First Day (if you have not purchased the textbook yet)
Classroom Instructions (CIs) and Romaji
Romaji (Roman letters) as you see below are sometimes seen around town usually at tourist places to aid non-Japanese visitors to be able to read Japanese words. They are seen on the signs of train stations and traffic signs. However, they are usually available at major cities so you need to learn Japanese letters for you to be able to get around in Japan. Also, Romaji is useful if you choose to type in Japanese using English alphabet keys.
Let’s learn some Classroom Instructions phrases to get started with a Japanese instructor to help you learn and understand what the instructor wants you to do in class. Here are some commonly used Classroom Instructions phrases.
Please keep in mind that you need to learn how to pronounce these Romaji in Japanese way.
The pronunciation of Japanese vowels “A, I, U, E, O” Father, eat, foot, egg, comb
Konnichiwa. Hello!
Ohayou gozaimasu Good morning
Note: The double "ou" is an extended "o".
Pronunciation Rules:
Each syllable are pronounced in equal length.
*The double vowels are just to be extended. However "ei" is prnounced as an extended "e", and "ou" is prnounced as an exxtended "o".
**In the case of double consonants, the first consonant is pronounced as a pause or silent, and it is pronounced as equal length as other letters.
E.g. Itte kudasai. “I (pause or silence) te kudasai. (Say it, please).” If you miss the pause, it will be “I te kudasai” which means “please stay here.”
Kiite* kudasai. Listen, (polite request). |
Mite kudasai. Look, (polite request). |
Question: Wakarimasu ka. Do you understand/know? Answer: Hai, wakarimasu. Yes, I do. |
Question: Shitsumon ga arimasu ka. Do you have a question? Answer: Hai, arimasu. Yes, I do. Answer: Iie, arimasen. No, I do not. |
Itte** kudasai. Say (it), please. |
Kaite kudasai. Write (it), (polite request). |
Yonde kudasai. Read (it), (polite request). |
Mouichido* itte* kudasai. Say (it) again, (polite request). |
Mouichido* onegai shimasu. Do (it), (polite request). |
Hon o mite kudasai. Look at the book, (polite request). |
Hon o minaide kudasai. Do not look at the book (polite request). |
Tekisuto or Kyoukasho* Textbook |
Nihongo de in (using) Japanese Eigo* de in (using) English |
Nihongo de itte** kudasai. Say (it) in Japanese (polite request). |
Question: Sumimasen.”Textbook" tteNihongo de nan desu ka. *How do you say "textbook"in Japanese? Answer: Sorry (pardon me) (Nihongo de) kyoukasho* desu. It is “kyoukasho.” |
Sumimasen. Wasuremashita. Sorry. I forgot. This phrase can be also used to say when you forgot to bring an item such as a card or an assignment sheet. |
Renshuu* shite kudasai. Practice (polite request). |
Chotto matte** kudasai. Just a moment (polite request). |
Shukudai, dashite kudasai. Homework, turn (it) in. (polite request). |
Dekimashita ka. Are you done/completed? |
Question:Sumimasen. Onamae wa? Excuse me. What is your name? |
Hiragana https://www.yosida.com/en/hiragana.html
1-10 |
11-20 |
10s |
1 ichi |
11 juu ichi |
10 juu |
2 ni |
12 juu ni |
20 ni juu |
3 san |
13 juu san |
30 san juu |
4 yon (or shi) |
14 juu yon (or juu shi) |
40 shi juu or yon juu |
5 go |
15 juu go |
50 go juu |
6 roku |
16 juu roku |
60 roku juu |
7 shichi (or nana) |
17 juu shichi (or juu nana) |
70 shichi juu (or nana juu) |
8 hachi |
18 juu hachi |
80 hachi juu |
9 ku (or kyuu) |
19 juu ku (or juu kyuu) |
90 ku juu (or kyuu juu) |
10 juu |
20 ni juu |
Hours |
Minutes (5s and 10s) |
Minutes |
1:00 いち じ |
5 min. ご ふん |
1 min. いっ ぷん |
2:00 に じ |
10 min じゅっ ぷん |
2 min. に ふん |
3:00 さん じ |
15 min. じゅう ご ふん |
3 min. さん ふん |
4:00 よ じ |
20 min. にじゅっ ぷん |
4 min.よん ふん |
5:00 ご じ |
25 min. にじゅう ご ふん |
5 min. ご ふん |
6:00 ろく じ |
30 min. さんじゅっ ぷん |
6 min. ろっ ぷん |
7:00 しちじ ななじ * |
35 min. さんじゅう ご ふん |
7 min. しち ふん or ななふん |
8:00 はち じ |
40 min. よんじゅっ ぷん |
8 min.はち ふん or ぱっ ぷん |
9:00 く じ |
45 min. よんじゅう ご ふん |
9 min. きゅう ふん |
10:00 じゅう じ |
50 min. ごじゅっ ぷん |
10 min. じゅっ ぷん |
11:00 じゅう いち じ |
55 min. ごじゅう ご ふん |
|
12:00 じゅう に じ |
||
1:30 いちじ はん |
2:25 にじ にじゅう ご ふん |
|
4:30 よじ はん |
3:30 さんじ さんじゅっ ぷん (or はん) |
|
＊Most Japanese say しちじ. ななじ may be used if someone is having a hard time understanding it.
Hours |
Minutes (5s and 10s) |
Minutes |
1:00 ichi ji |
5 min. go fun (nasal sound like "hun") |
1 min. ip pun |
2:00 ni ji |
10 min jup pun |
2 min. ni fun |
3:00 san ji |
15 min. juu go fun |
3 min. san fun |
4:00 yo ji |
20 min. ni jup pun |
4 min. yon fun |
5:00 go ji |
25 min. ni juu go fun |
5 min. go fun |
6:00 roku ji |
30 min. san jup pun |
6 min. rop pun |
7:00 shichi ji nana-ji* |
35 min. san juu go fun |
7 min. shichi fun or nana fun |
8:00 hachi ji |
40 min. yon jup pun |
8 min.hachi fun or hap pun |
9:00 ku ji |
45 min. yon juu go fun |
9 min. kyuu fun |
10:00 juu ji |
50 min. go jup pun |
10 min. jup pun |
11:00 juu ichi ji |
55 min. go juu go fun |
|
12:00 juu ni ji |
||
1:30 ichi ji han |
2:25 ni ji ni juu go fun |
|
4:30 yoji han |
3:30 san ji san jup pun (or san ji han) |
＊Most Japanese say "shichi ji." "Nana-ji" may be used if someone is having a hard time understanding it.
ごぜん |
A.M. |
ごご |
P.M. |
ごぜん ４じ |
4 am （４じ ＝ よじ） |
ごご ９じ |
9 pm （９じ ＝ くじ） |
はん |
half (30 min.) |
ごご じゅうじ はん |
10:30 pm |
ごぜん じゅういちじ にじゅっぷん |
11:20 am （Japanese use Arabic number for time in writing horizontally: 午前１１時２０分） |
| あさ | morning |
| ひる | afternoon, day time |
| ゆうがた | everning |
| よる | night |
| あさの よじ | four in the morning |
いま なんじですか。 |
What time is it now? |
いま アメリカは なんじですか |
What time is it in America now? |
いま、にほんは なんじですか。 |
What time is it in Japan now? |
ごぜん gozen |
A.M. |
ごご gogo |
P.M. |
ごぜん ４じ gozen yo ji |
4 am （４じ ＝ よじ） |
ごご ９じ gogo ku ji |
9 pm （９じ ＝ くじ） |
はん han |
half (30 min.) |
ごご じゅうじ はん gogo juu ji han |
10:30 pm |
ごぜん じゅういちじ にじゅっぷん |
11:20 am （Japanese use Arabic number for time in writing horizontally: 午前１１時２０分） |
| あさ asa | morning |
| ひる hiru | afternoon, day time |
| ゆうがた yuugata | everning |
| よる yoru | night |
| あさの よじ asa no yoji | four in the morning |
いま なんじですか。ima nan ji desu ka. |
What time is it now? |
いま アメリカは なんじですか |
What time is it in America now? |
いま、にほんは なんじですか。 |
What time is it in Japan now? |
Time and Katakana reading practices:
れんしゅう ５ . You went to ajob interview of a Japanese company. You see a posted sign below, showing the names of interviewees and their time.
A. Japanese interviewees
| なかた | 4:00 | おおやま | 5:15 |
| たなか | 4:15 | おおかわ | 5:30 |
| やまかわ | 4:30 | もとやま | 5:45 |
| おおき | 4:45 | おおた | 6:00 |
| なかやま | 5:00 | やまもと | 6:15 |
Write the time of following people: 1) Yamakawa 2) Motoyama 3) Nakata 4) Ooki
B. American interviewees
| ウイリアムズ | 7:30 | ブラウン | 8:45 |
| ジョンソン | 7:45 | ウイルソン | 9:00 |
| デイビス | 8:00 | ワトソン | 9:15 |
| ハリソン | 8:15 | ブルックス | 9:45 |
| ジョーンズ | 8:30 | ジャクソン | 10:00 |
Write the time of following people: 1) Jonson 2) Wilson 3) Jackson 4) Williams
れんしゅう ６ . You went to a job interview of a Japanese company. You see a posted sign below, showing the names of interviewees and their interview time.
A. Japanese interviewees
| やまもと | 4:05 | たがわ | 5:15 |
| ほんだ | 4:20 | やまだ | 5:40 |
| かわさき | 4:30 | とよた | 5:55 |
| かわもと | 4:45 | おおさか | 6:25 |
| すずき | 4:50 | なかがわ | 6:35 |
Write the time of following people: 1)Tagawa 2) Nakagawa 3) Yamamoto 4) Kawasaki
B. American interviewees
| パターソン | 7:30 | タイラー | 8:45 |
| テイラー | 7:45 | ポウェル | 9:00 |
| ウオーカー | 8:00 | ワード | 9:15 |
| ピーターソン | 8:15 | パーカー | 9:45 |
| ハワード | 8:30 | プライス | 10:00 |
Write the time of following people: 1) Taylor 2) Powell 3) Paterson 4) Walker
れんしゅう ７ . Suppose, you are in Japan, and your friend tell you that your favorite band is touring around in Japan. Ask your friend when they will be in the following cities.
Sample conversation: Cue: とうきょう
Useful Words: when いつ、 April ４月（しがつ）, July ７月（しちがつ）, September ９月（くがつ）
A: とうきょうは いつですか。 B: １月（がつ）15日（にち）の ごご８時（じ）はんから １０時（じ）はんまでです。
A: へー、そうですか。 １月（がつ）15日（にち）は なんようびですか。B: げつようびです。
* Some names of cities andprefectures/states （県 or けん) are the same in Japan.
| City, Prefecture | Date | Days and Time |
| とうきょう | Jan. 15th （Tue.) | 8:30PM - 10:30 PM |
| よこはまin かながわ | February 17th (Sun.) | 10:45 AM - 2 PM |
| なりた in ちば | February 28th (Thu.) | 7PM - 9 PM |
| しずおか in しずおか* | March 12 (Tue.) | 7:30PM - 9:30 PM |
| なごや in あいち | March 22 (Fri.) | 8:30PM - 10:30 PM |
きょうと in きょうと* |
April 19 (Fri.) | 7:30PM - 9:45 PM |
| おおさか in おおさか* | April 26(Fri.) | 8:30PM - 11:30 PM |
| こうべ in ひょうご | May 23 (Thu.) | 7:45PM - 9:45 PM |
| ひろしま in ひろしま* | May 31 (Fri.) | 8:30PM - 10:30 PM |
| ふくおか in ふくおか* | June 16 (Tue.) | 7PM - 9 PM |
| ながさき in ながさき* | July 28 (Sun.) | 10 AM - 2 PM |
| くまもと in くまもと* | August 30 (Fri.) | 8PM - 11 PM |
| なは in おきなわ | September 11 (Wed.) | 9PM - 11 PM |
| さっぽろ in ほっかいどう | October 18 (Fri.) | 4PM - 7 PM |
| あおもり in あきた | November 21 (Thu.) | 4:30PM - 10 PM |
| せんだい in せんだい* | November 29 (Fri.) | 4:30PM - 7 PM |
| にいがた in にいがた* | December 25 (Wed.) | 5PM - 8:30 PM |