How to Say ‘What time?’ in Japanese
何時ですか？
nan ji desu ka
[nah-nee jee desu ka]
💬 Usage Tip: 何時 is said (nanji), not (naniji). Put 何 before a counting word to ask "how many" or "which": 何曜日 (nan'yōbi) "what day of the week?".
Phrase Breakdown
何
nan
[nah-nee]
what; how many (depending on context)
A question word meaning what; with counters it can mean how many.
何を予約しますか。
What would you like to book?
時
ji
[jee]
time / hour
時 means time or o'clock; with 何 it becomes 'what time'.
何時に始まりますか。
What time does it start?
です
desu
[desu]
is; polite ending
A polite sentence ending often used to soften statements.
キャンセルしたいです。
I want to cancel.
か
ka
[ka]
question particle
Used to create a yes/no question in informal speech.
行くか？
Shall we go?
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