When speaking in Japanese, it is important to be clear whether you are talking about the past, the present or the future.
This page explains Japanese for times/dates of past/present/future.
Second
*If the current time is 10:20:30
| Time(*) | English | Kanji | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:20:27 | 3 seconds ago | ３秒前 | さんびょうまえ |
| 10:20:28 | 2 seconds ago | ２秒前 | にびょうまえ |
| 10:20:29 | 1 second ago | １秒前 | いちびょうまえ |
| 10:20:30 | Now | 今 | いま |
| 10:20:31 | 1 second later | １秒後 | いちびょうご |
| 10:20:32 | 2 seconds later | ２秒後 | にびょうご |
| 10:20:33 | 3 seconds later | ３秒後 | さんびょうご |
Minute
*If the current time is 10:20:30
| Time(*) | English | Kanji | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:17:30 | 3 minutes ago | ３分前 | さんぷんまえ |
| 10:18:30 | 2 minutes ago | ２分前 | にふんまえ |
| 10:19:30 | 1 minute ago | １分前 | いっぷんまえ |
| 10:20:30 | Now | 今 | いま |
| 10:21:30 | 1 minute later | １分後 | いっぷんご |
| 10:22:30 | 2 minutes later | ２分後 | にふんご |
| 10:23:30 | 3 minutes later | ３分後 | さんぷんご |
Hour
*If the current time is 10:20:30
| Time(*) | English | Kanji | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:20:30 | 3 hours ago | ３時間前 | さんじかんまえ |
| 8:20:30 | 2 hours ago | ２時間前 | にじかんまえ |
| 9:20:30 | 1 hour ago | １時間前 | いちじかんまえ |
| 10:20:30 | Now | 今 | いま |
| 11:20:30 | 1 hour later | １時間後 | いちじかんご |
| 12:20:30 | 2 hours later | ２時間後 | にじかんご |
| 13:20:30 | 3 hours later | ３時間後 | さんじかんご |
Day
*If the current date is October 15, 2024
| Date(*) | English | Kanji | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 13, 2024 | Day before yesterday | 一昨日 | おととい |
| October 14, 2024 | Yesterday | 昨日 | きのう |
| October 15, 2024 | Today | 今日 | きょう |
| October 16, 2024 | Tomorrow | 明日 | あした/あす |
| October 17, 2024 | Day after tomorrow | 明後日 | あさって |
| October 18, 2024 | 3 days later | 明々後日 | しあさって |
| October 14, 2024 | Previous day | 前日 | ぜんじつ |
| October 16, 2024 | Following day | 翌日 | よくじつ |
| October 12, 2024 | 3 days ago | ３日前 | みっかまえ |
| October 13, 2024 | 2 days ago | ２日前 | ふつかまえ |
| October 14, 2024 | 1 day ago | １日前 | いちにちまえ |
| October 16, 2024 | 1 day later | １日後 | いちにちご |
| October 17, 2024 | 2 days later | ２日後 | ふつかご |
| October 18, 2024 | 3 days later | ３日後 | みっかご |
Week
*If the current date is October 15, 2024
| Date(*) | English | Kanji | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 30 – October 6, 2024 | Week before last | 先々週 | せんせんしゅう |
| October 7 – October 13, 2024 | Last week | 先週 | せんしゅう |
| October 12 – October 13, 2024 | Last weekend | 先週末 | せんしゅうまつ |
| October 14 – October 20, 2024 | This week | 今週 | こんしゅう |
| October 19 – October 20, 2024 | This weekend | 今週末 | こんしゅうまつ |
| October 21 – October 27, 2024 | Next week | 来週 | らいしゅう |
| October 26 – October 27, 2024 | Next weekend | 来週末 | らいしゅうまつ |
| October 28 – November 3, 2024 | Week after next | 再来週 | さらいしゅう |
| September 30 – October 6, 2024 | First week of month | 月最初の週 | つきさいしょのしゅう |
| October 28 – November 3, 2024 | Last week of month | 月最後の週 | つきさいごのしゅう |
| October 7 – October 13, 2024 | Previous week | 前週 | ぜんしゅう |
| October 21 – October 27, 2024 | Following week | 翌週 | よくしゅう |
| October 21, 2024 | Beginning of next week | 週明け | しゅうあけ |
| Monday – Friday | Weekday | 平日 | へいじつ |
| Saturday – Sunday | Weekend | 週末 | しゅうまつ |
| September 24, 2024 | 3 weeks ago | ３週間前 | さんしゅうかんまえ |
| October 1, 2024 | 2 weeks ago | ２週間前 | にしゅうかんまえ |
| October 8, 2024 | 1 week ago | １週間前 | いっしゅうかんまえ |
| October 22, 2024 | 1 week later | １週間後 | いっしゅうかんご |
| October 29, 2024 | 2 weeks later | ２週間後 | にしゅうかんご |
| November 5, 2024 | 3 weeks later | ３週間後 | さんしゅうかんご |
Month
*If the current date is October 15, 2024
| Date(*) | English | Kanji | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| August, 2024 | Month before last | 先々月 | せんせんげつ |
| September, 2024 | Last month | 先月 | せんげつ |
| October, 2024 | This month | 今月 | こんげつ |
| November, 2024 | Next month | 来月 | らいげつ |
| December, 2024 | Month after next | 再来月 | さらいげつ |
| September, 2024 | Previous month | 前月 | ぜんげつ |
| November, 2024 | Following month | 翌月 | よくげつ |
| October 1, 2024 | Beginning of month | 月初 | げっしょ |
| October 31, 2024 | End of month | 月末 | げつまつ |
| July 15, 2024 | 3 months ago | ３ヶ月前 | さんかげつまえ |
| August 15, 2024 | 2 months ago | ２ヶ月前 | にかげつまえ |
| September 15, 2024 | 1 month ago | １ヶ月前 | いっかげつまえ |
| October 1, 2024 | Half a month ago | 半月前 | はんつきまえ |
| October 31, 2024 | Half a month later | 半月後 | はんつきご |
| November 15, 2024 | 1 month later | １ヶ月後 | いっかげつご |
| December 15, 2024 | 2 months later | ２ヶ月後 | にかげつご |
| January 15, 2025 | 3 months later | ３ヶ月後 | さんかげつご |
| October 1 – October 10, 2024 | Early (month) | 上旬 | じょうじゅん |
| October 11 – October 20, 2024 | Mid (month) | 中旬 | ちゅうじゅん |
| October 21 – October 31, 2024 | Late (month) | 下旬 | げじゅん |
Year
*If the current date is October 15, 2024
| Date(*) | English | Kanji | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Year before last | 一昨年 | おととし |
| 2023 | Last year | 去年 | きょねん |
| 2024 | This year | 今年 | ことし |
| 2025 | Next year | 来年 | らいねん |
| 2026 | Year after next | 再来年 | さらいねん |
| 2023 | Previous year | 前年 | ぜんねん |
| 2025 | Following year | 翌年 | よくねん |
| January, 2024 | Beginning of year | 年始 | ねんし |
| December, 2024 | End of year | 年末 | ねんまつ |
| October 15, 2021 | 3 years ago | ３年前 | さんねんまえ |
| October 15, 2022 | 2 years ago | ２年前 | にねんまえ |
| October 15, 2023 | 1 year ago | １年前 | いちねんまえ |
| April 15, 2024 | Half a year ago | 半年前 | はんとしまえ |
| April 15, 2025 | Half a year later | 半年後 | はんとしご |
| October 15, 2025 | 1 year later | １年後 | いちねんご |
| October 15, 2026 | 2 years later | ２年後 | にねんご |
| October 15, 2027 | 3 years later | ３年後 | さんねんご |
| January – June, 2024 | First half of year | 上半期 | かみはんき |
| July – December, 2024 | Last half of year | 下半期 | しもはんき |