What does “itsu” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “itsu” normally to mean ‘when’ in Japanese. Probably, many Japanese learners know this word as it is often used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “itsu” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “itsu”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “itsu”.
- itsu – 何時 (いつ) : an interrogative pronoun meaning ‘when’ or sometimes specifically ‘what time’ in Japanese.
Native speakers use this interrogative pronoun to make when questions in Japanese. So, its role is similar to that of “when” in English. However, they are a bit different in terms of flexibility. Word orders in Japanese are very flexible, so the Japanese interrogative pronoun does not necessarily come to the beginning of a sentence to make a question.
The definition and meanings are simple and clear, I think. To understand this interrogative pronoun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
What does “itsu” literally mean in Japanese?
The kanji expression of “itsu” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 何 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘what’ in Japanese.
- 時 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘time’ in Japanese.
These two kanji characters tell us that “itsu” literally means ‘what time’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is very close to the actual meanings.
When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “itsu” through the detailed kanji check above.
I’ve explained the kanji characters used in the expression of “itsu”. Japanese native speakers, however, normally write it in hiragana to clearly differentiate it from its heteronym, “nanji“, which specifically means ‘what time’ in Japanese.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “itsu” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “when” in Japanese
itsu nippon ni iki masu ka – いつ日本に行きますか (いつにっぽんにいきますか)
When will you go to Japan?
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- nippon – 日本 (にっぽん) : a noun meaning ‘Japan’ in Japanese.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “nippon” to indicate where the listener will go.
- iki – 行き (いき) : one conjugation of the verb, “iku“, which means ‘to go’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- masu – ます : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese masu form. In the example, this is used after “iki” to make it sound polite.
- ka – か : a sentence-ending particle used to make a question. As the definition suggests, this is used at the end of the example sentence to make the question.
This is a typical usage of “itsu”. In this example, it works at the beginning of the sentence to make the when question. Again, but it does not necessarily come to the beginning of a sentence. We can therefore say “nippon ni itsu iki masu ka” to ask the same question.
The sentence-ending particle, “ka”, is often used in Japanese questions, but it is not always necessary. We can make Japanese when questions only by using the interrogative pronoun, “itsu”.
Example #2: another usage of “itsu”
kanojo wa itsu tokyo ni iki masu ka – 彼女はいつ東京に行きますか (かのじょはいつとうきょうにいきますか)
When will she go to Tokyo?
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kanojo” to make the subject in the sentence.
- tokyo – 東京 (とうきょう) : a noun meaning ‘Tokyo’ in Japanese.
This is another typical usage of “itsu”. In this example, it works in the middle of the sentence to make the when question. When we want to make when questions in Japanese, anyway, this interrogative pronoun is always a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “itsu” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- itsu – 何時 (いつ) : an interrogative pronoun meaning ‘when’ or sometimes specifically ‘what time’ in Japanese. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘what time’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is very close to the actual meanings. Native speakers use this interrogative pronoun to make when questions in Japanese. So, its role is similar to that of “when” in English. However, they are a bit different in terms of flexibility. Word orders in Japanese are very flexible, so the Japanese interrogative pronoun does not necessarily come to the beginning of a sentence to make a question.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
