Lesson 4: Time and Schedule

Tell time, talk about daily routines, and describe weekly schedules using ___に and question words like なんじ, なんようび

This Lesson focuses on time expressions, daily routines, and schedules. You will learn to tell time, discuss daily activities, and use the particle に to specify when actions occur.

Key topics:

・Telling time: なんじ (what time), ぷん (minutes)
・Time expressions: ごぜん (a.m.), ごご (p.m.), よる (night)
・Days of the week and dates
・The particle に to mark the time of an action
・Verbs: ねます (sleep), はたらきます (work), おわります (end)
・Daily routine activities and schedules
・Time-related vocabulary and expressions

Vocabulary

おきます

okimasu

起おきます

get up, wake up

Example

あさおきます.

Asa okimasu.

I wake up in the morning.

ねます

nemasu

寝ねます

sleep, go to bed

Example

よるねます.

Yoru nemasu.

I go to bed at night.

はたらきます

hatarakimasu

働はたらきます

work

Example

しごとは９時じから５時じまでです.

Shigoto wa ku-ji kara go-ji made desu.

Work is from 9:00 to 5:00.

やすみます

yasumimasu

休やすみます

rest, take a day off

Example

どようびにやすみます.

Doyōbi ni yasumimasu.

I rest on Saturdays.

べんきょうします

benkyō shimasu

勉強べんきょうします

study

Example

まいばんべんきょうします.

Maiban benkyō shimasu.

I study every night.

おわります

owarimasu

終おわります

finish, end

Example

しごとがおわります.

Shigoto ga owarimasu.

Work finishes.

デパート

depāto

department store

Example

デパートにいきます.

Depāto ni ikimasu.

I go to the department store.

ぎんこう

ginkō

銀行ぎんこう

bank

Example

ぎんこうはあそこです.

Ginkou wa asoko desu.

The bank is over there.

ゆうびんきょく

yūbinkyoku

郵便ゆうびん局ゆうびんきょく

post office

Example

ゆうびんきょくでてがみをおくります.

Yūbinkyoku de tegami o okurimasu.

I send letters at the post office.

としょかん

toshokan

図書としょ館としょかん

library

Example

としょかんでほんをよみます.

Toshokan de hon o yomimasu.

I read books at the library.

びじゅつかん

bijutsukan

美術びじゅつ館びじゅつかん

art museum

Example

びじゅつかんにいきます.

Bijutsukan ni ikimasu.

I go to the art museum.

いま

ima

今いま

now

Example

いまなんじですか.

Ima nan-ji desu ka.

What time is it now?

__ じ

時じ

__ o

Example

ごじにおきます.

Go ji ni okimasu.

I wake up at 5 o

__ ふん

fun

分ふん

__ minute

Example

じゅうふんまちます.

Jū fun machimasu.

I wait for 10 minutes.

はん

han

半はん

half

Example

さんじはんです.

Sanji han desu.

ごぜん

gozen

午前ごぜん

a.m., morning

Example

ごぜんしちじにはたらきます.

Gozen shichiji ni hatarakimasu.

I work at 7 a.m.

ごご

gogo

午後ごご

p.m., afternoon

Example

ごごよじにうちにかえります.

Gogo yoji ni uchi ni kaerimasu.

I return home at 4 p.m.

あさ

asa

朝あさ

morning

Example

あさ７時じにおきます.

Asa shichi-ji ni okimasu.

I wake up at 7:00 in the morning.

ひる

hiru

昼ひる

noon, daytime

Example

ひるやすみがあります.

Hiru yasumi ga arimasu.

I have a lunch break.

ばん

ban

晩ばん

evening, night

Example

ばんごはんをつくります.

Ban gohan o tsukurimasu.

I make dinner.

よる

yoru

夜よる

night

Example

よる１０時じにねます.

Yoru juu-ji ni nemasu.

I sleep at 10:00 at night.

おととい

ototoi

一昨いっさく日おととい

day before yesterday

Example

おとといえいがをみました.

Ototoi eiga o mimashita.

I watched a movie the day before yesterday.

きのう

kinō

昨日きのう

yesterday

Example

きのうともだちにあいました.

Kinou tomodachi ni aimashita.

I met a friend yesterday.

きょう

kyō

今日きょう

today

Example

きょうのばんごはんはなんですか？

Kyou no bangohan wa nan desu ka?

What is today

あした

ashita

明日あした

tomorrow

Example

あしたあいましょう.

Ashita aimashou.

Let

あさって

asatte

明後日あさって

day after tomorrow

Example

あさってあいましょう.

Asatte aimashou.

Let

けさ

kesa

今朝けさ

this morning

Example

けさはやくおきました.

Kesa hayaku okimashita.

I woke up early this morning.

こんばん

konban

今晩こんばん

this evening, tonight

Example

こんばんテレビをみます.

Konban terebi o mimasu.

I will watch TV tonight.

やすみ

yasumi

休やすみ

rest, holiday, day off

Example

あしたはやすみです.

Ashita wa yasumi desu.

Tomorrow is a holiday.

ひま

hima

暇ひま

free time, spare time

Example

ひまなときほんをよみます.

Hima na toki hon o yomimasu.

I read books when I have free time.

Conversation

104

ichi-zero-yon

Number 104

Example Usage

へやは104ごうしつです.

Heya wa ichi-zero-yon gou-shitsu desu.

The room is room 104.

わずお願いします

wazu onegaishimasu

Please wait a moment

Example Usage

わずお願ねがいします、すぐもどります.

Wazu onegaishimasu, sugu modorimasu.

Please wait a moment, I

かしこまりました

kashikomarimashita

Certainly / Understood / I

Example Usage

はい、かしこまりました.

Hai, kashikomarimashita.

Yes, certainly.

ばんごうおといあわせのばんごう

bangou otoiawase no bangou

The number to inquire about

Example Usage

それはおといあわせのばんごうです.

Sore wa otoiawase no bangou desu.

That

[どうも] ありがとうございました

[doumo] arigatou gozaimashita

Thank you very much (past tense)

Example Usage

きのうはありがとうございました.

Kinou wa arigatou gozaimashita.

Thank you very much for yesterday.

どういたしまして

douitashimashite

You

Example Usage

ありがとうございます.どういたしまして.

Arigatou gozaimasu. Douitashimashite.

Thank you very much. You

Kanji

Grammar Rules

Rule 1: Telling Time

Structure: [Number] + じ (hour) + [Number] + ふん／ぷん (minutes)

Use じ for hours (1 to 12) and ふん/ぷん for minutes. The pronunciation of minutes changes depending on the number for easier speaking (e.g., 1分 = いっぷん, 3分 = さんぷん, 6分 = ろっぷん, 10分 = じゅっぷん). For 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 minutes, use よんふん, ごふん, ななふん, はちふん, きゅうふん.

How to use: Combine the hour number + じ, then minute number + ふん/ぷん. For half past, use はん (e.g., 4時半 = 4:30). For minutes 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, pay attention to the sound changes. Use 何時 (なんじ) to ask

💡 Pro Tip: For minutes 1-10, memorize the irregulars: 1分=いっぷん, 2分=にふん, 3分=さんぷん, 4分=よんぷん, 5分=ごふん, 6分=ろっぷん, 7分=ななふん, 8分=はっぷん (or はちふん), 9分=きゅうふん, 10分=じゅっぷん. For 15 minutes, use じゅうごふん; for 45 minutes, よんじゅうごふん. In casual speech, 30 minutes is often just はん (half).

Examples

いまなんじですか. さんじです.

Ima nanji desu ka? Sanji desu.

→ What time is it now? It

いまごごろくじじゅっぷんです.

Ima gogo rokuji juppun desu.

→ It

Rule 2: Time Particle に

Structure: [Time expression] + に + [Verb]

Use the particle に to mark the specific point in time when an action occurs. It is required for clock times, days of the week, months, and years. However, に is omitted with relative time words like きょう (today), あした (tomorrow), きのう (yesterday), まいあさ (every morning), and まいにち (every day).

How to use: Place に after the time expression (e.g., 3時, 月曜日, 3月). Then continue with the verb. For questions, use 何時に (what time). For

💡 Pro Tip: Do not use に after ごぜん/ごご (AM/PM) alone, but you can say ごぜん10時に. Also, に is not used with ___ごろ (approximately). For example, 3時ごろ (around 3 o

Examples

わたしはごぜんくじにはたらきます.

Watashi wa gozen kuji ni hatarakimasu.

→ I work at 9 a.m.

まいにちごごさんじにえいごをべんきょうします.

Mainichi gogo sanji ni eigo o benkyō shimasu.

→ I study English at 3 p.m. every day.

Rule 3: Daily Routine Verbs

Structure: [Time] + に + [Activity verb]

Common verbs for daily routines include おきます (to wake up), ねます (to sleep), はたらきます (to work), べんきょうします (to study), あびます (to shower/bathe), たべます (to eat), かえります (to return/go home), and いきます/きます (to go/come). These are often used with time expressions to describe your daily schedule.

How to use: Place the time (with に if specific) before the verb. The verb goes at the end of the sentence. For habitual actions, use present tense ( __ ます). For past actions, use past tense ( __ ました). You can combine multiple actions with the て-form.

💡 Pro Tip: Learn these verbs in their ます-form first. To ask about someone

Examples

あさしちじにおきます.

Asa shichiji ni okimasu.

→ I wake up at 7 in the morning.

まいばんじゅういちじごろねます.

Maiban jūichiji goro nemasu.

→ I go to sleep around 11 p.m. every night.

Rule 4: Time Expressions

Structure: ごぜん (AM) / ごご (PM) + Time | あさ (morning), ひる (noon), ばん (evening), よる (night)

Use ごぜん and ごご before the time to specify morning or afternoon/evening. Unlike English, Japanese does not use 12-hour AM/PM with 12:00; instead, say ごごじゅうにじ for 12 PM (noon) and ごぜんれいじ (or ごぜんじゅうにじ) for 12 AM (midnight). Other common time words: あさ (early morning ___10am), ひる (around noon), ばん (evening, from sunset to bedtime), よる (night, late evening).

How to use: Place ごぜん or ごご before the hour + じ. For example: ごご３じ (3 PM). These can also be used without a following time: ごぜんちゅう (during the morning), ごごから (from the afternoon). For

💡 Pro Tip: In daily conversation, Japanese often uses 24-hour time for schedules (e.g., 19時 for 7 PM), but ごご is more common for spoken time. Be careful: あさ is generally until about 10 AM, then ごぜん until 11:59 AM. ばん is roughly 6 PM to 10 PM, then よる for late night. For

Examples

ごごよじにうちにかえります.

Gogo yoji ni uchi ni kaerimasu.

→ I return home at 4 p.m.

あさごぜんはちじにあさごはんをたべます.

Asa gozen hachiji ni asagohan o tabemasu.

→ I eat breakfast at 8 a.m. in the morning.

Lesson 4: Time and Schedule

Tell time, talk about daily routines, and describe weekly schedules using ___に and question words like なんじ, なんようび

Key topics:

Vocabulary

Conversation

Kanji

Grammar Rules

Rule 1: Telling Time

Rule 2: Time Particle に

Rule 3: Daily Routine Verbs

Rule 4: Time Expressions

Exercises

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Question 7

Question 8

Question 9

Question 10

Question 11

Question 12

Question 13

Question 14

Question 15

Question 16

Question 17

Question 18

Question 19

Question 20