Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
いつ (itsu) Japanese meaning: when | Kotomora
Report an issue with this page
き
ます
か
。
When does the next train come?
I don't know when it will end.
Usage patterns 〈 事こと 〉 はいつですか When is 〈event〉?
いつ 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 か when (someone/something) will do ~ (as an embedded question)
I don't know when he will come.
いつ 〈 動詞いつ〈どうし〉 〉 ても no matter when ~ happens
No matter when I ask, I get the same answer.
Expressions いつから since when; from when; how long いつからか since some time or another; since who-knows-when いつだって always; all the time; at any time いついつまでも indefinitely; for a long time; forever Related words In its dated sense いつ can mean 'ordinary times', but modern Japanese normally uses 普段 for this everyday meaning.
いつ頃 asks for an approximate time, while いつ is the plain question word 'when' without that vagueness.
いつ is a general question word meaning 'when', while 何時 specifically asks for a clock time or hour.
何時 is a plain question word for 'when', while いつになったら adds a tone of impatience or frustration about how long something is taking.
いつ is a plain interrogative meaning 'when', while いつの間に adds a nuance of surprise that the speaker didn't notice the timing.
Don't confuse with いつ asks a general 'when', while 何時 (なんじ) asks specifically for clock time, as in 何時ですか 'what time is it?'.
何時 (いつ) is the question word 'when', while いつか (何時か) adds か to turn it into 'someday'; learners sometimes confuse the two because of the shared kanji.
何時 (いつ) means 'when' and asks about time, while 何時も (いつも) means 'always'; learners sometimes confuse the shared kanji.
Word family· 15 always; all the time · never · usual; regular; habitual
before one knows it; unnoticed; unawares
some time ago; the other day; once
someday; one day; sometime
Written forms いつ Usage 100%
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
The normal modern spelling. It is usually written in kana.
何時いつ Usage <1%
rarely-used kanji form gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Attested kanji spelling, but marked as rarely used. This is a special reading and may also be confused with 何時 read なんじ, meaning 'what time'.
イツ Usage <1%
Etymology Native Japanese time interrogative. The kanji spelling 何時 is conventionally associated with 'what time/when', but the reading いつ is a special reading rather than a regular character-by-character reading.
何なん 年ねん
いつ is a general question word for 'when', whereas 何年 narrows the question to a specific year or number of years.
いつでも
N3
always; all the time · anytime; whenever
Show 8 more forever; for good; indefinitely; as long as one likes
sooner or later; in due time; eventually
how long; until when
when (emphatic)
before one knows it; unnoticed; unawares
unusual; uncharacteristic; unlike one's usual self
unusually; uncharacteristically
more than usual
