When counting minutes in Japanese, you might notice something interesting: sometimes it's pronounced as 「ふん」 (fun), and other times as 「ぷん」 (pun). Why the change? It's all about making it easier to say!
Think about how some numbers naturally flow into the 'p' sound, making 「ぷん」 smoother. For example, 「いっぷん」 (ippun) for one minute or 「さんぷん」 (sanpun) for three minutes. On the other hand, numbers like 2, 5, or 7 often pair with 「ふん」, like 「にふん」 (nifun) or 「ごふん」 (gofun).
While there are general rules for when to use each, don't worry too much about memorizing every single one right away. The key is to listen and practice! Over time, your ear will naturally pick up on which pronunciation sounds right for each number. You'll get the hang of it!
When counting minutes in Japanese, you will primarily use ~ふん (~fun) and ~ぷん (~pun). The choice between ふん and ぷん depends on the number preceding it.
For example, you say いっぷん (ippun) for one minute, but にふん (nifun) for two minutes. This alternation is crucial for correct pronunciation and understanding. Mastering these patterns is a fundamental step in telling time accurately in Japanese.
§ What does ふん (fun) mean?
The Japanese word ふん (fun) means 'minute'. It's a counter word, which means you attach it to numbers to count minutes. This is very common in Japanese. You can't just say a number alone when counting time in minutes; you need a counter like ふん.
§ How to count minutes with ふん (fun)
Counting minutes with ふん (fun) isn't as simple as just adding ふん to every number. The pronunciation changes depending on the number. This is a common pattern with Japanese counter words. You'll hear both ふん (fun) and ぷん (pun).
- The basic rule:
- Usually, numbers ending in 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 10 use ふん (fun). Numbers ending in 3, 6, 8, and 10 sometimes use ぷん (pun). There are some exceptions, which we'll cover.
Let's look at the common patterns:
一分 (ippun) - 1 minute: Notice the small っ (tsu) before ぷん. This indicates a glottal stop or a small pause, effectively doubling the consonant sound. It's not いちふん (ichifun).
あと一分で着きます。
- Hint:
- We will arrive in one minute.
二分 (nifun) - 2 minutes: This uses ふん as expected.
二分だけ待ってください。
- Hint:
- Please wait for only two minutes.
三分 (sanpun) - 3 minutes: Here's another ぷん example. No small っ this time.
あと三分で休憩です。
- Hint:
- There are three more minutes until the break.
四分 (yonpun) - 4 minutes: This also uses ぷん sometimes, but よんぷん is more common in spoken Japanese. However, よんふん is also understood.
料理に四分かかります。
- Hint:
- The cooking takes four minutes.
五分 (gofun) - 5 minutes: Back to ふん.
バスは五分遅れています。
- Hint:
- The bus is five minutes late.
六分 (roppun) - 6 minutes: Another small っ with ぷん.
コーヒーを淹れるのに六分かかります。
- Hint:
- It takes six minutes to brew coffee.
七分 (nanafun / shichifun) - 7 minutes: Both are common, but ななふん is often preferred for clarity.
駅から家まで七分です。
- Hint:
- It's seven minutes from the station to home.
八分 (happun) - 8 minutes: Another small っ with ぷん.
バスはあと八分で来ます。
- Hint:
- The bus will arrive in eight minutes.
九分 (kyuufun) - 9 minutes: Uses ふん.
待ち時間は九分です。
- Hint:
- The waiting time is nine minutes.
十分 (juppun / jippun) - 10 minutes: Both are common, with じゅっぷん being slightly more frequent.
休憩は十分です。
- Hint:
- The break is ten minutes.
§ Asking "How many minutes?"
To ask 'how many minutes?', you use 何分 (nanpun). Notice it uses the ぷん pronunciation.
これは何分かかりますか？
- Hint:
- How many minutes does this take?
§ Why the changes in pronunciation?
The pronunciation changes (like ふん vs. ぷん and the small っ) are due to phonological assimilation, which basically means sounds changing to be easier to pronounce when next to certain other sounds. While it might seem complex at first, with practice and exposure, these patterns will become natural. Don't get too bogged down in the linguistic rules; focus on memorizing the common minute counts and you'll pick it up.
难度评级
A very common kanji (分) with simple readings. When paired with numbers, it almost always refers to 'minutes'.
The kanji 分 is frequently used and easy to remember. Focus on writing it clearly.
Pronunciation is straightforward. The main challenge is remembering the small sound changes when combined with certain numbers (e.g., いっ<b>ぷん</b> for one minute, はっ<b>ぷん</b> for eight minutes).
Easy to distinguish in conversation, especially when preceded by a number. Pay attention to the same sound changes as in speaking.
接下来学什么
前置知识
接下来学习
高级
按水平分级的例句
今、何時ですか？
What time is it now?
5分、待ってください。
Please wait for 5 minutes.
10分で着きます。
I'll arrive in 10 minutes.
会議は30分です。
The meeting is 30 minutes long.
あと何分ですか？
How many more minutes?
1時間で60分です。
One hour is 60 minutes.
電車は15分遅れています。
The train is 15 minutes late.
この料理は20分かかります。
This dish takes 20 minutes.
今、何時ですか。３時２０ふんです。
What time is it now? It's 3:20.
あと５ふんで会議が始まります。
The meeting starts in 5 minutes.
電車は１０ふんおきに来ます。
Trains come every 10 minutes.
この料理は作るのに３０ふんかかります。
This dish takes 30 minutes to cook.
休憩は１５ふんです。
The break is 15 minutes long.
ここから駅まで歩いて５ふんです。
It's a 5-minute walk from here to the station.
もう少しでバスが来ます。あと２ふんくらいです。
The bus will arrive soon. It's about 2 more minutes.
毎日、日本語を２０ふん勉強しています。
I study Japanese for 20 minutes every day.
会議は30分で終わる予定です。
The meeting is scheduled to end in 30 minutes.
駅まで歩いて15分かかります。
It takes 15 minutes to walk to the station.
彼女は毎日2時間、日本語を勉強しています。
She studies Japanese for 2 hours every day.
「時間」is used for duration of hours.
次の電車はあと5分で来ます。
The next train will arrive in 5 more minutes.
料理に20分かかりました。
It took 20 minutes to cook the meal.
この課題を終わらせるのに、あと何分必要ですか？
How many more minutes do you need to finish this assignment?
彼はいつもぎりぎりの時間に到着します。
He always arrives at the last minute.
「ぎりぎりの時間」means 'the last minute'.
休憩は10分です。
The break is 10 minutes long.
语法模式
句型
Xふん (X fun)
ごふん (gofun) - five minutes
Xふん かかります (X fun kakarimasu)
じゅっぷん かかります。(Juppun kakarimasu.) - It takes ten minutes.
Xふん ごと (X fun goto)
ごふん ごと (gofun goto) - every five minutes
Xふん まえ (X fun mae)
さんじゅっぷん まえ (sanjuppun mae) - thirty minutes ago
Xふん ご (X fun go)
じゅうごふん ご (juugofun go) - fifteen minutes later
いま なんじ なんぷん ですか (Ima nanji nanpun desu ka?)
いま くじ じゅっぷん です。(Ima kuji juppun desu.) - It's 9:10 now.
Xじ Yふん (X ji Y fun)
にじ ごじゅっぷん (niji gojuppun) - 2:50
Xじ Yふん に (X ji Y fun ni)
はちじ ごふん に はじめます。(Hachiji gofun ni hajimemasu.) - I'll start at 8:05.
如何使用
When counting minutes, you attach different counters depending on the number. For 1, 2, 6, 8, and 10 minutes, use -ぷん (-pun). For other numbers, use -ふん (-fun). For example, 1 minute is いっぷん (ippun), but 2 minutes is にふん (nifun). This noun can also refer to 'part' or 'share', as in 'your share of the work'.
A common mistake is incorrectly attaching -ふん (-fun) or -ぷん (-pun) to numbers. Remember the specific numbers that take -ぷん (-pun). For example, saying いちふん (ichifun) for one minute is incorrect; it should be いっぷん (ippun).
小贴士
Learn the counter for minutes
When counting minutes in Japanese, you'll use the counter 分 (fun/pun). For example, 1 minute is 一分 (ippun), 2 minutes is 二分 (nifun), and so on. Pay attention to the pronunciation changes!
Asking 'how many minutes?'
To ask 'how many minutes?' you'll use 何分 (nanpun). For instance, 'How many minutes does it take?' would be 何分かかりますか (nanpun kakarimasu ka)?
Telling time with minutes
When telling time, you'll combine the hour with the minutes. For example, 7:30 would be 七時三十分 (shichiji sanjuppun). The 'fun' or 'pun' comes after the number.
Common usage in daily conversation
You'll often hear ふん (fun) in phrases like 少しの間 (sukoshi no aida) meaning 'for a little while' or 数分 (sūfun) meaning 'a few minutes'. It's a very common word.
Practice with time-related phrases
Try practicing phrases like ５分待ってください (gofun matte kudasai) which means 'Please wait 5 minutes'. The more you use it, the more natural it becomes.
Be careful with pronunciation changes
The pronunciation of 分 (fun/pun) changes depending on the preceding number. For example, 一分 (ippun) uses 'pun', while 二分 (nifun) uses 'fun'. Pay close attention to these rules.
Punctuality is important in Japan
In Japanese culture, punctuality is highly valued. Being even a few minutes late for an appointment is generally frowned upon. Always aim to be on time, or even a little early.
Using 'go' before minutes for politeness
Sometimes you might hear 御 (go) attached to the number of minutes for politeness, although it's less common with minutes than with other counters. For example, 五分 (gofun) is usually sufficient.
Different readings of 分 (bun/bu/wari)
While 分 (fun/pun) specifically refers to 'minute', the character 分 has other readings and meanings. For example, 半分 (hanbun) means 'half', and 五分 (gobu) can refer to 50% or 5/10. Context is key.
Listening practice with announcements
You'll frequently hear ふん (fun) in train station or airport announcements. Listen for phrases like 〇分遅れております (marufun okurete orimasu) meaning 'It is X minutes delayed'.
自我测试 78 个问题
This means 'It's five minutes.' The number comes before 'ふん' (minutes).
This means 'It takes ten minutes.' 'かかります' means 'it takes'.
This means 'It's two more minutes.' 'あと' means 'more' or 'remaining'.
Choose the correct way to say 'five minutes'.
To say 'five minutes', you use the kanji for five (五) followed by ふん (fun), making it ごふん (gofun).
What is the correct way to ask 'How many minutes?'
To ask 'How many minutes?', you use なん (nan) for 'how many' and ぷん (pun) for 'minutes', which combines to form なんぷん (nanpun).
Which of these means 'one minute'?
For 'one minute', it is いっぷん (ippun). Note the small 'tsu' (っ) which indicates a glottal stop and changes ふん to ぷん.
You can say 'じゅうふん' for 'ten minutes'.
Yes, for ten minutes, it's じゅっぷん (juppun) or じゅうふん (juufun). Both are commonly used.
'ふん' is used for counting hours.
No, 'ふん' (fun) is specifically for counting minutes. 'じかん' (jikan) is used for hours.
The pronunciation of 'ふん' always stays the same when counting minutes.
No, the pronunciation of 'ふん' changes to 'ぷん' depending on the preceding number, like in 'いっぷん' (ippun) for one minute.
Listen for the time. This is a common question.
Listen for how many minutes until arrival.
Listen for the approximate duration in minutes.
Read this aloud:
今、3時15分です。
Focus: じゅうごふん (jū-go-fun)
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
もう少しで、あと2、3分です。
Focus: に、さんぷん (ni, san-pun)
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
1時間で60分です。
Focus: ろくじゅっぷん (roku-jup-pun)
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
How do you say 'five minutes' in Japanese?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
五分 (gofun)
Write a short sentence saying 'Please wait for a minute' in Japanese.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
ちょっと一分待ってください。(Chotto ichi-fun matte kudasai.)
You want to say 'It takes about ten minutes.' How would you write 'ten minutes' in Japanese?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
十分 (juppun)
How many minutes until person B arrives?
Read this passage:
A: 何時ですか？ B: 八時十分です。 A: 遅いですね。 B: ええ、でも、あと五分で着きます。
How many minutes until person B arrives?
Person B says 'あと五分で着きます' (ato go-fun de tsukimasu), which means 'I will arrive in five more minutes.'
Person B says 'あと五分で着きます' (ato go-fun de tsukimasu), which means 'I will arrive in five more minutes.'
How many minutes until the train reaches the next station?
Read this passage:
電車は定刻通りに運行しています。次の駅まであと七分です。乗り換えのお客様は、お急ぎください。
How many minutes until the train reaches the next station?
The passage states '次の駅まであと七分です' (tsugi no eki made ato nana-fun desu), meaning 'It's seven more minutes until the next station.'
The passage states '次の駅まであと七分です' (tsugi no eki made ato nana-fun desu), meaning 'It's seven more minutes until the next station.'
How long does it take to cook this dish?
Read this passage:
この料理は調理に三十分かかります。食べる前に少し冷ましてください。
How long does it take to cook this dish?
The passage says '調理に三十分かかります' (chouri ni san-juppun kakarimasu), which means 'It takes 30 minutes to cook.'
The passage says '調理に三十分かかります' (chouri ni san-juppun kakarimasu), which means 'It takes 30 minutes to cook.'
This sentence means 'It takes five minutes.' The standard order is the number, then the counter 'fun' for minutes, then the verb 'kakarimasu' (to take time).
This sentence means 'How many minutes is it?' The question word 'nan' (what/how many) comes before the counter 'fun', followed by 'desu ka' for a question.
This means 'Please wait ten minutes.' The number 'juppun' (ten minutes) comes first, followed by 'matte kudasai' (please wait).
This sentence means 'The meeting will start in 5 minutes.' The particles 'は' and 'で' help connect the phrases correctly.
This means 'Sorry, I'll be about 5 minutes late.' 'ほど' indicates approximation.
This sentence means 'The next train will arrive in 10 minutes.'
会議はあと５___で始まります。
「ふん」は「minute」を意味し、時間の短い単位を表すのに使われます。会議が始まるまでの時間を示すには「分」が適切です。
駅から家まで歩いて１０___かかります。
「駅から家まで歩いて」という文脈で、移動にかかる時間を表すには「分」が最も自然です。
すみません、今何___ですか？
「今何時ですか？」と聞かれた後、「何分ですか？」と続けて聞くことで、より正確な時間を尋ねています。
このレポートを完成させるのにあと３０___必要です。
レポートを完成させるための比較的短い時間を示すには「分」が適切です。
電車はあと２___で到着します。
電車の到着までの短い時間を示すには「分」が適切です。
コーヒーを淹れるのに５___かかります。
コーヒーを淹れるという日常的な行動にかかる時間は「分」で表すのが一般的です。
The meeting starts in 5 minutes.
The next train arrives in 10 minutes.
It took 20 minutes to finish this task.
Read this aloud:
５分お待ちください。
Focus: ごふん
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
会議は１５分遅れています。
Focus: じゅうごふん
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
あと何分で着きますか。
Focus: なんぷん
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
会議は30___延長されたため、次の予定に間に合いませんでした。 (The meeting was extended by 30 ___s, so I couldn't make it to my next appointment.)
「分」は時間単位の「minute」を指します。
電車が遅れていて、あと数___で到着する予定です。 (The train is delayed and is expected to arrive in a few ___s.)
「数分」は「数minute」を意味します。
このレシピは、卵を5___泡立てる必要があります。 (This recipe requires beating the eggs for 5 ___s.)
「5分」は「5 minutes」を意味します。
緊急事態発生！残り10___で脱出してください。 (Emergency! Please evacuate in 10 ___s.)
「10分」は「10 minutes」を意味します。
彼は授業に5___遅刻しました。 (He was 5 ___s late for class.)
「5分」は「5 minutes」を意味します。
あと数___でバスが来ますよ。 (The bus will arrive in a few ___s.)
「数分」は「数 minutes」を意味します。
The meeting ended 30 minutes earlier than scheduled.
The next train arrives in 2 minutes.
She is always ready 5 minutes before departure.
Read this aloud:
5分で戻ります。
Focus: ごふんで
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
あと何分かかりますか？
Focus: あと なんぷん
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
休憩は10分です。
Focus: きゅうけいは じゅっぷん
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This sentence means 'The meeting will start in five minutes.' The particle 'で' indicates a time frame, and '後' (later/after) specifies that it's five minutes from now.
This translates to 'There are only a few minutes left until he arrives.' 'まで' signifies 'until,' and 'あと' means 'remaining' or 'just' a certain amount of time.
This means 'The presentation finished ten minutes earlier than scheduled.' '予定より' means 'than scheduled,' and '早く' means 'early' or 'sooner.'
会議はもう15___で始まります。
「分（ふん）」は時間を表す単位で、'minute'を意味します。文脈から'15 minutes'が適切です。
この映画は2時間30___です。
「分（ふん）」は'minute'を意味し、映画の長さを表すのに適切です。2時間30分は'2 hours and 30 minutes'です。
もう少しでバスが出発します。あと5___です。
「分（ふん）」は'minute'を意味し、バスの出発までの残り時間を表すのに適しています。
「あと10分」は「もう10時間経った」という意味である。
「あと10分」は「あと10分間」つまり'10 more minutes'という意味です。'10 hours have passed'ではありません。
「5分で準備できる」は「準備に5分かかる」という意味である。
「5分で準備できる」は、準備が5分で完了するという意味であり、'can be ready in 5 minutes'または'it takes 5 minutes to get ready'と解釈できます。
「毎分」は「毎日」と同じ意味である。
「毎分（まいふん）」は'every minute'を意味し、「毎日（まいにち）」の'every day'とは異なります。
This sentence means 'It will take a few more minutes until he arrives.' The order follows a typical Japanese sentence structure: subject, particles, time phrase, verb.
This translates to 'The meeting started a few minutes earlier than scheduled.' The structure places the topic (meeting) first, then the comparison (than scheduled), then the time difference, and finally the verb.
This means 'She always starts preparing a few minutes before departure.' The natural flow is 'she always, of departure, a few minutes before, starts preparing.'
/ 78 correct
Perfect score!
Learn the counter for minutes
When counting minutes in Japanese, you'll use the counter 分 (fun/pun). For example, 1 minute is 一分 (ippun), 2 minutes is 二分 (nifun), and so on. Pay attention to the pronunciation changes!
Asking 'how many minutes?'
To ask 'how many minutes?' you'll use 何分 (nanpun). For instance, 'How many minutes does it take?' would be 何分かかりますか (nanpun kakarimasu ka)?
Telling time with minutes
When telling time, you'll combine the hour with the minutes. For example, 7:30 would be 七時三十分 (shichiji sanjuppun). The 'fun' or 'pun' comes after the number.
Common usage in daily conversation
You'll often hear ふん (fun) in phrases like 少しの間 (sukoshi no aida) meaning 'for a little while' or 数分 (sūfun) meaning 'a few minutes'. It's a very common word.
相关内容
更多daily_life词汇
もう少し
B1A little more.
じゅうしょ
A2The particulars of the place where someone lives.
住所
A2address, residence
～後
A2after
目覚まし
B1Alarm clock. A clock that makes a noise to wake someone up.
目覚まし時計
B1An alarm clock.
ひとりで
A2Alone.
~のに
B1Even though; despite (particle/conjunction).
ごぜん
A2Morning (a.m.).
煩い
B1Noisy; annoying.
