a period of time

(gate) + (sun, day)
★★★★★
12 strokes
SUF

Onyomi

KAN

It CAN take a period of time of up to a day to go from one gate (門) to the other.

Kunyomi

あいだ an interval of time - the time between event A and event B.
★★★★★
gate - never used by itself, though. Only in jukugo - sort of like a second ONyomi. (see below!) NUBI
★☆☆☆☆

Jukugo

時間(じかん)

time ★★★★★
(time) + (a period of time) = 時間 (time)

間違い(まちがい)

a mistake ★★★★★ 1/2 KANA
(a period of time) + (different and therefore wrong) = 間違い (a mistake)

xxx (かん)

xxx amount of time ★★★★★ SUF

xxx amount of time.

You can't just say "one year" like in English. You have to add 'kan', the equivalent of saying, in English, 'one year's time.'

for instance:

一年間 (いちねんかん):one year's time

三週間 (さんしゅうかん): three weeks' time

With months, it gets even more complex: you have to add 間 at the end AND ヶ (pronounced 'ka') in the middle, like this:

三ヶ月間 (さんかげつかん): three months' time

人間(にんげん)

human ★★★★☆ FP
(person) + (a period of time) = 人間 (human)

間に合う(まにあう)

make it in time ★★★☆☆
(a period of time) + (to suit) = 間に合う (make it in time)

to make it in time - catching your train or not being late for class (this is the main time you use the "MA" pronunciation)

Lookalikes

Meaning Hint Radical
gate OPEN Open
a period of time DAY
question, problem MOUTH

Gate has NOTHING IN THE CENTER, IT'S OPEN - so you can walk through it.

There is an interval of one DAY between things, and you ask a question with your MOUTH.

Used In