時間|じかんjikan[0]heiban (flat)
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- nountime
- nounhour
- nounperiod; class; lesson
- Synonym時ときNeutralCovers a moment or occasion, as in 「子どもの時」; 時間 centers on duration or the clock time itself.
- SynonymタイムNeutralLoanword used mostly for times recorded in races or for a time-out, as in 「ゴールタイム」.
- Synonym間かんNeutralThe time between two points, as in 「夏休みの間」; often in the pattern 「~間に」 to mean 'during'.
- Related期間きかんNeutralA stretch of time with a set start and end, as in 「試験期間」; it stresses the span, while 時間 can also mean a short duration or the hour.
- Related間あいだNeutralThe time between two points, as in 「夏休みの間」; often in the pattern 「~間に」 to mean 'during'.
- Related時刻じこくNeutralA single point on the timeline, as in 「発車時刻」; 時間 can also give the clock time but more often refers to length.
- Related時期じきNeutralA period with some defining feature or suited to doing something, as in 「この時期」; 時間 is about length of time.
- Related時代じだいNeutralA long stage of history or of a life, counted in years, as in 「学生時代」.
- Related折おりWrittenWritten style for a certain time or opportunity, as in 「上京の折」; it never refers to a length of time.
- Related期きWrittenWritten style for a set period or session, mostly as a suffix, as in 「第二期」.
- RelatedひとときNeutralA brief spell of time, as in 「楽しいひと時」 or 「苦しいひと時」; 時間 is about duration itself.
- RelatedスパンNeutralLoanword for a span of time, as in 「長いスパンで考える」; heard mostly in business.
- Related年代ねんだいNeutralAn era or date reckoned in decades and the like, as in 「八十年代」; it carves time into year-based periods rather than measuring a duration like 時間.
- Related間隔かんかくNeutralThe interval separating two things in time or distance, as in 「五分間隔」; the focus is on the gap between them.
- Related歳月さいげつWrittenWritten language for the long years as they pass, with a wistful tone, as in 「十年の歳月」.
- Related年月としつきNeutralLong months and years, as in 「長い年月」; the emphasis is on time piling up.
- Related刻限こくげんWrittenWritten and old-fashioned word for an appointed time, as in 「刻限に遅れる」.
- Related星霜せいそうWrittenA literary, elegant word for the years, as in the set phrase 「幾星霜」; not used in everyday speech.
For lengths and amounts of time, 「時間」 is the default: 「時間がない」, 「三時間」. Use 「時」 for a moment or occasion, 「時刻」 for an exact clock time, 「期間」 for a span with a start and end, and 「年月」 or 「歳月」 for long years. Beyond these: 「折」 and 「期」 are written-style, 「タイム」 and 「スパン」 are loanwords, 「間」 and 「間隔」 mark intervals, and 「時代」 or 「年代」 cover eras and decades.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


