Japanese has a phrase: 「過去・現在・未来」(かこ・げんざい・みらい) — past, present, future. It divides time into three stages: what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen.
Every kanji in those three words — 過 (pass), 去 (go away), 現 (appear), 在 (exist), 未 (not yet), 来 (come) — describes a state of time. Japanese is rich with time-related kanji: some mark sequence, some divide eras, and some describe duration and repetition.
This article covers 20 kanji about the flow of time and change.
Core Kanji Table
Before & After — Sequence and Direction
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 前 | ゼン (zen) | まえ (mae) | front, before | 以前 (いぜん, before), 前半 (ぜんはん, first half), 名前 (なまえ, name) | 駅の前で待つ — wait in front of the station |
| 後 | ゴ (go)・コウ (kō) | あと (ato)・うし (ushi)・のち (nochi) | back, after | 午後 (ごご, afternoon), 後半 (こうはん, second half), 最後 (さいご, last) | 後で電話します — I'll call you later |
| 先 | セン (sen) | さき (saki) | ahead, previous | 先生 (せんせい, teacher), 先月 (せんげつ, last month), 先日 (せんじつ, the other day) | お先にどうぞ — after you (lit. "please go ahead") |
| 次 | ジ (ji) | つぎ (tsugi) | next | 次回 (じかい, next time), 目次 (もくじ, table of contents), 次第 (しだい, depending on) | 次の電車に乗る — take the next train |
Beginning & End
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 初 | ショ (sho) | はじ (haji)・はつ (hatsu)・うい (ui) | first, beginning | 初めて (はじめて, for the first time), 最初 (さいしょ, first), 初恋 (はつこい, first love) | 初めて日本に行った — went to Japan for the first time |
| 終 | シュウ (shū) | お (o) | end | 終わる (おわる, to end), 最終 (さいしゅう, final), 終了 (しゅうりょう, completion) | 授業が終わった — class ended |
| 始 | シ (shi) | はじ (haji) | begin | 始める (はじめる, to start), 開始 (かいし, start), 始発 (しはつ, first departure) | 仕事を始める — start work |
Eras & Periods
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 代 | ダイ (dai)・タイ (tai) | か (ka)・よ (yo)・しろ (shiro) | era, generation | 時代 (じだい, era), 現代 (げんだい, modern), 代わり (かわり, substitute) | 若い時代を思い出す — remember one's youth |
| 世 | セ (se)・セイ (sei) | よ (yo) | world, generation | 世界 (せかい, world), 世紀 (せいき, century), 世の中 (よのなか, society) | 世の中は変わった — the world has changed |
| 紀 | キ (ki) | — | century, chronicle | 世紀 (せいき, century), 紀元 (きげん, epoch), 紀行 (きこう, travelogue) | 21世紀の技術 — 21st century technology |
| 期 | キ (ki)・ゴ (go) | — | period, term | 期間 (きかん, period), 時期 (じき, time/season), 期待 (きたい, expectation) | 夏休みの期間 — the summer break period |
| 際 | サイ (sai) | きわ (kiwa) | occasion, edge | 国際 (こくさい, international), 実際 (じっさい, actually), 際 (さい, occasion) | 出発の際に連絡する — contact upon departure |
Duration & Repetition
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 久 | キュウ (kyū)・ク (ku) | ひさ (hisa) | long time | 久しぶり (ひさしぶり, long time no see), 永久 (えいきゅう, permanent) | 久しぶりに会った — met after a long time |
| 永 | エイ (ei) | なが (naga) | eternal | 永遠 (えいえん, eternity), 永久 (えいきゅう, permanent), 永住 (えいじゅう, permanent residence) | 永遠に忘れない — never forget |
| 再 | サイ (sai)・サ (sa) | ふたた (futata) | again, re- | 再び (ふたたび, again), 再開 (さいかい, resumption), 再来年 (さらいねん, year after next) | 再び会える日を楽しみに — looking forward to the day we meet again |
| 度 | ド (do)・タク (taku) | たび (tabi) | degree, time (counter) | 何度 (なんど, how many times), 今度 (こんど, this time/next time), 温度 (おんど, temperature) | 何度も挑戦する — try many times |
| 更 | コウ (kō) | さら (sara)・ふ (fu) | further, renew | 更に (さらに, furthermore), 変更 (へんこう, change), 更新 (こうしん, renewal) | 更に努力する — try even harder |
| 既 | キ (ki) | すで (sude) | already | 既に (すでに, already), 既婚 (きこん, married), 既存 (きそん, existing) | 既に出発した — already departed |
| 未 | ミ (mi) | いま (ima) | not yet | 未来 (みらい, future), 未定 (みてい, undecided), 未知 (みち, unknown) | 未来は明るい — the future is bright |
| 将 | ショウ (shō) | — | about to, general | 将来 (しょうらい, future), 将軍 (しょうぐん, general/shogun) | 将来の夢は何ですか — what is your future dream? |
Spotlight: 前 vs. 先
Both 前 and 先 can be translated as "before" or "ahead," but they work differently in Japanese:
前 (まえ / ゼン) — Spatial "in front" + Temporal "in the past"
- Space: 駅の前 (in front of the station), 前に進む (move forward)
- Time: 以前 (いぜん, before), 前回 (ぜんかい, last time)
- Key point: 前 covers both space and time — it's the most versatile "before"
先 (さき / セン) — Order of priority + Destination
- Priority: 先に食べる (eat first), お先にどうぞ (after you / please go ahead)
- Destination: 行き先 (destination), 連絡先 (contact information)
- Recent past: 先月 (last month), 先日 (the other day) — only for the near past
- Key point: 先 emphasizes "going ahead of others" or "a point further ahead"
Quick memory trick
前 = "in front of me" (position, the past) 先 = "going first" (priority, taking the lead)
Cultural Note: Japan's Era Name System
Japan is the only country in the world that still actively uses era names (元号・げんごう). A new era name is proclaimed when a new emperor ascends the throne. This is where kanji like 代, 世, and 紀 come alive:
| Era Name | Reading | Period | Kanji Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 令和 | れいわ | 2019– | 令 (beautiful) + 和 (harmony) |
| 平成 | へいせい | 1989–2019 | 平 (peace) + 成 (achieve) |
| 昭和 | しょうわ | 1926–1989 | 昭 (bright) + 和 (harmony) |
Related vocabulary:
- 時代 (じだい): 昭和時代 (Showa era), 令和時代 (Reiwa era)
- 世紀 (せいき): 21 世紀 (21st century)
- 紀元 (きげん): 西暦紀元 (Common Era / CE), 紀元前 (BCE)
- 年代 (ねんだい): 1990 年代 (the 1990s)
Japanese people use both era names and the Western calendar in daily life. For birth years, some say 「平成 5 年生まれ」(born in Heisei 5), others say 「1993 年生まれ」— this is why kanji like 代, 世, and 紀 are especially common in Japan.
Practice
Q1. What does 久しぶり mean, and when is it used?
Show answer
Long time no see. 「久しぶり」(ひさしぶり) is used when reuniting with someone after a long absence. The polite form is 「お久しぶりです」. It's one of the most commonly heard greetings in Japanese.
Q2. What's the difference between 未来 and 将来?
Show answer
未来 (みらい) refers to the abstract, distant future — often used in sci-fi or philosophical contexts (e.g., 「未来の世界」, the world of the future). 将来 (しょうらい) refers to a more concrete, personal future (e.g., 「将来の夢」, your future dream).
Q3. What does 再来年 mean?
Show answer
The year after next. 再来年 (さらいねん) = next year's next year. Similarly, 再来月 (さらいげつ) = the month after next, and 再来週 (さらいしゅう) = the week after next.
Q4. Why is a teacher called 先生?
Show answer
先 (ahead, first) + 生 (born, life) = someone born before you = someone who has experienced life before you = teacher, mentor. This word perfectly illustrates how 先 means "going ahead of others."
Q5. What is Japan's current era name, and what kanji does it use?
Show answer
令和 (れいわ). 令 = beautiful/auspicious, 和 = harmony. It has been in use since May 1, 2019, and is Japan's 248th era name. Notably, 令和 was the first era name sourced from a Japanese classic (the 万葉集 poetry anthology) rather than from a Chinese text.
Summary
- 前・後・先・次 mark sequence and direction — 前 covers both space and time; 先 emphasizes priority and order
- 初・終・始 describe beginnings and endings — 初めて (first time), 終わる (to end), 始める (to begin)
- 代・世・紀・期・際 divide eras and periods — Japan's era name system keeps these kanji especially relevant
- 久・永・再・度・更・既・未・将 express duration, repetition, and temporal states — from "long time no see" to "eternity"
- 前 vs. 先 is a key distinction: 前 = position and past, 先 = priority and taking the lead
- The time series is now complete. From measuring time to feeling its flow, you've mastered the most essential time-related kanji in Japanese.