Time & Change

Introduction

Japanese has a rich vocabulary for expressing time, change, and historical progression. N3 introduces terms that go beyond clock time to cover eras, transitions, and the passage of time — concepts that are woven deeply into Japanese culture.

These words are essential for reading historical content and understanding how Japanese people talk about past and future.

Themes

All JLPT N3 Vocabulary in This Chapter (41)

1. 期間 きかん Period; term; interval. A defined span of time with a beginning and end.
2. 時期 じき Time; season; period; phase. A particular point or stretch in time when something happens.
3. 年代 ねんだい Age; era; period; date. A decade or historical period defined by years.
4. 世紀 せいき Century. A period of one hundred years.
5. 現代 げんだい Present age; present day; today. The modern era we live in now.
6. 近代 きんだい Present day; modern times; recent times. The era of modernisation and industrialisation.
7. 古代 こだい Ancient times; distant past; antiquity. The earliest periods of civilisation.
8. 未来 みらい Future; the time yet to come. Often implies the distant or grand-scale future.
9. 過去 かこ The past; bygone days. The time that has already passed.
10. 現在 げんざい The present; present time; now. The current point in time.
11. 日程 にってい Schedule; programme; agenda. A planned series of events or activities for specific days.
12. 延期 えんき Postponement; deferment; adjournment. Pushing an event to a later date.
13. 中止 ちゅうし Interruption; discontinuance; suspension; stoppage. Cancelling or halting an activity.
14. 再開 さいかい Reopening; resumption; restarting. Beginning again after a pause or interruption.
15. 前半 ぜんはん First half. The earlier portion of a time period, event, or work.
16. 後半 こうはん Second half; latter half. The later portion of a time period, event, or work.
17. 序盤 じょばん Opening; opening stage. The initial phase of a game, story, or process.
18. 中盤 ちゅうばん Middle stage; middle phase; midpoint. The central portion of a game, story, or process.
19. 終盤 しゅうばん Endgame; final stage. The concluding phase of a game, story, or process.
20. 冒頭 ぼうとう Beginning; opening; start; outset. The very first part of a speech, text, or event.
21. 結末 けつまつ End; conclusion. The final outcome or resolution, especially of a story or event.
22. 直 じき Immediately; soon; shortly. Something that happens right away or very soon.
23. 時刻 じこく Time; hour. A specific point in time, especially as shown on a clock.
24. 数字 すうじ Numeral; figure. A written symbol representing a number.
25. スケジュール スケジュール Schedule. A plan of activities or events with their intended times.
26. 明かり あかり Lamplight; light in general. Refers to any source of illumination, from candles to electric lights.
27. ひと時 ひととき A short period of time; a moment. Used to describe a brief, often pleasant span of time.
28. 一般 いっぱん General; ordinary; average. Refers to what is common or standard among a group.
29. 気温 きおん Air temperature; atmospheric temperature. Used specifically for weather, not for objects or body temperature.
30. 機関 きかん Engine; mechanism. Also means institution or organization. A word with two distinct but related senses.
31. 器官 きかん Organ of the body; a functional part of a living organism. Used in biology and medicine.
32. 季刊 きかん Quarterly publication; issued four times a year. Used for magazines, journals, and reports.
33. 大した たいした Significant; great; considerable. Often used in negative sentences to mean 'not a big deal.'
34. ダイヤ ダイヤ Railway timetable or schedule. Also means diamond (the gemstone or shape).
35. 長期 ちょうき Long term; long period. Used for extended durations in planning, finance, and general contexts.
36. 手間 てま Time and effort; labor; trouble. Refers to the work or hassle required for a task.
37. 同時 どうじ Simultaneous; at the same time. Used to describe events happening together.
38. 磁気 じき Magnetism; magnetic force. Used in science, technology, and everyday contexts involving magnets.
39. 磁器 じき Porcelain; chinaware. Fine ceramic ware fired at high temperatures.
40. 生涯 しょうがい One's lifetime; one's whole life. Used to describe the entire span of a person's life.
41. 正規 せいき Regular; legitimate; official. Describes something that follows proper rules or standards.