Time is one of those things you can’t ignore in a conversation-you need to say when something happened, how long it takes, or what your plans are. Without the right time words, even simple chats stall.
This list pulls together around 130 Japanese time words and phrases that show up in everyday life: clock times, days of the week, months, parts of the day, and handy relative expressions like ‘soon’ or ‘a little while ago.’ We skipped the dusty textbook filler and kept only the vocabulary that helps you make plans, read schedules, and tell stories.
Ready to tell time like a pro? This Japanese time words list is here to help, so scroll to the bottom of the article for the handy free printable japanese time words vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable japanese time words flashcards.
Use this list as a starting point, then keep going in the Yak Yacker Japanese section for more words, phrases, and study-friendly reference pages.
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| Word | Type | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 去年 | time expression | last year | 去年、旅行しました。 | I traveled last year. |
| 四分 | time expression | four minutes | 四分前に着きました。 | I arrived four minutes early. |
| 四日 | time word | the 4th day of the month | 四日に会いましょう。 | Let's meet on the 4th. |
| 四時 | time expression | 4 o'clock | 四時に起きます。 | I wake up at 4 o'clock. |
| 四月 | time word | April | 四月に新学期が始まります。 | The new school term starts in April. |
| 土曜日 | time word | Saturday | 土曜日に友だちに会います。 | I meet my friends on Saturday. |
| 夕方 | time word | evening | 夕方に散歩します。 | I take a walk in the evening. |
| 夜 | time word | night | 夜は静かです。 | It is quiet at night. |
| 夜中 | time word | late at night | 夜中に目が覚めました。 | I woke up in the middle of the night. |
| 平日 | time word | weekday | 平日は仕事があります。 | I have work on weekdays. |
| 年 | time word | year | 今年はいい年でした。 | This year was a good year. |
| 当日 | time word | that day | 当日は雨でした。 | It was rainy that day. |
| 後 | time expression | after; later | 仕事の後で買い物します。 | I go shopping after work. |
| 日 | time word | day | 毎日 | every day |
| 日付 | time word | date | 日付を書いてください。 | Please write the date. |
| 日曜日 | time word | Sunday | 日曜日は休みです。 | Sunday is a day off. |
| 早朝 | time word | early morning | 早朝に散歩します。 | I go for a walk early in the morning. |
| 明々後日 | time word | three days from now | 明々後日に出発します。 | We leave three days from now. |
| 明後日 | time word | the day after tomorrow | 明後日、会いましょう。 | Let’s meet the day after tomorrow. |
| 明日 | time word | tomorrow | 明日は休みです。 | Tomorrow is a day off. |
| 昨夜 | time word | last night | 昨夜はよく眠れませんでした。 | I couldn't sleep well last night. |
| 昨日 | time word | yesterday | 昨日は雨でした。 | It was rainy yesterday. |
| 昼 | time word | daytime | 昼は暑いです。 | It is hot during the daytime. |
| 昼間 | time word | daytime | 昼間は暑いです。 | It is hot during the day. |
| 時 | time word | hour | 三時 | 3 o'clock |
Free Japanese Time Words Vocabulary List and Flashcards to Download
You can grab the purple button for the japanese time words vocabulary list and the teal button for the japanese time words flashcards. Both are 100% free, with no signup needed.
