What you listen for: which one is final
A very common kind of task-based comprehension question: two people discuss a time, a date, a number of people or a price, several numbers come up along the way, and the question asks which one is finally settled. The options are often just the numbers mentioned in the conversation, so hearing a number isn’t enough; listen for which ones are rejected and which one is settled.
- Look at the options: several times or dates; how do they differ (what time? what date? morning or afternoon?).
- Hear the situation: what is being arranged: meeting up, a booking, a deadline, or a time to gather?
- Note as you listen: each time a number comes up, note it in your head, then listen to the other person’s reaction: 「いいね」 accepts, 「その日はちょっと」 refuses.
- Listen for the final confirmation: 「じゃあ、〜ね」, 「〜ってことで」, 「〜にしよう」. Sometimes things change even after that, so still listen to the end.
| Expression | Meaning | What to watch for when you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| あ、いや／じゃなくて | No, I mean … | the number just said is cancelled |
| やっぱり | after all … | what was settled is overturned; often a return to an earlier plan |
| 〜はちょっと… | … isn’t really convenient | a polite refusal; this number doesn’t count |
| 〜でもいい？／〜でもいいですか | would … be OK? | a new suggestion; still listen for whether the other person agrees |
| 〜にしよう／〜にしましょう | we’ll make it … | a decision |
| じゃあ、〜ってことで | so that’s settled | the final confirmation (spoken form of 「〜ということで」) |
| 〜ずつ／全部で | each … / in total | prices and numbers of people need working out |
| 〜前に／〜早く | … before / … earlier | meeting and departure times have to be moved earlier |
How speech sounds: numbers that are easy to confuse, and contractions
A few things about times, dates and prices are especially easy to mishear. Dates from the 1st to the 10th, and the 20th, have special readings, so learn those first; then train your ear on pairs that differ by just one sound.
| Written form | Reading | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 四日／八日 | よっか／ようか | only one sound apart; the one with the small 「っ」 is the 4th |
| 一時／七時 | いちじ／しちじ | very similar, so some people say 「ななじ」 for seven o’clock |
| 十四日／二十四日 | じゅうよっか／にじゅうよっか | listen for whether 「に」 comes first |
| 二十日 | はつか | the special reading for the 20th |
| 五分／十五分 | ごふん／じゅうごふん | don’t miss 「じゅう」 |
| 四十／十四 | よんじゅう／じゅうよん | the order is reversed, and the meaning is very different |
| 三百円／三千円 | さんびゃくえん／さんぜんえん | 「びゃく」 is hundred, 「ぜん」 is thousand |
| Full form | What you hear in speech | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜ということで | 〜ってことで | 三時ってことで。 |
| 〜と言っていた | 〜って言ってた | 五時に来るって言ってた。 |
| 〜しようか | 〜しよっか | 四時にしよっか。 |
| 〜なければ（いけない） | 〜なきゃ | 六時には出なきゃ。 |
| 〜ておいて | 〜といて | 二十分は見といて。 |
集合は九時……あ、いや、八時半だった。
We meet at nine … oh, no, it was half past eight.
Only 「八時半」, after 「いや」, counts. The 「だった」 at the end means “now I remember”.
やっぱり、映画は土曜じゃなくて日曜にしよう。
Actually, we’ll see the film on Sunday, not Saturday.
In 「AじゃなくてB」, B is the answer.
十日は無理だけど、十一日なら空いてるよ。
The 10th is no good, but I’m free on the 11th.
「〜は無理だけど、〜なら」: the first one is rejected.
一人千二百円ずつ出せば足りるね。
If we each put in 1,200 yen, that’ll be enough.
「ずつ」 means “each”; to find the total, multiply by the number of people.
じゃあ、明日の六時、駅前ってことで。
So, tomorrow at six, in front of the station. That’s settled.
「〜ってことで」 is the final confirmation.
Watch out
「やっぱり」 often goes back to the startWhen you hear 「やっぱり」, don’t assume a new number is coming. 「三時にしよう。……いや、四時かな。……やっぱり三時でいいや。」 The final time is three: 「やっぱり」 pulls the talk back to the first plan.
Compare
In English, people correct themselves with “I mean” or “actually”; in Japanese it is 「あ、いや」, 「じゃなくて」 and 「やっぱり」. Date readings are irregular (「一日」, 「二日」 … 「十日」, 「二十日」); learn these eleven well so you don’t get stuck when listening.
Listen through once: two people arrange a time to meet
Read the question first: 「二人は何時に会いますか。」 The options are one o’clock, two, half past two and three. All four times come up, so note them as you listen: who suggested each, and whether the other person agreed.
- ハナ
ねえ、土曜日の買い物、何時にする？
Hey, what time shall we go shopping on Saturday?
- 佐藤
お昼を食べてからがいいな。二時はどう？
After lunch would be good. How about two?
- ハナ
二時かあ。午前中にピアノのレッスンがあって、終わるのが一時半なんだ。ちょっと厳しいかも。
Two, huh. I’ve got a piano lesson in the morning, and it finishes at half past one. That might be a bit tight.
- 佐藤
じゃあ、三時にしよっか。
Then shall we make it three?
- ハナ
三時だと、帰りが遅くなっちゃうな。二時半でもいい？
Three would get me home late. Would half past two be OK?
- 佐藤
いいよ。じゃあ、二時半に駅の改札で。
Sure. Then half past two at the station ticket gates.
- ハナ
あ、待って。今週はレッスンが三十分早く始まるって、先生に言われてたんだ。
Oh, wait. My teacher told me this week’s lesson starts thirty minutes early.
- 佐藤
ってことは、一時に終わる？
So it finishes at one?
- ハナ
うん。だから、やっぱり最初に言ってくれた時間で大丈夫。
Yeah. So the time you first suggested is fine after all.
- 佐藤
わかった。じゃあ、二時に改札ってことで。
OK. Then two o’clock at the ticket gates. That’s settled.
Tip
How to get the answerTwo o’clock: 「ちょっと厳しいかも」, rejected. Three: 「帰りが遅くなっちゃう」, rejected. Half past two: 「いいよ」 makes it look settled, but Hana goes on with 「あ、待って」, a signal of change. The lesson starts thirty minutes early and ends at one, so 「やっぱり最初に言ってくれた時間」 takes it back to two, the time Sato suggested first; finally, 「二時に改札ってことで」 confirms it. One o’clock is when the lesson ends, not when they meet: a trap. If you didn’t note what time was suggested first, you can’t answer this, so note every number as you listen.
Scene tips: ways of saying the time
The same time can be said in different ways, with slight differences in meaning. Stations, bookings and notices often use the 24-hour clock; between friends, people usually say 「午後〜時」 or just the hour.
| Expression | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 十四時 | 14:00, that is, 2 p.m. | common at stations, in bookings and in notices |
| 午後二時 | 2 p.m. | the usual way |
| 二時ごろ | around two | not an exact time |
| 二時までに | by two (deadline) | finish before this time |
| 二時まで | until two | continues up to two |
| 二時過ぎ | just after two | a little later than two |
| 二時ちょうど | two o’clock sharp | not a minute off |
Culture
After making plans, many people repeat the date, time and place to confirm: 「じゃあ、土曜の二時、改札ね」. The answer to a listening question is often in this confirmation. When you make plans yourself, repeat them like this too, and mistakes are less likely.