telling time (o'clock and minutes)

Clock time uses ji for hours and fun or pun for minutes: sanji juppun is 3:10. Han after ji means half past. Specific clock times take the particle ni when an action happens at them.

Examples

• 今いま、三さん時半じはんです。

  Ima, sanji han desu.

  It is half past three now.

• 授業じゅぎょうは九く時じ十五じゅうご分ふんに始はじまります。

  Jugyou wa kuji juugofun ni hajimarimasu.

  Class starts at 9:15.

Vocabulary in these examples

• 今 now
• 三 three
• 授業 class; lesson
• 九 nine
• 時 time; when
• 始まる to begin (intransitive)

Related patterns · Time expressions

• 〜時間 / 〜分（時間の長さ） for ... hours / minutes (duration)
• 〜ごろ around, about (a point in time)
• 〜まえに before doing; before (a noun)
• 〜あとで after doing; after (a noun)
• もう already; (with negative) no longer
• まだ still; (with negative) not yet