English Translation
At this time, you don’t need to understand everything.
What are the subtleties in variation between 時刻、時点、時間、and 時期?
@ericaw
時点 and 時刻 describe a “moment” like a “dot”.
時間 and 時期 describe a time “span” like a “line”. There are a starting point and an end within the span.
時刻 refers strictly to an hour hand and a minute hand of a watch: e.g. 7:38am. So, “what time is it now?” is a question about 時刻, not 時点
時点 is an answer to “when did you get noticed that your husband had brought to a hospital?”; “when was the last update made on the list?”; or “when should I submit this report?” Your answers would be “when I was taking a shower at home”; “as of 3:26pm, September 9th, 2022”; and “please wait until your boss gives you a green light”, respectively. 時点 is not always a question about hour and minute. But the image of 時点 is “slicing/curving out the exact moment” or “time stamp”.
時間 is “time” as in “do you have time to talk?” (話す時間はありますか？); “it took time to write up this report” (レポート作成に時間がかかった); and “you should spend your free time more on studying than video-gaming!” (暇があるならゲームより勉強に時間を使いなよ!) — you cannot complete these action within a second (moment). It’s not about “when” but “how long”. So, 時間 in these cases is not interchangeable with 時刻 and 時点.
“How many hours did you sleep last night?” is a question about 時間. “When did you go to bed last night?” is a question about 時刻. “When did you feel tired and want to go to bed?” is about 時点.
時期 means “season”. It could be “spring/summer/autumn/winter”, “rainy season/cherry blossom season/Christmas holiday season”, or “early/mid/late stage” of progress or maturity. Unlike 時刻 or 時点, 時期 refers to a time span. Unlike 時間, 時期 doesn’t matter “how long”.
There is one exception, though. Some people say 時間 instead of 時刻 to ask “what time it is” in casual conversations. For example, “do you know what time the shop opens?” = そのお店が開く時間、知ってる？ If you replace 時間 with 時刻, you cannot say 知ってる？ kind of too casual phrase.
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