いつでも
itsu de mo[it͡sɨ de̞ mo̞]
In Japanese, any time is expressed as いつでも (itsu de mo).
いつでも is used to indicate that something can happen at any moment or whenever it is convenient. It is frequently used to express hospitality or openness to a request, such as inviting someone to visit or call.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of itsu (when), de (a particle indicating condition or means) and mo (also or even), which literally translates to even at any time.
Which one should you use?
Do not confuse いつでも (any time/whenever) with いつか, which means someday (at an unspecified future time).
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adverbial phrase, いつでも does not change its form based on the tense of the verb that follows it.
How do you pronounce it?
itsu de mo
Did you know?
- While いつでも means 'any time', saying it as a response to 'thank you' can sound slightly unnatural or overly literal. Japanese speakers typically prefer どういたしまして or いえいえ to express 'you are welcome'.
- Adding いつでも to a request for a visit can sometimes be a polite social fiction, where the host doesn't actually expect the guest to arrive without a prior appointment.
- The particle も in いつでも functions as an inclusive marker, which is part of a wider pattern in Japanese where adding も to a question word creates an 'any' or 'every' meaning.
Examples in context
- またいつでもどうぞ。Any time.Tatoeba #195521 by small_snow, translation #32695 by AlanF_US
- いつでも構いませんよ。Any time will suit me.Tatoeba #9125308 by bunbuku, translation #66185 by CK
- いつでもお電話ください。You can call me any time.Tatoeba #228854 by small_snow, translation #240668 by CK
- お時間がありましたら、いつでもご連絡ください。If you have the time, please feel free to contact me at any time.
- いつでもお越しください。Please come by anytime.
- ご都合の良い日時を教えていただければ、いつでも大丈夫です。If you could let me know a date and time that works for you, any time is fine.
- いつでも大丈夫ですので、お気軽にお問い合わせください。Please feel free to contact us at any time, whenever is convenient for you.
- 明日遊びに行く？いつでもいいよ。Do you want to hang out tomorrow? Any time is fine.
- 誕生日パーティー、何時に集まろうか？いつでもいいよ。What time should we gather for the birthday party? Any time is fine.
- いつでもいいから連絡してね。Contact me whenever you'd like, okay?
- 明日の予定が決まったら、いつでもいいから教えてね。Let me know whenever your plans for tomorrow are settled, okay?
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are discussing a time for a meeting.
- 結衣 Yui会議はいつにしますか？Kaigi wa itsu ni shimasu ka?When shall we have the meeting?
- 大翔 Hiroto私はいつでも大丈夫です。Watashi wa itsudemo daijoubu desu.Any time is fine for me.
- 結衣 Yuiじゃあ、明日の午後はどうですか？Jaa, ashita no gogo wa dou desu ka?Then, how about tomorrow afternoon?
- 大翔 Hirotoはい、問題ありません。Hai, mondai arimasen.Yes, that's no problem.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry いつでも, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
