6.2 Using the Particle に (ni) for Time References

In this module, we will explore how to use the ます (masu) form to incorporate time references into your sentences and how to use the particle に (ni) to indicate specific times.

Introduction to time references

Time references play a crucial role when using the ます form in Japanese to specify when an action occurs. They help differentiate between present and future contexts in a language where the future tense isn’t distinctly marked. Here are some commonly used time references:

1. Specific points in time

  • 四時 （よじ: yo-ji）: four o’clock
  • 月曜日 （げつようび: getsu-youbi）: Monday
  • 九月 （くがつ: ku-gatsu）: September

Exclamation Icon These time references indicating specific points in time are preceded by the particle に in sentences.

For information on how to ask and tell time, please see Module 7.2. For more details on the days of the week and months, please refer to Module 8.3.

2. Broader time frames

  • 今日 （きょう: kyou）: today
  • 明日 （あした: ashita）: tomorrow
  • 毎日 （まいにち: mai nichi）: every day
  • 朝 （あさ: asa）: morning or in the morning
  • （お）昼（ひる: [o]hiru）: noon or at noon
  • 夜（よる: yoru）: night or at night
  • 毎朝 （まいあさ: maiasa）: every morning
  • 毎晩 （まいばん: maiban）: every night
  • 今週（こんしゅう: konshuu）: this week
  • 来週 （らいしゅう: raishuu）: next week
  • 週末 （しゅうまつ: shuumatsu）: weekend
  • 毎週（まいしゅう: maishuu）: every weekend

Exclamation IconThese broader time references generally do not require particles before them in sentences.

Also note that there is no word such as 毎昼 (まいひる: maihiru).

Time reference words related to the past, such as ‘yesterday’ and ‘last week’, will be introduced alongside past tenses in Chapter 12.

 

Now, let’s explore the grammatical rules in more detail.

 

Usage in sentences

Here’s a sentence pattern that you can use in ます-forms:

Topic は + Time reference (に) + Place (で) + Object を + Verb + ます。

Time reference words usually come after the topic and the appropriate topic particle.

 

For example, to say ‘I drink coffee at a café’ in Japanese, you use the ます-form of 飲（の）む (nomu: to drink), which is 飲みます (nomi masu), like this:

Topic Time reference  Place Object  Verb
  私は 毎朝（まいあさ） カフェで コーヒーを 飲みます。 

Watashi wa maiasa kafe de koohii o nomi masu.

I drink coffee at a café every morning.

Here, the time reference 毎朝 does not take the particle に because it refers to a general time frame. However, when specifying a specific day like Friday (金曜日: すいようび: kinyou-bi), it takes the particle に, as in 私は金曜日にカフェでコーヒーを飲みます (Watashi wa kinyoubi ni kafe de kohii o nomi masu).
That concludes this module. Stay tuned for the next module where we will delve into conjugating verbs into the ます-form!

Exercise 1

 

 

Figures

1 Exclamation Icon “Exclamation Sign Icon” (untitled) by Dave Gandy. Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC by SA 3.0.

 

Licence

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Japanese Introductory 1 Copyright © 2024 by Iori Hamada is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book