Kanji: 間 aida Space
JLPT N5: 36 / 100 | 12 Strokes
間
On: カン; ケン
Kun: あいだ; ま
Kun: あいだ; ま
Meaning: interval; space; room
Kanji Parts:
- 門 (gate)
- 日 (sun with a dot on its head)
Mnemonics:
- The sun 日 rises through the interval or space of the gates 門.
Stroke Order:
Examples:
時間
Time; hours
Pitch Accent (じかん)
Breakdown
- 時 (じ) - time; hour
- 間 (かん) - interval; space
Notes
- 時間 (じかん) is a very common word in Japanese, used in many everyday situations.
- It can refer to time in general or a specific duration of time (e.g., one hour, two hours).
- The pitch accent pattern (平板型 - heiban) starts low, goes high on the second mora, and stays high, even for particles that may follow.
- When counting hours, use 〜時間 (〜じかん), e.g., 1時間 (いちじかん, one hour), 2時間 (にじかん, two hours).
- Don't confuse it with 時 (とき), which means "time" in the sense of "when" or a specific point in time.
- Common phrases include:
時間がかかる (じかんがかかる) - to take time
時間通りに (じかんどおりに) - on time
時間を作る (じかんをつくる) - to make time (for something)
昼間
Daytime; during the day
Pitch Accent (ひるま)
Breakdown
- 昼 (ひる) - daytime; noon
- 間 (ま) - space; interval
Notes
- 昼間 (ひるま) specifically refers to the bright part of the day, from sunrise to sunset.
- This word is often contrasted with 夜 (よる, night) or 夜中 (よなか, middle of the night).
- While 昼 (ひる) alone can mean "noon" or "daytime," 昼間 (ひるま) emphasizes the duration of daylight hours.
- Common usage examples:
昼間から (ひるまから) - from daytime; during the day (often used to express surprise at daytime activities typically done at night)
昼間の月 (ひるまのつき) - daytime moon
昼間働く (ひるまはたらく) - to work during the day
- In some contexts, 昼間 can imply "while it's light outside" or "during business hours."
居間
Living room; sitting room
Pitch Accent (いま)
Breakdown
- 居 (い) - to be; to exist; to live
- 間 (ま) - room; space
Notes
- 居間 (いま) refers to the main living area in a Japanese home, similar to a living room or family room in Western houses.
- Be careful not to confuse this word with 今 (いま), which means "now".
- In traditional Japanese houses, the 居間 might have tatami mats and sliding doors (襖 - ふすま).
- Modern Japanese apartments and houses often have Western-style 居間 with sofas and TVs.
- Other related room terms:
- 寝室 (しんしつ) - bedroom
- 台所 (だいどころ) - kitchen
- 浴室 (よくしつ) - bathroom
- In some contexts, 居間 can be referred to as リビング, which is derived from the English word "living room".
Example Sentence:
時間がありますか？
Do you have time?
Pitch Accent (じかん)
Breakdown
- 時間 (じかん) - time
- が - subject marker particle
- あります - exists; there is
- か - question particle
Notes
- 時間 (じかん) has a pitch accent of 0, meaning it starts low, goes high on the second mora, and stays high.
- This phrase is a polite way to ask if someone has time available.
- It can be used in various situations, such as:
- Asking if someone is free to talk or meet
- Inquiring about availability before making a request
- Checking if it's a good time to discuss something
- A more casual version would be 時間ある？ (じかんある？)
- To specify an amount of time, you can add it before 時間:
- 5分の時間がありますか？ (ごふんのじかんがありますか？) - Do you have 5 minutes?
- The response can be:
- Affirmative: はい、あります。(Yes, I have time.)
- Negative: いいえ、ありません。(No, I don't have time.)
