Japanese Words for Date and Time33

The Japanese language has a unique and complex system for expressing dates and times. This system can be confusing for non-native speakers, but it is important to learn if you want to be able to communicate effectively in Japanese.

Years

Years are written in Japanese using the Chinese characters 年 (nen) or 歳 (sai). The character 年 is used for formal occasions, while 歳 is used for more informal occasions. For example, the year 2023 can be written as 二〇二三年 (ni sen niju san nen) or 二〇二三歳 (ni sen niju san sai).

Months

Months are written in Japanese using the Chinese characters 月 (gatsu). The character 月 is used for both formal and informal occasions. For example, the month of January can be written as 一月 (ichi gatsu).

Days

Days are written in Japanese using the Chinese characters 日 (nichi). The character 日 is used for both formal and informal occasions. For example, the day of the month can be written as 十日 (toka).

Time

Time is expressed in Japanese using a combination of the Chinese characters 時 (ji), 分 (fun), and 秒 (byo). The character 時 is used to indicate hours, the character 分 is used to indicate minutes, and the character 秒 is used to indicate seconds. For example, the time 3:30 PM can be written as 午後三時三十分 (gogo san ji san juppu).

Putting It All Together

To write a complete date and time in Japanese, simply combine the year, month, day, and time elements. For example, the date and time "March 8, 2023 at 4:00 PM" can be written as 二〇二三年三月八日午後四時 (ni sen niju san nen san gatsu hachi nichi gogo yon ji).

Tips for Learning Japanese Dates and Times

Here are a few tips for learning Japanese dates and times:
Start by learning the basic Chinese characters for year, month, day, and time.
Practice writing dates and times in Japanese as often as possible.
Use a Japanese calendar or date converter to help you learn the correct format for dates and times.

With a little practice, you will be able to master the Japanese system for expressing dates and times.

2025-02-06

Previous：Japanese Words in Natsume Yuujinchou

Next：The Importance of Stress in German Words