JLPT N5 Lesson 3: Numbers, Time, and Dates
Master the Japanese counting system, learn to tell time, and express dates accurately to navigate daily life in Japan.
Overview
In this lesson, we move beyond basic greetings to the essential building blocks of communication: numbers, time, and dates. Being able to express when things happen is a fundamental skill for any N5 learner, as it allows you to make appointments, understand schedules, and navigate public transportation. This lesson builds upon your knowledge of hiragana and basic sentence structures, providing the tools necessary for more complex interactions.
By mastering these concepts, you will bridge the gap between simple self-introductions and functional daily communication. These skills are the foundation for future lessons on verb conjugation and travel, ensuring you can confidently interact with native speakers in real-world scenarios.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson you can:
- Count from 1 to 10,000 using the Sino-Japanese system.
- Tell time accurately, including hours and minutes.
- State the current date (year, month, and day) in Japanese.
- Ask and answer questions about time and dates using the
今〜は何〜ですかpattern.
New Vocabulary
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English | Part of Speech |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 一 | いち | ichi | one | noun |
| 二 | に | ni | two | noun |
| 三 | さん | san | three | noun |
| 四 | よん | yon | four | noun |
| 五 | ご | go | five | noun |
| 六 | ろく | roku | six | noun |
| 七 | なな | nana | seven | noun |
| 八 | はち | hachi | eight | noun |
| 九 | きゅう | kyuu | nine | noun |
| 十 | じゅう | juu | ten | noun |
| 百 | ひゃく | hyaku | hundred | noun |
| 千 | せん | sen | thousand | noun |
| 万 | まん | man | ten thousand | noun |
| 今 | いま | ima | now | noun |
| 何時 | なんじ | nanji | what time | noun |
| 今日 | きょう | kyou | today | noun |
| 何日 | なんにち | nannichi | what day | noun |
| 午前 | ごぜん | gozen | a.m. | noun |
| 午後 | ごご | gogo | p.m. | noun |
Grammar Points
1. Telling Time: 〜時 (じ) and 〜分 (ふん/ぷん)
Structure: [Number] + 時 (じ) + [Number] + 分 (ふん/ぷん)
To tell time in Japanese, use the suffix 時 (ji) for hours and 分 (fun/pun) for minutes. Note that the pronunciation of "minutes" changes based on the number (e.g., 1 minute is ippun, 3 minutes is sanpun). For hours, 4 is yoji (not yonji) and 9 is kuji (not kyuuji).
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 今、何時ですか。 | いま、なんじですか。 | Ima, nanji desu ka. | What time is it now? |
| 午後三時です。 | ごごさんじです。 | Gogo sanji desu. | It is 3:00 p.m. |
| 八時十分です。 | はちじじゅっぷんです。 | Hachiji juppun desu. | It is 8:10. |
| 午前九時五分です。 | ごぜんくじごふんです。 | Gozen kuji gofun desu. | It is 9:05 a.m. |
Common mistake: ❌ 四時 (よんじ) → ✓ 四時 (よじ) — The number 4 is always yo when used with ji.
2. Dates: 〜年 (ねん) 〜月 (がつ) 〜日 (にち)
Structure: [Year] + 年 (ねん) + [Month] + 月 (がつ) + [Day] + 日 (にち)
Japanese dates follow a "Big to Small" order: Year, Month, Day. Months are simply numbers 1-12 followed by 月 (gatsu). Days 1-10 have special readings (e.g., tsuitachi, futsuka, mikka), but for N5, focus on the structure [Number] + 日 (にち).
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 今日は何日ですか。 | きょうはなんにちですか。 | Kyou wa nannichi desu ka. | What is the date today? |
| 五月十日です。 | ごがつとおかです。 | Gogatsu tooka desu. | It is May 10th. |
| 二〇二六年三月一日です。 | にせん にじゅうろくねん さんがつ ついたちです。 | Nisen nijuuroku-nen sangatsu tsuitachi desu. | It is March 1st, 2026. |
| 今日は八月十五日です。 | きょうははちがつじゅうごにちです。 | Kyou wa hachigatsu juugonichi desu. | Today is August 15th. |
Common mistake: ❌ 三月一日 (さんがついちにち) → ✓ 三月一日 (さんがつついたち) — The 1st of the month is an exception (tsuitachi).
Dialogues
Dialogue 1: At the Train Station
Tanaka asks a stranger for the time.
Tanaka: すみません、今、何時ですか。 Reading: すみません、いま、なんじですか。 / Sumimasen, ima, nanji desu ka. English: Excuse me, what time is it now?
Stranger: 午後二時十分です。 Reading: ごごにじじゅっぷんです。 / Gogo niji juppun desu. English: It is 2:10 p.m.
Tanaka: ありがとうございます。 Reading: ありがとうございます。 / Arigatou gozaimasu. English: Thank you very much.
Dialogue 2: Checking the Calendar
Sato and Kenji are planning a meeting.
Sato: 今日は何日ですか。 Reading: きょうはなんにちですか。 / Kyou wa nannichi desu ka. English: What is the date today?
Kenji: 今日は六月四日です。 Reading: きょうはろくがつよっかです。 / Kyou wa rokugatsu yokka desu. English: Today is June 4th.
Sato: ありがとうございます。 Reading: ありがとうございます。 / Arigatou gozaimasu. English: Thank you.
Grammar Drills
Exercise 1: Fill in the blank
- 今、何____ですか。(Time)
- 午後____時です。(3:00 p.m.)
- 今日は____月____日です。(May 5th)
- 午前____時____分です。(10:20 a.m.)
- ____は八月です。(The month is August)
Answer Key:
- 時 2. 三 3. 五, 五 4. 十, 二十 5. 今月
Translation Practice
English → Japanese
- What time is it?
- It is 4:00 p.m.
- Today is July 7th.
- It is 9:30 a.m.
- What is the date?
Japanese → English 6. 今、午前九時です。 7. 今日は一月一日です。 8. 午後八時五分です。 9. 今、何時ですか。 10. 今日は二月十日です。
Answer Key:
- 今、何時ですか。 2. 午後四時です。 3. 今日は七月七日です。 4. 午前九時半です。 5. 今日は何日ですか。 6. It is 9:00 a.m. now. 7. Today is January 1st. 8. It is 8:05 p.m. 9. What time is it now? 10. Today is February 10th.
Cultural Note
In Japan, punctuality is highly valued. Whether it is a business meeting or a train departure, being on time is considered a sign of respect for others. When you ask "What time is it?" in Japan, you will often find that people are very precise, down to the minute.
Additionally, the Japanese calendar system often uses the current Emperor's era (e.g., Reiwa), but for N5 learners, the Western calendar (Gregorian) is perfectly acceptable and widely understood. When writing dates, always remember the order: Year, Month, Day. This reflects the Japanese cultural emphasis on context—starting with the largest, most general category before narrowing down to the specific day.
Self-Check
- Why is "4:00" pronounced yoji instead of yonji?
- How do you ask for the date in Japanese?
- What is the difference between gozen and gogo?
- Write the date "November 12th" in Japanese.
- Why is it important to learn the Sino-Japanese numbers 1-10,000?