1.
analog clock; analog watch
A clock or watch that displays the time with moving hands on a dial marked with numbers or indices, rather than as digits on a screen. Contrasted with デジタル時計 (digital clock/watch).
For small children, an analog clock makes it easier to grasp the sense of time.
Composed of アナログ (analog, from English) + 時計 (clock, watch). The second word is read どけい in this compound due to 連濁 (sequential voicing). Refers to any clock or watch with a traditional dial face and moving hands.
Common collocations
- アナログ時計を読む: to read an analog clock
- 壁掛けアナログ時計: wall-mounted analog clock
- アナログ腕時計: analog wristwatch
- アナログ時計の針: the hands of an analog clock
- アナログ時計の文字盤: the face/dial of an analog clock
Similar words
- デジタル時計: digital clock/watch — displays the time as numerals on a screen, not with hands.
- 掛け時計: wall clock — describes where a clock is placed, regardless of whether it is analog or digital.
- 置き時計: table clock; mantel clock.
- 腕時計: wristwatch — may be analog or digital.
Compound reading
The word 時計 (clock) has two common readings in compounds:
- 時計 at the start of a word or standing alone: 時計屋 (watch shop), 時計を見る (look at a clock)
- どけい (voiced) at the end of a compound: アナログ時計, デジタル時計, 腕時計, 掛け時計
Usage
In modern Japanese life, the word comes up when distinguishing a traditional hand-dial clock from a digital display. Japanese school curricula often stress that children learn to read analog clocks before digital ones, and the word is common in educational and parenting contexts.