1. Lesson Overview
Minna no Nihongo Lesson 4 teaches how to talk about time, schedules, daily routine, and when something happens.
You learn how to ask and answer:
• “What time is it?”
• “When do you sleep?”
• “What time do you work?”
• “When does school start?”
This lesson introduces numbers + time, AM/PM, days of the week, and basic time-related expressions.
2. Key Grammar in Lesson 4
(1) Telling Time (—ji / —fun)
• ji = hour
• fun / pun = minute
Examples:
• 1:00 – ichi-ji
• 3:30 – san-ji han (“han” = half, means 3:30)
• 7:15 – shichi-ji juu-go-fun
• 10:05 – juu-ji go-fun
(2) AM / PM
• gozen – AM
• gogo – PM
Examples:
• gozen 6-ji – 6 AM
• gogo 3-ji – 3 PM
(3) Time + ni (at)
Use ni after the time to show when something happens.
Examples:
• 7-ji ni okimasu. → I wake up at 7.
• 9-ji ni nemasu. → I sleep at 9.
• 6-ji han ni okimasu. → I wake up at 6:30.
(4) Verb + masu form
Used to express daily routine.
• okimasu – wake up
• nemasu – sleep
• hatarakimasu – work
• benkyou shimasu – study
• ikimasu – go
• kimasu – come
• kaerimasu – return home
Examples:
• Watashi wa mainichi benkyou shimasu. → I study every day.
• Watashi wa 8-ji ni kaerimasu. → I return home at 8.
(5) Days of the Week
• getsuyoubi – Monday
• kayoubi – Tuesday
• suiyoubi – Wednesday
• mokuyoubi – Thursday
• kinyoubi – Friday
• doyoubi – Saturday
• nichiyoubi – Sunday
Example:
• Kayoubi ni ikimasu. → I will go on Tuesday.
(6) Ima nan-ji desu ka? (What time is it now?)
Common question pattern.
Answer:
• Ima 5-ji desu. → It is 5 o'clock.
(7) Frequency Words
• mainichi – every day
• itsumo – always
• taitei – usually
• tokidoki – sometimes
Example:
• Watashi wa mainichi shigoto shimasu. → I work every day.
3. Vocabulary from Minna no Nihongo Lesson 4 (English Only)
Daily Life Verbs
• okimasu – wake up
• nemasu – sleep
• hatarakimasu – work
• yasumimasu – rest / take a break
• benkyou shimasu – study
• owarimasu – finish
• ikimasu – go
• kimasu – come
• kaerimasu – go home / return
Time-Related Words
• ima – now
• gozen – AM
• gogo – PM
• ji – hour
• fun / pun – minute
• han – half (30 minutes)
• nan-ji – what time
• nan-ji han – what time + half
4. Example Sentences
• Ima nan-ji desu ka?
→ What time is it now?
• Ima gozen 8-ji desu.
→ It is 8 AM now.
• Watashi wa 7-ji ni okimasu.
→ I wake up at 7.
• Watashi wa mainichi hatarakimasu.
→ I work every day.
• Kayoubi ni benkyou shimasu.
→ I study on Tuesday.
• Gogo 9-ji ni nemasu.
→ I sleep at 9 PM.
• Watashi wa 6-ji han ni uchi e kaerimasu.
→ I go home at 6:30.
5. What You Will Achieve After Lesson 4
• Tell time in Japanese
• Use AM/PM correctly
• Describe your daily routine
• Talk about waking, sleeping, working, studying
• Say “when” with ni
• Understand days of the week
• Ask and answer “What time is it?” naturally