Understanding the nuances of time-related adverbs in Japanese can significantly enhance your conversational skills and comprehension. Time adverbs in any language provide context for when actions occur, and in Japanese, they play a crucial role in sentence structure and meaning. This article will explore various time-related adverbs in Japanese, their usage, and how they can be correctly incorporated into sentences.
Basic Time-Related Adverbs
When learning time-related adverbs in Japanese, it’s beneficial to start with the basics. These adverbs indicate general times of the day, frequencies, and durations, which are essential for everyday conversation.
Daily Time Adverbs
1. **朝 (あさ, asa) – Morning**
– Example: 朝早く起きます。(あさ はやく おきます。) – I wake up early in the morning.
2. **昼 (ひる, hiru) – Noon**
– Example: 昼ご飯を食べます。(ひるごはん を たべます。) – I eat lunch.
3. **夕方 (ゆうがた, yuugata) – Evening**
– Example: 夕方散歩します。(ゆうがた さんぽ します。) – I take a walk in the evening.
4. **夜 (よる, yoru) – Night**
– Example: 夜遅くまで勉強します。(よる おそく まで べんきょう します。) – I study until late at night.
Frequency Adverbs
1. **毎日 (まいにち, mainichi) – Every day**
– Example: 毎日ジョギングします。(まいにち ジョギング します。) – I jog every day.
2. **時々 (ときどき, tokidoki) – Sometimes**
– Example: 時々映画を見ます。(ときどき えいが を みます。) – I sometimes watch movies.
3. **たまに (tamani) – Occasionally**
– Example: たまに友達と会います。(たまに ともだち と あいます。) – I occasionally meet with friends.
4. **いつも (itsumo) – Always**
– Example: いつも朝ご飯を食べます。(いつも あさごはん を たべます。) – I always eat breakfast.
Relative Time Adverbs
Relative time adverbs provide context relative to the present moment, making them indispensable for discussing past and future events.
Past Relative Time Adverbs
1. **昨日 (きのう, kinou) – Yesterday**
– Example: 昨日友達と話しました。(きのう ともだち と はなしました。) – I talked with a friend yesterday.
2. **一昨日 (おととい, ototoi) – The day before yesterday**
– Example: 一昨日映画を見ました。(おととい えいが を みました。) – I watched a movie the day before yesterday.
3. **先週 (せんしゅう, senshuu) – Last week**
– Example: 先週旅行に行きました。(せんしゅう りょこう に いきました。) – I went on a trip last week.
4. **先月 (せんげつ, sengetsu) – Last month**
– Example: 先月新しい本を買いました。(せんげつ あたらしい ほん を かいました。) – I bought a new book last month.
Future Relative Time Adverbs
1. **明日 (あした, ashita) – Tomorrow**
– Example: 明日試験があります。(あした しけん が あります。) – I have an exam tomorrow.
2. **明後日 (あさって, asatte) – The day after tomorrow**
– Example: 明後日会議があります。(あさって かいぎ が あります。) – There is a meeting the day after tomorrow.
3. **来週 (らいしゅう, raishuu) – Next week**
– Example: 来週新しいプロジェクトが始まります。(らいしゅう あたらしい プロジェクト が はじまります。) – A new project starts next week.
4. **来月 (らいげつ, raigetsu) – Next month**
– Example: 来月誕生日です。(らいげつ たんじょうび です。) – My birthday is next month.
Connecting Time Adverbs with Verbs
In Japanese, the placement of time adverbs is relatively flexible, but the most common pattern is to place them at the beginning of the sentence or directly before the verb. This helps in setting the temporal context of the action.
1. **At the beginning of the sentence:**
– Example: 昨日、私は映画を見ました。(きのう、わたし は えいが を みました。) – Yesterday, I watched a movie.
2. **Before the verb:**
– Example: 私は昨日映画を見ました。(わたし は きのう えいが を みました。) – I watched a movie yesterday.
Both structures are grammatically correct, but placing the adverb at the beginning often emphasizes the time aspect more.
Complex Time Expressions
More advanced learners can benefit from understanding complex time expressions, which combine multiple time adverbs or integrate other grammatical structures.
Combining Adverbs
1. **昨日の夜 (きのう の よる, kinou no yoru) – Last night**
– Example: 昨日の夜、勉強しました。(きのう の よる、べんきょう しました。) – I studied last night.
2. **来週の金曜日 (らいしゅう の きんようび, raishuu no kinyoubi) – Next Friday**
– Example: 来週の金曜日、友達と会います。(らいしゅう の きんようび、ともだち と あいます。) – I will meet my friend next Friday.
Using the Particle に (ni)
The particle に is often used with specific times to indicate when an action occurs. However, it is not always necessary with general time adverbs like “tomorrow” or “yesterday.”
1. **Specific Time:**
– Example: 7時に起きます。(しちじ に おきます。) – I wake up at 7 o’clock.
2. **General Time:**
– Example: 明日学校に行きます。(あした がっこう に いきます。) – I will go to school tomorrow.
Note that the に particle is omitted when the time adverb is more general.
Common Mistakes and Tips
Learning a new language always comes with challenges. Here are some common mistakes learners make with time-related adverbs in Japanese and tips to avoid them.
1. Misplacing the Adverb:
– Incorrect: 映画を昨日見ました。(えいが を きのう みました。)
– Correct: 昨日映画を見ました。(きのう えいが を みました。)
2. Overusing に:
– Incorrect: 明日に学校に行きます。(あした に がっこう に いきます。)
– Correct: 明日学校に行きます。(あした がっこう に いきます。)
3. Confusing Similar Adverbs:
– いつも (itsumo) – Always vs. ときどき (tokidoki) – Sometimes
– Practice by making sentences with both to understand their different contexts.
4. Forgetting Plurality in Time Adverbs:
– Japanese does not differentiate between singular and plural forms in time adverbs.
– Example: 毎日 (まいにち) can mean “every day” without changing form.
Practice Exercises
To solidify your understanding of time-related adverbs in Japanese, try these practice exercises:
1. Translate the following sentences into Japanese:
– I will study tomorrow night.
– I sometimes read books in the morning.
– Last week, I went to the park.
– I always eat dinner at 7 PM.
2. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate time adverb:
– (____)友達と話しました。(I talked with a friend yesterday.)
– (____)試験があります。(I have an exam tomorrow.)
– (____)新しいプロジェクトが始まります。(A new project starts next week.)
3. Create sentences using the following time adverbs:
– たまに (tamani) – Occasionally
– 明後日 (asatte) – The day after tomorrow
– 先月 (sengetsu) – Last month
Conclusion
Mastering time-related adverbs in Japanese is a vital step in becoming proficient in the language. These adverbs not only help in expressing when actions occur but also add depth and clarity to your conversations. By understanding and practicing their correct usage, you can improve your fluency and communication skills. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll find that using time-related adverbs in Japanese becomes second nature.
