LinguaEverything about time in one sentence pattern
Time word, particle if it needs one, then the rest of the sentence. しちじにおきます, まいにちべんきょうします, くじからごじまではたらきます. The only decision is whether the time takes に, and the test never changes: a time you could write as a number takes it, a time that moves with today does not. Everything else in this unit is vocabulary.
| Time expression | Particle | Whole sentence |
|---|---|---|
| しちじ | に | しちじにおきます |
| げつようび | に | げつようびにはたらきます |
| きょう | none | きょうはやすみです |
| まいにち | none | まいにちあるきます |
| くじ〜ごじ | から〜まで | くじからごじまでです |
Where the irregular readings live
Four, seven and nine are irregular in the hour; one, three, six, eight and ten change the minute counter; the first ten dates and the twentieth are irregular altogether. That is the entire list. Nothing else in the whole system of Japanese time has to be memorised as an exception, which makes this a rare corner of the language where a short table really does finish the job.
としょかんはげつようびからどようびまでですThe library is open from Monday to Saturday.
まいばんじゅういちじにねますI go to bed at eleven every evening.
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| じ | o'clock | かいぎはさんじからです The meeting is from three o'clock. |
| ふん | minute | あとごふんです Five minutes to go. |
| なんじ | what time | みせはなんじまでですか Until what time is the shop open? |
| げつようび | Monday | げつようびはいそがしいです Monday is busy. |
| にちようび | Sunday | にちようびのあさはしずかです Sunday morning is quiet. |
| きょう | today | きょうはしごとがありません There is no work today. |
| あした | tomorrow | あしたのごごはひまです Tomorrow afternoon I am free. |
| まいにち | every day | まいにちあるきます I walk every day. |
| から | from | あさからばんまでいそがしいです I am busy from morning until night. |
| まで | until | うけつけはごごさんじまでです Reception is open until three in the afternoon. |
Exercises
This lesson has 10 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 3
- match the pairs: 1
- fill the gap: 2
- build the sentence: 2
- translate the sentence: 1
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
Which sentence puts the particle in the right place?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.