Jikan meaning and how it’s different from Toki, explained in detail

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.

Its definition and meaning are not so difficult, I think. To understand this word more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

“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.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “jikan” literally expresses a certain period between two points in time. This is the basic concept lying under this word. Japanese native speakers, in fact, normally use “jikan” to express a certain period of time, not a point in time.

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.

Its kanji character is the same as the first one of “jikan”, so means ‘time’ in Japanese.

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

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• 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”.

This is a typical usage of “toki”. In this example, it is used after the short sentence, “ie wo deru”, to make the adverb clause in the sentence, meaning ‘when you leave home’. Although word orders in Japanese and English are different, the role of “toki” is quite similar to that of “when” in English.

Unlike “toki”, “jikan” cannot work to make ‘when’ clauses in Japanese.

Example #2: when not to use “jikan”

In this sentence, “jikan” is used instead of “toki”, but it sounds weird. “Jikan” has the nuance of ‘a period of time’ as I explained above. So, it is not suitable to make the adverb clause where an action at a point in time is described.

Next, then, let me explain how to use “jikan” through the example sentences below.

Example #3: how to say “I have time” in Japanese

Below are the new words and particle used in the example sentence.

• 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.

This is a typical usage of “jikan”. In this example, it is used as a part of the widely-used expression, “jikan ga aru”, which has the idiomatic meaning, ‘to have time’. When we want to say “time” in Japanese, “jikan” would be a good choice in many cases.

Let me explain another usage of “jikan” as follows.

Example #4: how to ask “do you have time?” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• 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.

This is another typical usage of “jikan”. In this example, it is used as a part of the expression, “jikan ga ari masu ka”, which has the idiomatic meaning, ‘do you have time?’ Japanese people often use this expression, so it’s worth knowing.

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’.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.