What does “itsu” mean in Japanese?
“Itsu” is an indefinite pronoun which native speakers often use to make “when” questions in Japanese. In this blog post, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. 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 indefinite demonstrative pronoun meaning ‘when’ or ‘what time’ in Japanese.
Japanese native speakers often use this to make “when” questions in Japanese.
The definition and meanings are simple and clear, I think. To understand this word more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
“Itsu” in kanji
Below are the kanji characters used in “itsu”.
- 何 : a kanji character widely used as an indefinite demonstrative pronoun meaning ‘what’. This kanji character can also be found in other words like “doko“.
- 時 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘time’, ‘moment’, ‘era’, or such in Japanese. This can also work as a counter for hours.
From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “itsu” literally means ‘what time’ in Japanese. Its kanji concept is completely in line with its 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 meanings of words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “itsu” through the detailed kanji check above.
I’ve explained the kanji used in “itsu”. In reality, however, Japanese people normally write it in hiragana to clearly differentiate it from its heteronym, “nanji“, which exactly means ‘what time’ in Japanese.
Next, then, let me explain how to use “itsu” through the example sentence below.
Example #1: how to make a “when” question in Japanese
itsu nihon ni iki masu ka – いつ日本に行きますか (いつにほんにいきますか)
When will you go to Japan?
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- nihon – 日本 (にほん) : a noun meaning ‘Japan’ in Japanese.
- ni – に : a case particle used to indicate a place to which someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “nihon” to say where “you” 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 its definition suggests, this is used at the end of the example sentence to make the question.
This is a typical usage of “itsu”. It can work in a similar way that “when” does in English, but doesn’t have to be placed at the beginning of a sentence. Besides the example sentence, therefore, we can say “nihon ni itsu iki masu ka” to ask the same thing.
“Ka” is often used at the end of a question, but not necessarily required. So, just inserting “itsu” into a positive sentence enables us to turn it into a “when” question.
Example #2: how to make a “when” clause with “itsu”
In English, we can use “when” to make a clause in a sentence. In Japanese, we can use “itsu” in a similar way. Let me explain how to make a clause with “itsu” through the example sentence below.
itsu iku ka wakara nai – いつ行くか分からない (いついくかわからない)
I don’t know when I can go.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- iku – 行く (いく) : a verb meaning ‘to go’ in Japanese.
- ka – か : an adverbial particle used to express uncertainty. In the example, this is used at the end of the “itsu” clause to express the uncertainty.
- wakara – 分から (わから) : one conjugation of the verb, “wakaru”, which means ‘to see’, ‘to understand’, ‘to know’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. In the example, this is used after “wakara” to deny its meaning.
This is another typical usage of “itsu”. In the example, it works as a part of the noun clause, “itsu iku ka”, which means ‘when I can go’ in Japanese. We can use it to make a noun clause in a sentence. To tell the truth, however, we cannot use it to make an adverbial clause in a sentence. For this purpose, “toki” is much more suitable.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained “itsu” meaning 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 indefinite demonstrative pronoun meaning ‘when’ or ‘what time’ in Japanese. Japanese people normally write it in hiragana to clearly differentiate it from its heteronym, “nanji”, which exactly means ‘what time’ in Japanese. We can use this to make “when” questions and noun clauses in Japanese.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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