Speakable Japanese

How to Ask "When?" in Japanese: Inquiring About Time (Itsu)

Hello! Your skills in asking questions with "what," "where," and "who" are getting better and better!
In this lesson, we will study the fourth important element—how to ask about "time." By using the word "いつ" (when), you can freely ask about future plans and past events. Let's gain a sense of time and expand the dimensions of your communication!

🎯 Lesson Goal

Learn to ask questions about dates and specific times using 「いつですか？」(itsu desu ka?) and 「何時ですか？」(nan-ji desu ka?)!

Step 1 Discover

Let's look at how this is used in a real conversation. Yuki and Alex are discussing an upcoming trip.

👩
Yuki

アレックスさん、旅行はいつですか？

(Arekkusu-san, ryokou wa itsu desu ka?)

👨
Alex

来週です。

(Raishuu desu.)

👩
Yuki

飛行機は何時ですか？

(Hikouki wa nan-ji desu ka?)

👨
Alex

午前9時です。

(Gozen ku-ji desu.)

💡

Did you notice?

Yuki uses"いつ" (itsu)for the date/week of the trip, but switches to"何時" (nan-ji)when asking for the specific time of the flight.

Step 2 The Pattern

Here are the two essential chunks for inquiring about time.

Basic Chunk

いつ ますか？

(Itsu masu ka?)

🔑 Key Point 1: いつ (itsu)

Use "いつ" for an unspecified date or period, such as a birthday, summer vacation, or the next meeting.

🔑 Key Point 2: 何時 (nan-ji)

Use "何時" when you need a specific time of day (e.g., 9:00 AM, 3:30 PM).

Step 3 Pattern Practice

Keep the chunk exactly the same, but swap the events in the blank. Read these out loud!

  • General Time Birthday (tanjoubi)

    誕生日はいつですか？

    (Tanjoubi wa itsu desu ka?)

  • Specific Time Party (pa-ti-)

    パーティーは何時ですか？

    (Pa-ti- wa nan-ji desu ka?)

  • Specific Time Now (ima)

    今、何時ですか？

    (Ima, nan-ji desu ka?)

Step 4 Make It Yours!

Now it's your turn! Create questions about your plans or events you want to know about using the Vocabulary Cheat Sheet.

👉 EVENT は いつ / 何時 ですか？

Vocabulary Cheat Sheet

Events (イベント)

  • テスト tesuto (test)
  • 会議 kaigi (meeting)
  • 休み yasumi (day off/vacation)
  • 夏休み natsuyasumi (summer vacation)

Time Words (時間)

  • 今日 kyou (today)
  • 明日 ashita (tomorrow)
  • 来週 raishuu (next week)
  • 来月 raigetsu (next month)

Bonus Go Beyond the Basics

In real life, you'll also need to say things like "The meeting is NOT today" and speak casually with friends. Here’s a quick guide to leveling up your conversation!

🙅‍♀️ 1. It is NOT... (Negative)

Formal Negative

今日 ではありません。

(Kyou dewa arimasen. - It's not today.)

Casual Negative (Friends)

今日 じゃない。

(Kyou ja nai.)

🤝 2. Friendly & Casual

Asking Casually

旅行、いつ？

(Ryokou, itsu? - drop "wa" and "desu ka")

Answering with friendly emphasis

明日 だよ。

(Ashita da yo. - It's tomorrow.)

Summary Lesson Review

Asking "When": Use いつ (itsu) to ask about an unspecified date, period, or event.

Asking for Specific Time: Use 何時 (nan-ji) when you need to know the specific time of day on a clock.

Casual Talk: Drop "wa" and "desu ka" to ask casually with friends, e.g., 旅行、いつ？ (Ryokou, itsu?).

Practice Drill

1 / X Polite

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