Lesson 04 of 50 · 〜時〜分 · みんなの日本語 第4課 · N5

Choose how kanji are displayed:

Story voice: 〜 N3–N2 Japanese — above this lesson’s level, on purpose. Your target is the Key Sentences.

Episode 04: TIME

Mini Story

Connect grammar to context.

4:05. Five minutes left. In the half-dark of the operations room, Mike counts the ticks of his watch. One tick, another tick — each one has weight.4点05分。还剩五分钟。作战室里光线昏暗，麦克数着表针走动。一格，又一格——每一格都有分量。4點05分。還剩五分鐘。作戰室裡光線昏暗，麥克數著錶針走動。一格，又一格——每一格都有分量。4 giờ 05. Còn lại năm phút. Trong phòng tác chiến mờ tối, Mike đếm từng nhịp kim đồng hồ. Một nhịp, lại một nhịp — nhịp nào cũng nặng.
4:05。 残のこnokoり 5 分ふんfun。 薄暗うすぐらusuguraい作戦さくせんsakusen室しつshitsu、 マイクは時計とけいtokeiの針はりhariを数かぞkazoえる。 ひと刻こくkoku、 ひと刻こくkoku ── 重おもomoみ。

Once more, he walks through the schedule. His own — the rare day off — and the target’s lunch hour.他把日程再走一遍。自己的——那个难得的休息日——还有目标的午休时间。他把行程再走一遍。自己的——那個難得的休息日——還有目標的午休時間。Anh dò lại lịch trình một lần nữa. Của mình — ngày nghỉ hiếm hoi — và giờ nghỉ trưa của mục tiêu.
もう一度いちどichido、 スケジュール を辿たどtadoる。 自分じぶんjibunの ── 稀まれmareな休日きゅうじつkyuujitsuと、 標的ひょうてきhyoutekiの昼休ひるやすhiruyasuみ。

The plan is clear. The opening is narrow. One breath.计划很清楚。空档很短。他深吸一口气。計畫很清楚。空檔很短。他深吸一口氣。Kế hoạch đã rõ. Khe hở rất ngắn. Một hơi thở.
計画けいかくkeikakuは明確めいかくmeikaku。 隙げきgekiは短みじかmijikaい。 ひと呼吸こきゅうkokyuu。

Chapter 2: Schedules and Hidden Truths →

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Key Sentences

Say each sentence out loud, 3 times.

1. Time

2. Day off

3. From-To (Range)

4. At a Time (〜に + V)

に marks the exact point in time when a verb happens: 6時じjiに 起おoきます (get up at six). Use it with clock times — routines are how a spy stays invisible.

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Practice out loud

Say the answer before you look. The same sentences you just read — now from your own mouth.

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Vocabulary

Memorize the 10 words.

日本語	English	简体	繁體	Tiếng Việt
いま いま 4時じji5分ふんfunです。	now It is 4:05 now.	现在 现在是四点五分。	現在 現在是四點五分。	bây giờ Bây giờ là 4 giờ 5 phút.
〜時じji 昼休ひるやすhiruyasuみは 12時じjiからです。	o'clock The lunch break starts at 12.	〜点 午休从十二点开始。	〜點 午休從十二點開始。	〜giờ Giờ nghỉ trưa bắt đầu từ 12 giờ.
〜分ふんfun いま 9時じji30分ふんfunです。	minute It is 9:30 now.	〜分 现在是九点三十分。	〜分 現在是九點三十分。	〜phút Bây giờ là 9 giờ 30 phút.
〜よう日びbi 休やすyasuみは 何なんnanよう日びbiですか。	day of the week What day is the day off?	星期〜 休息日是星期几？	星期〜 休息日是星期幾？	thứ 〜 Ngày nghỉ là thứ mấy?
水曜日すいようびsuiyōbi 休やすyasuみは 水曜日すいようびsuiyōbiです。	Wednesday The day off is Wednesday.	星期三 休息日是星期三。	星期三 休息日是星期三。	thứ Tư Ngày nghỉ là thứ Tư.
休やすyasuみ わたしの 休やすyasuみは 木曜日もくようびmokuyoubiです。	day off, break My day off is Thursday.	休息 我的休息日是星期四。	休息 我的休息日是星期四。	nghỉ Ngày nghỉ của tôi là thứ Năm.
昼休みひるやすみhiruyasumi 昼休ひるやすhiruyasuみは 12時じjiから 1時じjiまでです。	lunch break The lunch break is from 12 to 1.	午休 午休从十二点到一点。	午休 午休從十二點到一點。	nghỉ trưa Giờ nghỉ trưa từ 12 giờ đến 1 giờ.
〜から 会社かいしゃkaishaは 9時じjiからです。	from Work starts at 9.	从 公司从九点开始。	從 公司從九點開始。	từ Công ty bắt đầu từ 9 giờ.
〜まで 昼休ひるやすhiruyasuみは 1時じjiまでです。	until, to The lunch break is until 1.	到 午休到一点。	到 午休到一點。	đến Giờ nghỉ trưa đến 1 giờ.
行いiきます 9時じjiに 行いiきます。	go (polite) I go at 9.	去 我九点去。	去 我九點去。	đi Tôi đi lúc 9 giờ.

Practice these words →

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Grammar Patterns

Understand time, range, days.

「N時じji」 = hour counter (1時じji, 2時じji, 3時じji...)
「N分ふんfun」 = minute counter (5分ふんfun, 10分ふんfun, 15分ふんfun...)
「〜から」 = from (start point)
「〜まで」 = until / to (end point)
「〜よう日びbi」 = day of the week (月げつgetsu/火かka/水すいsui/木もくmoku/金きんkin/土どdo/日にちnichi)

Grammar Picture

• 名詞noun名词danh từ
• 助詞particle助词trợ từ
• 述語sentence ending句尾句尾phần cuối câu

Need more detail? Open the sections below.

About N時じji (hour) — irregular readings

Add 時じji after a number to express the hour. Some numbers have irregular pronunciations:

• 1時じji = いちじ (ichiji)
• 4時じji = よじ (yoji) — NOT よんじ
• 7時じji = しちじ (shichiji) — NOT ななじ
• 9時じji = くじ (kuji) — NOT きゅうじ
• Others: 2じ, 3じ, 5じ, 6じ, 8じ, 10じ, 11じ, 12じ

About N分ふんfun (minute) — ふん / ぷん

Add 分ふんfun after a number. Pronunciation changes between ふん and ぷん:

• 1分ふんfun = いっぷん (ippun)
• 3分ふんfun = さんぷん (sanpun)
• 5分ふんfun = ごふん (gofun)
• 10分ふんfun = じっぷん / じゅっぷん (jippun / juppun)
• 30分ふんfun = also written as はん (han, = half)

About 〜から 〜まで (range)

「から」 = from, 「まで」 = until. Works for time, place, and other ranges.

• 9時じjiから 5時じjiまで — from 9 to 5 (work hours)
• 東京とうきょうTōkyōから 大阪おおさかŌsakaまで — from Tokyo to Osaka
• 月げつgetsuよう日びbiから 金きんkinよう日びbiまで — from Monday to Friday

About 〜よう日びbi (day of the week)

The seven days share the suffix 「よう日びbi」. The kanji before it indicates a celestial body / element (sun, moon, fire, water, wood, gold, earth — from ancient East Asian cosmology).

• 月げつgetsuよう日びbi — Monday (moon)
• 火かkaよう日びbi — Tuesday (fire)
• 水曜日すいようびsuiyōbi — Wednesday (water)
• 木もくmokuよう日びbi — Thursday (wood)
• 金きんkinよう日びbi — Friday (gold)
• 土どdoよう日びbi — Saturday (earth)
• 日にちnichiよう日びbi — Sunday (sun)

Many languages share this 7-day system — each with its own cultural memory.

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Roleplay Practice

Apply with both roles, then your own schedule.

Try this dialog with a partner (or aloud, switching roles).

Scene: 4:05 AM. Operations room. Mike is on comms with HQ before the mission.

After the first pass, switch roles. Then replace 「水曜日すいようびsuiyōbi」 with your own day off, or 「12から1」 with your real schedule.

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How do you say this in Japanese?

Test your understanding. Try to answer first, then check.

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How to Use This Lesson

Read the sections in the order they appear. About 40 minutes.
Tomorrow, come back — repeat steps 3 and 6.

For Teachers

For Teachers (45-60 minutes in class)

• Warm-up (5 min): Ask "What time is it now?" in the target language.
• Story reading (10 min): Read Mini Story together. Discuss "Why 5 minutes?"
• Time drill (10 min): Practice telling time in pairs.
• Roleplay (15 min): In pairs, the dialog above. Switch roles. Then substitute with their own real schedule.
• Schedule sharing (10 min): Each student shares with the group.
• Check Yourself review (5 min): Group review of the quiz.

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Kanji in this Lesson (Preview)

These kanji appear in the Mini Story above. You'll formally learn them in later lessons — for now, just notice their shapes.

漢字	音	訓	Meaning	JLPT	Formal intro
時	ジ	とき	time, hour	N5	formally in L8
分	フン、ブン	わ（かる）	minute, part	N5	formally in L8
休やすyasu	キュウ	やす（む）	rest	N5	formally in L8
水すいsui	スイ	みず	water, Wednesday	N5	formally in L5
曜	ヨウ	—	day of the week	N4	formally in L20
日にちnichi	ニチ	ひ	sun, day, Sunday	N5	formally in L5
昼ひるhiru	—	ひる	daytime, noon	N5	formally in L8
行ぎょうgyou	コウ	い（く）、おこな（う）	go, do	N5	formally in L9
月げつgetsu	ゲツ、ガツ	つき	month, moon, Monday	N5	formally in L5
火かka	カ	ひ	fire, Tuesday	N5	formally in L5
木もくmoku	モク	き	tree, Thursday	N5	formally in L5
金きんkin	キン	かね	gold, money, Friday	N5	formally in L5
土どdo	ド	つち	soil, Saturday	N5	formally in L5

→ See all kanji (N5–N3)

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← Lesson 03 | Midnight Encounter | Lesson 05 →

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