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きゅう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