The Meaning of jikokuhyō [時刻表] In Japanese

時刻表
じこくひょう
Romaji: jikokuhyō N4

What does 時刻表 mean?

Translation and Meaning

timetable, schedule

Definition

What does 時刻表 mean? It denotes a published listing of times for transportation services, such as trains, buses, or flights, used to plan a journey and coordinate connections; it provides a structured view of when services are scheduled to depart and arrive.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Primary meaning: a published timetable listing departure and arrival times for transportation services on a route or network.
  • Colloquial usage: the shorter term ダイヤ (daiya) is widely used in rail contexts to mean timetable.
  • Extended usage: can refer to any published time-based schedule, including event programs or flight schedules.

Origin

Late 19th century Meiji period, with the expansion of railways, the term began to designate officially published lists of departure and arrival times used by travelers.

Composition

  • 時 = time, hour
  • 刻 = mark, moment; indicates a time when something occurs
  • 表 = chart, table; together denote a chart of times

Usage

Used in formal contexts by railway operators, airports, and transit apps, as well as in everyday travel planning. It applies to trains, buses, ferries, and flights, and appears in stations, on printed timetables, and in online schedules; formal written materials use the term, while casual speech may refer to it as ダイヤ.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a clock stamping moments (刻) onto a chart (表) to mark when trains depart, so you remember it as a time chart used for transportation.

Variations

  • ダイヤ (daiya) — colloquial, widely used for rail timetables
  • 運行表 (unkōhyō) — running schedule for services
  • 列車ダイヤ (ressha daiya) — train timetable

Example Phrases

  • 駅の 時刻表 を 見て 次 の 電車 を 待つ
    Eki no jikokuhyō o mite tsugi no densha o matsu
    I look at the timetable and wait for the next train.
    Lista:
    • 駅の (eki no) – station’s
    • 時刻表 (jikokuhyō) – timetable
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • 見て (mite) – see (te-form)
    • 次 (tsugi) – next
    • の (no) – of
    • 電車 (densha) – train
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • 待つ (matsu) – wait
    Core grammar: te-form chaining; Put 「時刻表」 means timetable. 「時刻表を見て」 links seeing the timetable to waiting for the next train.
時刻表