Using your time
Collocations, Stage 4chunk 20 of 25Time, money & plans
The jikan o verbs for what you do with time: put it into something, set it aside, make it, kill it.
- jikan o kakeruput time into, take time over
- jikan o toruset aside time, take up time
- jikan o tsukurumake time
- jikan o tsubusukill time
Mix-ups English spend, take, make and kill map to kakeru, toru, tsukuru and tsubusu (crush), never korosu; how long something takes stays jikan ga kakaru, and spending time with people is sugosu.
jikan o kakeru
polite jikan o kakemasuput time into, take time over
時間をかける じかんをかける 時間をかけます
verbkakeru かけるhang; put on; spend (time or money on something)typical 3% of jikan
trap 'I spent three hours on it' is sanjikan kaketa (or kakatta), not sugoshita: sugosu is for spending time somewhere or with someone.
For spending time on something on purpose, mostly as kakete before another verb: jikan kakete tsukutta (I put real time into making it). With an amount, jikan drops: sanjikan kaketa. 'Take your time' is usually yukkuri de ii yo; jikan kakete ii yo is for a task: jikkuri jikan kakete ii yo.
kore, kekkou jikan kakete tsukutta n da.
I put quite a lot of time into making this.
これ、けっこう時間かけて作ったんだ。
kore wa kekkou jikan o kakete tsukutta n desu.
I put quite a lot of time into making this.
これはけっこう時間をかけて作ったんです。
Its intransitive partner jikan ga kakaru is how long something takes; kakeru is you choosing to spend it.
Same verb: okane (money: shumi ni okane kakeru), tema (effort: tema o kakeru = go to the trouble)Learn alongside: jikan o tsukuru, jikan o tsubusuMain list: kakeru (Stage 4), kakaru (Stage 4), jikan (Stage 4), kekkou (Stage 1), -te mo ii (Stage 3), yukkuri (Stage 3)
jikan o toru
polite jikan o torimasuset aside time, take up time
時間を取る じかんをとる 時間を取ります
verbtoru 取るtake; get (here: take or set aside time)typical 1% of jikan
trap English 'it takes an hour' leads to toru, but how long something takes is kakaru: ichijikan kakaru. toru is someone setting time aside, or taking up yours: jikan totte kurete arigatou, ojikan torasete sumimasen.
Mostly in thanks and apologies: jikan totte kurete arigatou (thanks for making time), ojikan torasete sumimasen (sorry to take up your time). It also means setting time aside: kondo chanto jikan toru ne.
kyou wa jikan totte kurete arigatou.
Thanks for making time today.
今日は時間取ってくれてありがとう。
kyou wa ojikan totte itadaite, arigatou gozaimashita.
Thank you for making time today.
今日はお時間取っていただいて、ありがとうございました。
jikan toreru? asks if someone can spare time. A short polite thank-you, (kichou na) ojikan o arigatou gozaimashita, is also fine, and formal thanks use saku: ojikan o saite itadaite.
Same verb: kyuukei (a short break), kyuuka (leave: kyuuka o toru)Learn alongside: shawaa o abiru, ofuro ni hairu, shashin o toru, kusuri o nomu, jikan ga kakaru, jikan ga tatsu, tema ga kakaru, onsen ni hairuMain list: toru (Stage 4), -te kureru (Stage 2), arigatou (Stage 1), sumimasen (Stage 1), jikan (Stage 4)
jikan o tsukuru
polite jikan o tsukurimasumake time
時間を作る じかんをつくる 時間を作ります
verbtsukuru 作るmake; createtypical <1% of jikan
Said when promising to fit someone in, often in the potential: raishuu nara jikan tsukureru yo. In thanks it's jikan tsukutte kurete arigatou.
raishuu nara jikan tsukureru yo.
I can make time next week.
来週なら時間作れるよ。
raishuu nara jikan o tsukuremasu yo.
I can make time next week.
来週なら時間を作れますよ。
Close to jikan o toru: tsukuru stresses squeezing time out of a busy schedule. Both work in thanks (jikan tsukutte kurete arigatou / jikan totte kurete arigatou).
Learn alongside: jikan o kakeru, jikan o tsubusuMain list: tsukuru (Stage 3), jikan (Stage 4), -eru / -rareru (Stage 2), isogashii (Stage 3)
jikan o tsubusu
polite jikan o tsubushimasukill time
時間を潰す じかんをつぶす 時間を潰します
verbtsubusu 潰すcrush, squash; use up (time); ruintypical <1% of jikan
trap Not jikan o korosu: killing time is tsubusu, 'crush'.
Said when you're early or waiting for someone: kafe de jikan tsubushiteru ne. The noun himatsubushi (something to pass the time) is just as common: himatsubushi ni sumaho miteta.
hayaku tsuita kara, kafe de jikan tsubushiteru.
I got here early, so I'm killing time in a café.
早く着いたから、カフェで時間潰してる。
hayaku tsuita node, kafe de jikan o tsubushitemasu.
I got here early, so I'm killing time in a café.
早く着いたので、カフェで時間を潰してます。
tsubusu also means flatten (akikan o tsubusu). A day off that gets eaten up is yasumi ga tsubureta.
Same verb: hima (spare time: himatsubushi)Learn alongside: jikan o kakeru, jikan o tsukuruMain list: jikan (Stage 4), hima (Stage 3)