Usage of いつ
The word いつ is a fundamental question word in Japanese meaning "when." It is used to ask about time in various contexts, from specific moments to habitual actions.
Asking Specific Time
You can use いつ to inquire about a specific time or date, often followed by a verb or event, e.g., いつ日本に行きますか？ (When will you go to Japan?). This is the most common and direct use.
Expressing Habitual Actions
When combined with も as いつも, it means "always" or "all the time," indicating habitual or repeated actions, e.g., いつも朝ごはんを食べます (I always eat breakfast).
Indirect Questions
いつ can appear in indirect questions, often with verbs like わかる (to know), e.g., 彼はいつ来るかわかりません (I don't know when he will come). This usage is common in everyday conversation.
Common Collocations
- いつも: always, habitual actions
- いつか: someday, sometime in the future
- いつでも: anytime, whenever
Notes
- いつ is informal and polite enough for daily conversation but can be combined with polite forms for formal situations.
- Avoid confusing いつ (when) with どこ (where) or なに (what).
- Learners sometimes omit いつ in questions; always include it to clarify the time aspect.