How do you tell time in Japanese? (Part 1)

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).