The first thing to learn is how to ask what time is it?
いま なんじ ですか (ima nanji desu ka?) – what time is it? (Literally, “now, what hour is it?”)
Next, the twelve hours:
1 o‘clock – 1-じ (ichi-ji)
2 o‘clock – 2-じ (ni-ji)
3 o‘clock – 3-じ (san-ji)
4 o‘clock – 4-じ (shi-ji)
5 o‘clock – 5-じ (go-ji)
6 o‘clock – 6-じ (roku-ji)
7 o‘clock – 7-じ (shichi-ji)
8 o‘clock – 8-じ (hachi-ji)
9 o‘clock – 9-じ (ku-ji)
10 o‘clock – 10-じ (juu-ji)
11 o‘clock – 11-じ (juuichi-ji)
12 o‘clock – 12-じ (juuni-ji)
To say a.m., say ごぜん (gozen). To say “p.m.”, say ごご (gogo). But you must say them before the time. So, 8pm is ごご 8-じ (gogo hachi-ji).
