Numbers, Time & Dates
Learning Objectives
- Count logically from 1 to 99,999 in Japanese.
- Tell the current time using Hours (じ) and Minutes (ふん/ぷん).
- Identify and say the 7 days of the week.
- Name the 12 months (がつ).
- Navigate the irregular calendar system for counting days of the month (か/にち).
Now that you can form full sentences with particles, you need numbers to describe the world! The Japanese number system is incredibly logical and purely mathematical. If you can count to 10, you can easily count to 99 just by stacking numbers together like Lego blocks.
However, when those numbers are used to express Time and Dates, things get a little tricky! Time requires special counters (suffixes attached to the number), and calendar days use an ancient, irregular counting system. Let’s break it down step by step!
1. Counting from 1 to 99
Counting in Japanese is entirely predictable! First, learn the numbers 1 through 10. After that, it is pure math:
- 11 is “Ten-One” (じゅういち)
- 20 is “Two-Tens” (にじゅう)
- 35 is “Three-Tens-Five” (さんじゅうご)
| Word | Romaji | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| ゼロ / れい | zero / rei | 0 | Number |
| いち | ichi | 1 | Number |
| に | ni | 2 | Number |
| さん | san | 3 | Number |
| よん / し | yon / shi | 4 | Number |
| ご | go | 5 | Number |
| ろく | roku | 6 | Number |
| なな / しち | nana / shichi | 7 | Number |
| はち | hachi | 8 | Number |
| きゅう / く | kyuu / ku | 9 | Number |
| じゅう | juu | 10 | Number |
| ひゃく | hyaku | 100 | Number |
| せん | sen | 1,000 | Number |
| いちまん | ichi-man | 10,000 | Number |
[!CAUTION] The numbers 4, 7, and 9 have two different readings! Yon, nana, and kyuu are the most common everyday readings. The alternatives (shi, shichi, ku) are often tied to ancient traditions, poetry, or specific counters. When just counting aloud, say “ichi, ni, san, yon/shi, go, roku, nana, hachi, kyuu, juu.”
2. Telling Time: Hours (じ) and Minutes (ふん/ぷん)
To tell time, attach the counter じ (ji) for Hours, and ふん/ぷん (fun/pun) for minutes.
- Use ごぜん (gozen) for AM (morning).
- Use ごご (gogo) for PM (afternoon).
The Hours
Just say the number + じ (ji). Exceptions: 4 is yo-ji (not yon-ji), 7 is shichi-ji (not nana-ji), and 9 is ku-ji (not kyuu-ji).
The Minutes
Minutes alternate between “fun” and “pun” depending on what number they attach to.
- 〜ぷん (pun): 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10
- 〜ふん (fun): 2, 5, 7, 9
- For “Half past” (30 minutes), use はん (han).
いま は なんじ ですか。
Ima wa nan-ji desuka?
What time is it now?
ごぜん ななじ はん です。
Gozen shichi-ji han desu.
It is 7:30 AM.
ごご よじ にじゅっぷん に いきます。
Gogo yo-ji ni-juppun ni ikimasu.
I will go at 4:20 PM.
3. Days of the Week: The Stars and Planets (〜ようび)
The Japanese days of the week are named after the visible planets and elements of nature. They all end with the suffix ようび (youbi) meaning “day of the week”.
| Word | Romaji | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| げつようび | Getsuyoubi | Monday (Moon Day) | Noun |
| かようび | Kayoubi | Tuesday (Fire Day) | Noun |
| すいようび | Suiyoubi | Wednesday (Water Day) | Noun |
| もくようび | Mokuyoubi | Thursday (Wood/Tree Day) | Noun |
| きんようび | Kinyoubi | Friday (Gold/Metal Day) | Noun |
| どようび | Doyoubi | Saturday (Earth/Soil Day) | Noun |
| にちようび | Nichiyoubi | Sunday (Sun Day) | Noun |
[!TIP] What day is it? Ask: なんようび ですか (Nan-youbi desuka?).
4. Months of the Year (〜がつ)
Months are incredibly easy! Unlike English which has unique names for every month, Japanese just numbers them 1 through 12 and adds the suffix がつ (gatsu).
- January: いちがつ (Ichi-gatsu) - Month 1
- February: にがつ (Ni-gatsu) - Month 2
- Exception: April is しがつ (Shi-gatsu), July is しちがつ (Shichi-gatsu), September is くがつ (Ku-gatsu).
5. Days of the Month (〜か / 〜にち)
This is the hardest part of Japanese dates. The days of the month split into two systems.
- Days 1 through 10, 14, 20, and 24 use ancient Japanese readings that usually end in 〜か (ka) (except for the 1st). You just have to memorize these!
- All other days (11-13, 15-19, 21-23, etc.) are easy! Just say the normal number + にち (nichi).
| Word | Romaji | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| ついたち | Tsuitachi | 1st of the month | Date |
| ふつか | Futsuka | 2nd | Date |
| みっか | Mikka | 3rd | Date |
| よっか | Yokka | 4th | Date |
| いつか | Itsuka | 5th | Date |
| むいか | Muika | 6th | Date |
| なのか | Nanoka | 7th | Date |
| ようか | Youka | 8th | Date |
| ここのか | Kokonoka | 9th | Date |
| とおか | Tooka | 10th | Date |
| じゅうよっか | Juu-yokka | 14th (Irregular) | Date |
| はつか | Hatsuka | 20th (Irregular) | Date |
| にじゅうよっか | Ni-juu-yokka | 24th (Irregular) | Date |
If the day is not in that table, just use the math system! (e.g., 18th = じゅうはちにち : Juu-hachi-nichi).
きょう は なんがつ なんにち ですか。
Kyou wa nan-gatsu nan-nichi desuka?
What month and day is today?
ごがつ いつか です。
Go-gatsu itsuka desu.
It is May 5th.
たんじょうび は じゅういちがつ とおか です。
Tanjoubi wa juu-ichi-gatsu tooka desu.
My birthday is November 10th.
Conversation Practice
すみません、いま なんじ ですか。
Sumimasen, ima nan-ji desuka?
Excuse me, what time is it now?
いま は ごご くじ はん です。
Ima wa gogo ku-ji han desu.
Right now it is 9:30 PM.
ありがとう ございます。あした は なんようび です か。
Arigatou gozaimasu. Ashita wa nan-youbi desu ka?
Thank you. What day of the week is tomorrow?
あした は げつようび です よ。
Ashita wa getsuyoubi desu yo.
Tomorrow is Monday.
そうですか。げつようび に デパート は なんじ から ですか。
Sou desu ka. Getsuyoubi ni depāto wa nan-ji kara desuka?
I see. On Monday, what time does the department store open from?
ごぜん じゅうじ から ごご はちじ まで です。
Gozen juu-ji kara gogo hachi-ji made desu.
It is from 10:00 AM until 8:00 PM.
Chapter Summary
- 1Basic numbers stack mathematically: 30 = Three-Tens (San-juu), 52 = Five-Tens-Two (Go-juu-ni).
- 2Time relies on the counters じ (Hours) and ふん/ぷん (Minutes). Don't forget verbs happening at a specific time take the particle に!
- 3Days of the week are named after celestial bodies, all ending in ようび.
- 4Months are simply numbers 1-12 plus がつ (e.g., Ichi-gatsu = January).
- 5Days of the month 1-10, 14, 20, and 24 have highly irregular readings you must memorize. All other days are just number + にち.
Knowledge Check
Test your ability to read the clock and the calendar!
Quiz
How do you say the number 85 in Japanese?