時
| Property |
Value |
| Meaning |
time, hour |
| Strokes |
10 |
| JLPT Level |
N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) |
ジ |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) |
とき |
| Radical |
日 (Sun/Day, U+65E5) |
Stroke Order
The stroke order follows the standard rule of top-to-bottom and left-to-right.
- Left side (日): Vertical stroke (1) → corner stroke (2) → horizontal middle (3) → bottom closure (4).
- Right side (寺): Top horizontal (5) → vertical (6) → horizontal (7) → horizontal (8) → vertical hook (9) → final dot (10).
Radical Analysis
The kanji 時 is a phono-semantic compound:
- Radical: 日 (sun/day). This provides the semantic meaning related to time and the sun's movement.
- Component: 寺 (temple). This acts as the phonetic component (providing the ji sound) and also carries the connotation of a place where time was traditionally measured (by bells or sun-shadows).
Mnemonic
Imagine the Sun (日) standing behind the Temple (寺). As the sun moves across the temple roof, the shadow changes, telling us exactly what time (時) it is.
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
ジ (ji)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 時間 |
じかん |
jikan |
time / hours |
| 時計 |
とけい |
tokei |
clock / watch |
| 時刻 |
じこく |
jikoku |
instant / time |
| 同時 |
どうじ |
douji |
simultaneous |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
とき (toki)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 時々 |
ときどき |
tokidoki |
sometimes |
| あの時 |
あのとき |
ano toki |
at that time |
JLPT N5 Words Using 時
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| 一時 |
いちじ |
ichiji |
one o'clock |
N5 |
| 何時 |
なんじ |
nanji |
what time |
N5 |
| 時々 |
ときどき |
tokidoki |
sometimes |
N5 |
| 時間 |
じかん |
jikan |
time |
N5 |
| 時計 |
とけい |
tokei |
clock |
N5 |
| 一時間 |
いちじかん |
ichijikan |
one hour |
N5 |
| 時 |
とき |
toki |
time / when |
N5 |
| 四時 |
よじ |
yoji |
four o'clock |
N5 |
Example Sentences
| 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? |
| 時間がありません。 |
じかんがありません。 |
Jikan ga arimasen. |
I don't have time. |
| 時々、映画を見ます。 |
ときどき、えいがをみます。 |
Tokidoki, eiga o mimasu. |
I sometimes watch movies. |
| 忙しい時に電話しないで。 |
いそがしいときにでんわしないで。 |
Isogashii toki ni denwa shinaide. |
Don't call me when I'm busy. |
| この時計は古いです。 |
このとけいはふるいです。 |
Kono tokei wa furui desu. |
This clock is old. |
| 勉強する時間は大切です。 |
べんきょうするじかんはたいせつです。 |
Benkyou suru jikan wa taisetsu desu. |
Study time is important. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji |
Reading |
Meaning |
How to distinguish |
| 時 |
ジ / とき |
Time |
Contains the 日 (sun) radical. |
| 寺 |
ジ / てら |
Temple |
Lacks the 日 radical; represents a building. |
| 持 |
ジ / も(つ) |
Hold |
Contains the 扌 (hand) radical; used for "holding." |
Usage Frequency Note
時 is one of the most frequently used kanji in the Japanese language. It appears in almost every daily conversation, news report, and written document. Because it is essential for expressing time, duration, and specific moments, it is one of the first kanji learners should master. It is equally common in formal writing and casual speech.