JLPT N5 Kanji Lesson 09: Time and Clock Units (今時分半毎午)

Introduction

Welcome to Lesson 09! In this lesson, you will master the 6 indispensable Kanji for telling time, reading clocks, and scheduling daily life: 今 (now/present), 時 (time/hour/o’clock), 分 (minute/part/understand), 半 (half), 毎 (every), and 午 (noon). You will encounter these characters multiple times every single day—on train departure screens, meeting schedules, clocks, and everyday text messages.

Learning Objectives

• Master stroke orders and On/Kun readings of 6 clock and time Kanji.
• Tell the exact time using [Number] + 時 + [Number] + 分 and 半 (half-past).
• Distinguish A.M. and P.M. with 午前 (gozen) and 午後 (gogo).
• Confidently read schedules, timetable questions, and listening time prompts in JLPT N5.

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Lesson Contents

Concept / Meaning

These characters represent chronological concepts: 今 shows a bell-shaped enclosure covering the immediate present moment; 時 combines the sun 日 with temple/measurement 寺 (tracking sun on sundial); 分 shows an eight 八 splitting something with a knife 刀 into parts/minutes; 半 shows an ox 牛 cut in half; 毎 shows a motherly hair ornament over 母 (daily continuous repetition); 午 represents a pestle crossing a mortar at the noon zenith point.

Japanese Form

今 (コン/キン/いま), 時 (ジ/とき), 分 (フン/ブン/ブ/わ-かる/わ-ける), 半 (ハン/なか-ば), 毎 (マイ), 午 (ゴ)

English Meaning

Time Units and Schedule (Now, Hour/O’clock, Minute/Part, Half, Every, Noon)

Nepali Meaning

समय र घडीका एकाइहरू (अहिले, बजे/घण्टा, मिनेट/भाग/बुझ्नु, आधा, हरेक/प्रत्येक, मध्यान्ह)

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Detailed Explanation

Basic Rule

1. Telling Time Formula: [Hour] + 時 (じ) + [Minute] + 分 (ふん/ぷん). Example: 3:30 = 三時半 (さんじはん) or 三時三十分 (さんじさんじゅっぷん).
2. A.M. vs P.M.: 午前 (ごぜん = A.M./morning) and 午後 (ごご = P.M./afternoon). Always placed BEFORE the time (午前9時 = 9:00 AM).
3. Frequency with 毎: 毎日 (まいにち = every day), 毎週 (まいしゅう = every week), 毎月 (まいつき/まいげつ = every month), 毎年 (まいとし/まいねん = every year).

Formation

• 今: 4 strokes (roof 人 [2 strokes], horizontal bar, slanted horizontal hook)

• 時: 10 strokes (sun 日 [4 strokes] on left, temple 寺 [6 strokes: 土 + 寸] on right)

• 分: 4 strokes (eight 八 [2 strokes] on top, knife 刀 [2 strokes] on bottom)

• 半: 5 strokes (two top dots/horns, top shorter horizontal, bottom longer horizontal, central vertical line)

• 毎: 6 strokes (top slanted tick, horizontal bar, frame enclosing two dots/breast strokes)

• 午: 4 strokes (slanted top sweep, top horizontal bar, bottom horizontal bar, vertical line cutting through)

Usage

Essential for telling the time (今何時ですか = What time is it now?), part-time shift hours (午前九時から午後五時まで), and daily routines (毎朝六時に起きます).

Important Notes

Sound changes with 分 (ふん/ぷん):

• 1 min = いっぷん (一分)
• 2 min = にふん (二分)
• 3 min = さんぷん (三分)
• 4 min = よんぷん (四分)
• 5 min = ごふん (五分)
• 6 min = ろっぷん (六分)
• 7 min = ななふん (七分)
• 8 min = はっぷん / はちふん (八分)
• 9 min = きゅうふん (九分)
• 10 min = じゅっぷん / じっぷん (十分)

Exceptions

Special readings:

• 今日 (きょう – today – irregular jukujikun)
• 今朝 (けさ – this morning – irregular jukujikun)
• 今年 (ことし – this year – irregular jukujikun)
• 分かる (わかる – to understand – verb reading)

Common Mistakes

Do not confuse 午 (noon: vertical line does NOT poke out at the top) with 牛 (cow: vertical line DOES poke out through the top). Also do not confuse 半 (half: 5 strokes) with 羊 (sheep: 6 strokes).

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Examples

Example 1

• Japanese: 今、何時何分ですか。
• Reading: いま、なんじ なんぷんですか。
• English: What time and minute is it now?
• Nepali: अहिले कति बजेर कति मिनेट गयो?

Example 2

• Japanese: 午後の二時半に会議が始まります。
• Reading: ごごの にじはんに かいぎが はじまります。
• English: The meeting starts at 2:30 PM.
• Nepali: दिउँसोको २:३० बजे बैठक सुरु हुन्छ।

Example 3

• Japanese: 私は毎朝七時に起きます。
• Reading: わたしは まいあさ しちじに おきます。
• English: I wake up at 7:00 every morning.
• Nepali: म हरेक बिहान ७ बजे उठ्छु।

Example 4

• Japanese: 日本語が少し分かります。
• Reading: にほんごが すこし わかります。
• English: I understand Japanese a little.
• Nepali: मलाई जापानी भाषा अलिकति बुझिन्छ।

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Vocabulary

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Conversation Practice

Situation

Confirming train departure and arrival time at an information desk.

Dialogue

Tourist: すみません、京都行きの新幹線は今何時ですか。 (すみません、きょうとゆきの しんかんせんは いま なんじですか。)

Clerk: 次の列車は午後一時十五分発です。 (つぎの れっしゃは ごご いちじ じゅうごふんはつです。)

Tourist: 京都には何時に着きますか。 (きょうとには なんじに つきますか。)

Clerk: 午後三時半に着きますよ。二時間十五分かかります。 (ごご さんじはんに つきますよ。にじかん じゅうごふん かかります。)

Translation

• English:

Tourist: Excuse me, what time is the Shinkansen for Kyoto now?

Clerk: The next train departs at 1:15 PM.

Tourist: What time will it arrive in Kyoto?

Clerk: It will arrive at 3:30 PM. It takes 2 hours and 15 minutes.

• Nepali:

पर्यटक: माफ गर्नुहोस्, क्योटो जाने शिन्कान्सेन अहिले कति बजेको छ?

कर्मचारी: अर्को रेल दिउँसो १:१५ मा छुट्छ।

पर्यटक: क्योटो कति बजे पुग्छ?

कर्मचारी: दिउँसो ३:३० बजे पुग्छ। २ घण्टा १५ मिनेट लाग्छ।

Speaking Practice

Practice telling the current time accurately down to the minute: 4:45 (四時四十五分), 8:30 (八時半).

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Reading Practice

Short Reading

私の平日のスケジュールを紹介します。毎朝午前六時半に起きます。七時に朝ご飯を食べて、七時四十五分に家を出ます。電車で三十分かかりますから、学校には八時十五分に着きます。授業は午前九時から始まって、午後三時半に終わります。放課後は少し友達と話して、五時にアルバイトへ行きます。毎日とても忙しいですが、楽しいです。

Vocabulary Help

平日 (へいじつ = weekdays), スケジュール (schedule), 放課後 (ほうかご = after school)

Reading Questions

1. 筆者は毎朝何時に起きますか。(What time does the author wake up every morning?)
2. 学校には何時に着きますか。(What time does the author arrive at school?)
3. 授業は何時から何時までですか。(From what time to what time are classes?)

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Practice

Fill in the Blank

1. 会議は (午前 / 毎日) 十時からです。[A.M.: 午前]
2. 今は八時 (半 / 分) です。[8:30: 八時半]
3. 私は (毎日 / 今) 新聞を読みます。[Every day: 毎日]

Choose the Correct Answer

1. 「十分」の読み方は？ [A. じゅっぷん / B. じゅうふん]
2. 「分かる」の読み方は？ [A. わかれる / B. わかる]
3. 「今日」の読み方は？ [A. こんにち / B. きょう]

Sentence Formation

1. [毎朝 / 六時半に / 起きます] -> 毎朝六時半に起きます。
2. [午後 / 二時から / テストです] -> 午後二時からテストです。

Word Arrangement

Arrange: [何分, 何時, ですか, 今] -> 今何時何分ですか。

Translation Practice

1. The train leaves at 9:30 AM. -> 電車は午前九時半に出ます。
2. I understand Japanese very well. -> 日本語がよく分かります。

Speaking Practice

Describe your daily schedule from morning to evening using 時, 分, and 半.

Writing Practice

Write 今, 時, 分, 半, 毎, 午 5 times each with proper stroke order.

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Questions

Basic Questions

What is the visual difference between 午 (noon) and 牛 (cow)?

Understanding Questions

Why does 分 change sound between ふん (e.g. 2 min) and ぷん (e.g. 1 min)?

Application Questions

How do you write ‘7:30 PM’ in natural Japanese kanji?

JLPT-style Questions

How are 今日 (kyou), 今朝 (kesa), and 今年 (kotoshi) tested on N5?

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Meaning

Japanese Meaning

時刻、時間、スケジュール、頻度を表す時の漢字。

English Meaning

Chronological Kanji representing time, hours, minutes, schedules, and daily frequencies.

Nepali Meaning

घडीको समय, तालिका, मिनेट र दैनिक दिनचर्या जनाउने कान्जीहरू।

Important Vocabulary

今 (now), 時 (o’clock), 分 (minute), 半 (half), 毎日 (every day), 午前 (A.M.), 午後 (P.M.), 分かる (to understand)

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How to Learn

Step 1: Understand

Learn the clock formula: [Number] + 時 (じ) + [Number] + 分 (ふん/ぷん).

Step 2: Memorize

Remember 半 means half-past (三時半 = 3:30).

Step 3: Practice

Remember 午前 (before noon = AM) and 午後 (after noon = PM).

Step 4: Speak

Distinguish 午 (noon – flat top) from 牛 (cow – horns sticking up).

Step 5: Read

Remember irregular ‘now’ compounds: 今日 (kyou), 今朝 (kesa), 今月 (kongetsu), 今年 (kotoshi).

Step 6: Review

Practice listening to audio clocks for 1 min (いっぷん), 3 min (さんぷん), 6 min (ろっぷん), 8 min (はっぷん), 10 min (じゅっぷん).

Memory Tips

A cow (牛) has horns that poke up; NOON (午) stays flat under the midday sun!

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Common Mistakes

Mistake 1

• Incorrect: Drawing the vertical stroke of 午 sticking out above the top line like 牛.
• Correct Form: Keep the vertical stroke inside the top line in 午.
• Why: If the line pokes through the top, it becomes 牛 (cow/beef).

Mistake 2

• Incorrect: Reading 今日 as ‘こんにち’ in everyday conversation.
• Correct Form: きょう (Kyou).
• Why: While 今日 can be read ‘konnichi’ in formal speech (こんにちは), in daily sentences it is read ‘kyou’.

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