1.
time limit; time restriction
A constraint on how much time is allowed for an activity, stay, or process. Commonly applied to dining, parking, exams, and various services.
Composed of 時間 (time) and 制限 (limit, restriction). A very practical term encountered frequently in everyday Japanese life.
Common collocations
- 時間制限がある / ない — there is / is no time limit
- 時間制限を設ける — to set a time limit
- 時間制限付き — with a time limit
- 時間制限内に — within the time limit
Similar words
- 制限時間 — time limit (same meaning, reversed word order; more commonly used for exams and competitions)
- 期限 — deadline, expiration date (for submissions, payments, products)
- 締め切り — deadline (especially for work submissions)
Note on word order
時間制限 and 制限時間 are often interchangeable, but 制限時間 tends to emphasize the specific allotted time ("the allotted time is 60 minutes"), while 時間制限 emphasizes the existence of the restriction itself ("there is a time limit").