight | Konban |
| あしたのばん | Tomorrow night | Ashita no ban |
| あさってのばん | The night after next | Ashita no ban |
| まいばん | Every night | Maiban |
mata again
mada still, yet
itsumo always
mo also, too
Days Of The Week(Youbi)
| Japanese | English | Romaji |
| にちようび ( 日曜日 ) | Sunday | Nichiyoubi |
| げつようび ( 月曜日 ) | Monday | Getsuyoubi |
| かようび ( 火曜日 ) | Tuesday | Kayoubi |
| すいようび ( 水曜日 ) | Wednesday | Suiyoubi |
| もくようび ( 木曜日 ) | Thursday | Mokuyoubi |
| きんようび ( 金曜日 ) | Friday | Kinyoubi |
| どようび ( 土曜日 ) | Saturday | Doyoubi |
| なんようび (何曜日 ) | What Day | Nanyoubi |
Days of the Month (Number plus nichi)
| Japanese |
Romaji
|
|
| 1 | ついたち | Tsuitachi |
| 2 | ふつか | Futsuka |
| 3 | みっか | Mikka |
| 4 | よっか | Yokka |
| 5 | いつか | Itsuka |
| 6 | むいか | Muika |
| 7 | なのか | Nanoka |
| 8 | ようか | Youka |
| 9 | ここのか | Kokonoka |
| 10 | とおか | Tooka |
| 11 | じゅういちにち | Juuichinichi |
| 12 | じゅうににち | Juuninichi |
| 13 | じゅうさんにち | Juusannichi |
| 14 | じゅうよっか | Juuyokka |
| 15 | じゅうごにち | Juugonichi |
| 16 | じゅうろくにち | Juurokunichi |
Days of the Month (Number plus nichi)
|
Japanese |
Romaji | |
| 17 | じゅうしちにち | Juushichinichi |
| 18 | じゅうはちにち | Juuhachinichi |
| 19 | じゅうくにち | Juukunichi |
| 20 | はつか | Hatsuka |
| 21 | にじゅういちにち | Nijuuichinichi |
| 22 | にじゅうににち | Nijuuninichi |
| 23 | にじゅうさんにち | Nijuusannichi |
| 24 | にじゅうよっか | Nijuuyokka |
| 25 | にじゅうごにち | Nijuugonichi |
| 26 | にじゅうろくにち | Nijuurokunichi |
| 27 | にじゅうしちにち | Nijuushichinichi |
| 28 | にじゅうはちにち | Nijuuhachinichi |
| 29 | にじゅうくにち | Nijuukunichi |
| 30 | さんじゅうにち | Sanjuunichi |
| 31 | さんじゅういちにち | Sanjuuichinichi |
| ？ | なんにち | Nannichi |
Week(Shuu)
| Japanese | English | Romaji |
| せんせんしゅう | Last last week | Sensenshuu |
| せんしゅう | Last week | Senshuu |
| こんしゅう | This week | Konshuu |
| らいしゅう | Next week | raishuu |
| さらいしゅう | Next next week | raishuu |
| まいしゅう | Every week | Mai shuu |
Month (Getsu)
| Japanese | English | Romaji |
| せんせんげつ | Last last month | Sensengetsu |
| せんげつ | Last month | Sengetsu |
| こんげつ | This month | Kongetsu |
| らいげつ | Next month | Raigetsu |
| さらいげつ | Next next month | Saraigetsu |
| まいつき | Next next month | Matsuki |
Year (Nen)
| Japanese | English | Romaji |
| おととし | Last last year | Sensengetsu |
| きょねん | Last year | Sengetsu |
| ことし | This year | Kongetsu |
| らいねん | Next year | Raigetsu |
| さらいねん | Next next year | Saraigetsu |
|
まいねん / まいとし |
Next next year | Matsuki |