Skip to content

Starter 9

    Japanese Grammar – Time & Scheduling

    ■ 【Time】に V-ます

    Meaning: “[Someone] does V at [exact time].”

    Formation:
    Time + に + Vます
    Key Point:

    に is a time particle used to indicate a specific point in time.

    Used with clock times (e.g., 7時[じ]に, 8時[じ]に).

    ■ 【Time】ごろ V-ます

    Meaning: “[Someone] does V around [time].”

    Formation:
    Time + ごろ + Vます
    Key Point:

    ごろ indicates an approximate time.

    Example
    A:
    朝[あさ]、何時[なんじ]に 起[お]きますか? What time do you wake up in the morning?
    B:
    7時[じ] 15 分[ふん]に 起[お]きます。 I wake up at 7:15.
    A:
    夜[よる]は、何時[なんじ]に 寝[ね]ますか? What time do you go to sleep at night?
    B:
    だいたい、12時[じ]ごろです。 Around midnight.

    ■ 【Time】から【Time】まで

    Meaning: “From [time] to [time]”

    Formation:
    Start time + から + End time + まで
    Key Point:

    から indicates the starting time.

    まで indicates the ending time.

    Used to describe time ranges such as schedules, shifts, and business hours.

    Example
    A:
    仕事[しごと]は、何時[なんじ]からですか? What time does work start?
    B:
    朝[あさ]9時[じ]からです。 From 9 am.
    A:
    何時[なんじ]までですか? What time does it end?
    B:
    午後[ごご] 6時[じ]までです。 At 6 pm.

    ■ 【Date/Time】が いいです

    Meaning: “[Date/Time] is good (convenient) for me.”

    Formation:
    Date/Time + が + いいです
    Key Point:

    が marks the date or time that is convenient.

    Used to express preferred or available times.

    To ask: use いつ (when) or なんじ (what time).

    To decline: say ~は だめです or ~は ちょっと….

    Example
    A:
    ご飯[はん]、いつが いいですか? When do you want to have dinner?
    B:
    土曜日[どようび]がいいです。 Saturday is convenient.
    A:
    何時[なんじ]が いいですか? 6時[じ]は? What time is good for you? How is 6?
    B:
    すみません。6時[じ]は ちょっと…。 Sorry. 6 is not very good for me.
    A:
    じゃあ、7時[じ]は? How about 7, then?
    B:
    だいじょうぶです。 That’s fine with me.