Hello! Welcome to Day 25 of Your 100-Day Japanese Challenge!
Congratulations! You’ve reached Day 25 of our 100-day journey to conquer JLPT N5! Today, we’re diving into time with the question word いつ (itsu – when).
Imagine asking “When is the meeting?” or “When does the big school open?” in Japanese – いつ will help you navigate time-related conversations.
By the end of this lesson, you’ll confidently ask and answer time questions, ready for JLPT N5 prep. Let’s get started!
Why いつ (Itsu) Is Essential for Beginners
The question word いつ (itsu – when) is a core JLPT N5 vocabulary and grammar point. It’s used to ask about the timing of events, actions, or states, making it perfect for planning or understanding schedules.
In the JLPT N5 exam, いつ appears in listening, reading, and grammar sections, often with verbs or particles like に (ni).
Mastering いつ today builds on your Day 24 skills (using どこ) and Day 23’s adjectives, helping you ask precise time-related questions.
Plus, it’s a practical tool for real-life conversations with native speakers!
New Vocabulary for いつ Questions
Here’s a table of new JLPT N5 verbs and nouns for Day 25, using only hiragana:
| Hiragana | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| かいぎ | kaigi | Meeting |
| でんわ | denwa | Phone call |
| しけん | shiken | Exam |
| きます | kimasu | Come |
| おきます | okimasu | Wake up |
| はじまります | hajimarimasu | Start |
Main Lesson: How to Use いつ (Itsu) Step-by-Step
Let’s break down いつ in simple, beginner-friendly steps.
Step 1: Understanding いつ (Itsu)
いつ (itsu) means “when” and it asks about the timing of events or actions.
Basic structure:
[いつ] + [verb] + か？ (for actions).
Example:
いつ きます か？ (Itsu kimasu ka?)
– When do you come?
Step 2: Using いつ with Verbs
No particle before verb: いつ often stands alone before a verb to ask when an action happens.
- いつ おきます か？ (Itsu okimasu ka?) – When do you wake up?
- いつ あいます か？ (Itsu aimasu ka?) – When do we meet?
- かいぎ は いつ はじまりますか？ (Kaigi wa itsu hajimari masuka?) – When does the meeting start?
Step 3: Polite vs. Casual
Polite: Use です か or に + verb + か for formal settings.
しけん は いつ です か？
(Shiken wa itsu desu ka?)
When is the exam?
Casual (for friends): Drop です or simplify.
かいぎ いつ？
Kaigi itsu?
When’s the meeting?
Practice Section: Time It Right with いつ!
Let’s practice いつ with the interactive exercise for JLPT N5 prep.
Day 25 Quiz: Asking About Actions with いつ (Itsu)
1. いつ ____ か？ (When do you come?)
2. Translate to Japanese: “When do you wake up?”
3. かいぎ は いつ ____ か？ (When does the meeting start?)
4. Translate to English: いつ あいます か？
5. Answer the question: かいぎ は いつ はじまりますか？ (When does the big meeting start?)
6. Translate to Japanese: “When does the exam start?”
7. いつ ____ します か？ (When will you call?)
8. Correct the mistake of this sentence: かいぎ は いつ に はじまります か？
9. くりすます は ________？ (When is the Christmas?)
10. Translate to Japanese: “When do you come?”
Common Mistakes for English Speakers
English speakers often trip up with いつ. Here’s how to avoid pitfalls:
Wrong particle: Use に with verbs like はじまります (start).
Wrong: かいぎ は いつ に はじまります か？
Using です for actions: Don’t use です with action verbs such as "きます", "いきます", etc.
Wrong: いつ きます です か？ Correct: いつ きます か？
Conclusion: Time Your Japanese Right!
Today, you learned to ask “When is it?” with いつ, mastered its grammar with particles and verbs like はじまります, and practiced new vocabulary like かいぎ and でんわ.
You’re now ready to talk about time in Japanese – how exciting! Keep up the momentum for JLPT N5 prep. Tomorrow, join us for Day 26: Counting Animals with Counters – なん ひき いますか? to explore counting in Japanese.
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Share an いつ question in the comments – when’s something you’re curious about? See you tomorrow!
