How to say “time” in Japanese
The Japanese language has the two major options: “jikan” and “toki”. In this blog post, I will explain these two words in detail based on their kanji expressions. And also, I will explain how to use them through example sentences. Let’s get started!Contents
- Definition and meaning of “jikan”
- “Jikan” in kanji
- Definition and meaning of “toki”
- Example #1: how to use “toki” to make an adverb clause
- Example #2: when not to use “jikan”
- Example #3: how to say “I have time” in Japanese
- Example #4: how to ask “do you have time?” in Japanese
- Summary: “jikan” and “toki”
Definition and meaning of “jikan”
First of all, let me start with the definition and meaning of “jikan”.- jikan – 時間 (じかん) : a noun meaning ‘time’ in Japanese. Normally, it is used to express a certain period of time. Depending on the situation and context, however, it can also indicate a certain point in time.
“Jikan” in kanji
Below are the kanji characters used in “jikan”.- 時 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘time’ in Japanese. When it is used after a numeral, it can also mean ‘hour’ or ‘hours’.
- 間 : a kanji character often used to express a certain distance between two things.
Next, then, let me explain the similar word, “toki”.
Definition and meaning of “toki”
Below are the definition and meaning of “toki”.- toki – 時 (とき) : a noun meaning ‘time’ in general in Japanese. When it is put after a phrase or sentence, it can work to make an adverb clause. In this regard, its role is quite similar to that of the English word, “when”. It focuses more on a certain point in time than on a period of time.
When “toki” is used alone, in other words, when it is not used to make an adverb clause in a sentence, it means ‘time’ in a very, very broad sense. So, Japanese native speakers rarely use it alone. In daily conversations, they use it mainly to make an adverb clause. Let me explain this point through the example sentence below.
Example #1: how to use “toki” to make an adverb clause
ie wo deru toki, terebi wo keshi te kudasai – 家を出る時、テレビを消してください (いえをでるとき、てれびをけしてください)
When you leave home, please turn off the TV.
When you leave home, please turn off the TV.
- ie – 家 (いえ) : a noun meaning ‘home’ or ‘house’ in Japanese. It can also be used as a plural noun. Learn more about Japanese plural.
- wo – を : a case particle put after a noun to make the object word. The first “wo” in the example is put after the noun, “ie”, to make the object word in the clause.
- deru – 出る (でる) : a verb meaning ‘to leave’ or ‘to get out’ in Japanese.
- terebi – テレビ (てれび) : a noun meaning ‘TV’ in Japanese. It originally came from the pronunciation of “television”.
- wo – を : the same as explained above. The second “wo” in the example is put after the noun “terebi” to make the object word in the sentence.
- keshi – 消し (けし) : one conjugation of the verb, “kesu”, which means ‘to delete’, ‘to turn off’, or such. It has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- te – て : a conjunctive particle put after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form. In the example, it is put after the conjugated verb, “keshi”, to make its te form, “keshi te”.
- kudasai – 下さい (ください) : one conjugation of the verb, “kudasaru”, which means ‘to give’ in Japanese. When this is put after a verb or verb phrase, it can work like an auxiliary verb to add the meaning of “please”.
Unlike “toki”, “jikan” cannot work to make ‘when’ clauses in Japanese.
Example #2: when not to use “jikan”
ie wo deru jikan, terebi wo keshite kudasai – 家を出る時間、テレビを消して下さい (いえをでるじかん、てれびをけしてください)
Next, then, let me explain how to use “jikan” through the example sentences below.
Example #3: how to say “I have time” in Japanese
ashita wa jikan ga ari masu – 明日は時間があります (あしたはじかんがあります)
I have time tomorrow.
I have time tomorrow.
- ashita – 明日 (あした) : a noun meaning ‘tomorrow’ in Japanese. It is a noun, but can also be used as an adverb and inserted almost anywhere in a sentence to say “tomorrow”. In the example, it is used as an adverb.
- wa – は : the same as explained in the first example. In this example, it works as a topic marker after “ashita” to put a focus on “tomorrow”.
- ga – が : a case particle put after a noun to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, it is put after the noun, “jikan”, to make the subject word in the sentence.
- ari – あり : one conjugation of the verb, “aru”, which means ‘to be’, ‘to exist’, or perhaps ‘to have’ in Japanese. It has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- masu – ます : an auxiliary verb put after a verb to make it polite. Probably it is well known as a part of Japanese masu form. In the example, it is put after the conjugated verb, “ari”, to make it sound polite.
Let me explain another usage of “jikan” as follows.
Example #4: how to ask “do you have time?” in Japanese
raishuu jikan ga ari masu ka – 来週時間がありますか (らいしゅうじかんがありますか)
Do you have time someday next week?
Do you have time someday next week?
- raishuu – 来週 (らいしゅう) : a noun meaning ‘next week’ in Japanese. It is a noun, but can also be used as an adverb and inserted almost anywhere in a sentence to say “next week” in Japanese.
- ka – か : a sentence-ending particle put at the end of a sentence to make a question. As its definition suggests, it is put at the end of the example sentence to make the question.
Summary: “jikan” and “toki”
In this blog post, I’ve explained “jikan” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained the similar word, “toki”. Let me summarize them as follows.- jikan – 時間 (じかん) : a noun meaning ‘time’ in Japanese. Normally, it is used to express a certain period of time. Depending on the situation and context, however, it can also indicate a certain point in time. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘a period between two points in time’.
- toki – 時 (とき) : a noun meaning ‘time’ in general in Japanese. When it is put after a phrase or sentence, it can work to make an adverb clause. In this regard, its role is quite similar to that of the English word, “when”. It focuses more on a certain point in time than on a period of time.
- jikan ga aru – 時間がある (じかんがある) : a Japanese expression for ‘to have time’.
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