私の番
watashi no ban
In Japanese, "my turn" is said as 私の番 (watashi no ban).
The phrase is used to indicate that it is now the speaker's time to do something in a sequence. You will often see the word 次 (next) used alongside this phrase to clarify the sequence of turns.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of 私 (watashi, 'I'), the possessive particle の (no) and 番 (ban, 'turn' or 'order').
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of politeness changes based on the ending and the pronoun used. 私の番です is the formal version, suitable for formal occasions or when speaking to people of higher social status. For relaxed, informal conversations, you can use 私の番だ. Among male friends in casual settings, the more masculine 俺の番だ is also common. Additionally, male speakers often use 僕の番 in casual settings instead of 私の番.
How do you pronounce it?
watashi no ban
Did you know?
- The word 番 (ban) is the same character used for 'number' in addresses or phone numbers. This links the concept of a 'turn' directly to one's assigned numerical place in a line.
- In traditional Japanese games, if you want to say it is your turn, you might use the word 手 (te), which literally means 'hand'.
- If you are very polite, you might avoid using 'my' (watashi) altogether and instead refer to the sequence itself to remain humble.
Examples in context
- 私の番よね？My turn, right?This sentence is useful for confirming if it is your turn.Tatoeba #11795463 by small_snow, translation #11118127 by ddnktr
- トムと私の番？Is it Tom's and my turn?This sentence is useful for asking if it is both Tom's and your turn.Tatoeba #8924579 by small_snow, translation #8924571 by CK
- 次は私の番です。My turn comes next.This sentence is useful for stating that your turn follows the current one.Tatoeba #150205 by small_snow, translation #264352 by CK
- 田中さんの番ですIt's Mr./Ms. Tanaka's turn.
- 今私の番ですIt's my turn now.
- 次は私の番ですNext is my turn.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are playing a board game together.
- 蓮 Ren次は私の番だ。Tsugi wa watashi no ban da.It is my turn next.
- 美咲 Misakiわかった、蓮くん、どうぞ。Wakatta, Ren-kun, douzo.Okay, Ren, go ahead.
- 蓮 Renよし、私の番だね。Yoshi, watashi no ban dane.Alright, it's my turn.
- 美咲 Misaki頑張って！Ganbatte!Good luck!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
