How to Say ‘Since when?’ in Japanese
いつからですか。
itsu kara desu ka
[ee-tsoo kah-rah dess kah]
💬 Usage Tip: Short and polite. You can answer with a time + [からです] (e.g., [きのうからです]).
🇯🇵 In Japan: Giving a clear start time helps the pharmacist decide if self-care medicine is appropriate.
Phrase Breakdown
いつ
itsu
[ee-tsoo]
when
Question word “when.” Often used with から to ask “since when.”
おなかの痛みはいつからですか。
Since when is the stomach pain?
から
kara
[kah-rah]
from / since
Shows the starting point in time: “since.”
いつからですか。
Since when is it?
ですか
desu ka
(polite question ending)
「です」 + 「か」 makes a polite question (“Is it…?” / “Since when is it?”).
だいじょうぶですか。
Are you okay?
Words in this phrase
です
desu
[dess]
is/are (polite)
Polite form used when asking questions in a service setting.
いつからですか。
Since when is it?
か
ka
[kah]
(question marker)
Question particle that makes the sentence a question.
いつからですか。
Since when is it?
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