「スーパーは、なんじまで　ですか。」

Vocabulary

”まで（made）”：to, until

This sentence means, “What time does supermarket close?”

Let’s make the sentences  by replacing “スーパー” by other words such as

“コンビニ（konbini）”: Convenience Store

“えいがかん（eigakan)”: Movie theater

The answers are

「コンビニは、なんじまで　ですか。」

「えいがかんは、なんじまで　ですか。」

Let’s answer to the question, “スーパーは、なんじからですか”

The answer is 「スーパーは、９じから　です。」（Suupaa wa Ku-ji　kara desu)

“Supermarket is from ９ o’clock．”

Then, let’s try to reply to the other questions

「ひゃっかてんは、なんじからですか」→「ひゃっかてんは、１０じからです。」(Hyakkaten wa jyuu-ji kara desu) The department store is from 10 o`clock.

「ぎんこうは、なんじからですか。」→「ぎんこうは、１１じからです。」(Ginkoo wa jyuu-ichi-ji kara desu) The bank is from 11 o`clock..

「スーパーは、なんじから　ですか。」

Vocabulary

”スーパー(Suupaa)”：Supermarket

”から（kara）”：from

This sentence means, “What time does supermarket open?”

Let’s make the sentences  by replacing “スーパー” by other words such as

“デパート（depaato）”: Department Store

“ゆうびんきょく（yuubinkyoku)”: Post office

“ぎんこう（ginkoo)”: Bank

The answers are

「デパートは、なんじから　ですか。」

「ゆうびんきょくは、なんじから　ですか。」

「ぎんこうは、なんじから　ですか。」

One more question about time.

What do you say, “4 o`clock and a half p.m.” in Japanese?

The answer is

Gogo yo-ji han.

Please, pay attention that we say “Yo-ji”, instead of “Yon-ji”

Yo-ji san-jyuppun is good, too.

Did you get it?

Question

What do you say, “9 o`clock 56 minutes a.m.” in Japanese?

Hint 1: Large concept first, small concept last

Hint 2: “9 o`clock” is “Ku-ji”, not “Kyuu-ji” in this case.

HInt 3: “56 minutes” is “Go-jyuu-roppun”, not “Go-jyuu-roku-hun”

Answer is

Gozen Ku-ji Gojyuu-roppun

Did you get it?

What do we say,　”Ｉｔ is 10 a.m..” or “It is 2 p.m.” in Japanese?

“Gozen” means “a.m.”

“Gogo” means “p.m.”

So we say “Gozen Jyuu-ji” for “10 a.m.” and “Gogo Ni-ji” for “2 p.m.”

Please, pay attention to the words order.

In Japanese, Larger concept comes first and smaller concept last.

Thererfore, “Gozen (a.m.)/ Gogo (p.m.)” comes first and time comes last. 

We have special word for 30 minutes.

For example, we call 1 o`clock 30 minutes “Ichi-ji-han”, like one and half in English.

“Han” means “half”

However, we do not have the proper word for “Quarter”.

In English they say “Quarter past Ten” or “Quarter to Eleven”.

We simply say “Jyuu-ji-jyuu-go-hun” for 10 o`clok 15 minutes.

Ichi-ji ni-hun desu. (It is 1 o`clock 2 minutes)

“Hun” means “minute”.

I-ppun means  1 minute.

Ni-hun does 2 minute.

San-pun: 3 minutes.

Yon-hun: 4 minutes.

Go-hun: 5 minutes.

Ro-ppun: 6 minutes.

Nana-hun: 7 minutes.

Ha-ppun: 8 minutes.

Kyuu-hun: 9 minutes.

Jyu-ppun: 10 minutes.

Jyuu-i-ppun: 11minutes.

Let’s answer to the question, “Ima Nan-ji desu ka”.

“Ichi-ji desu.” means “It is 1 o`clock.”

Ni-ji means 2 o`clock.

San-ji: 3 o`clock

Yo-ji: 4 o`clock

Go-ji: 5 o`clock

Roku-ji: 6 o`clock

Nana-ji: 7 o`clock

Hachi-ji: 8 o`clock

Ku-ji: 9 o`clock

Jyuu-ji: 10 o`clock

Jyuu-ichi-ji: 11 o`clock

Jyuu-ni-ji: 12 o`clock

Today’ s phrase is “Ima Nan-ji desu ka”.

It means “What time is it now?”

“Ima” means “now”.

And “Nan-ji” means “what time”.

Let’s try to ask people present time in the station or at the cafe by saying, “Ima nan-ji desu ka.”