今何時ですか？
ima nanji desu ka?
To ask "what time is it?" in Japanese, you use 今何時ですか？ (ima nanji desu ka?)
This phrase is used to ask someone for the current time of day. It is common to use the word ima (now) at the beginning of the sentence to indicate the current time.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ima (now), nan (what), ji (o'clock) and desu ka (is it?).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The standard form is 今何時ですか？ You can make the question sound more indirect and polite when asking a stranger by using 今何時でしょうか？ instead of desu ka. For informal situations, such as speaking with friends or family, you can drop the desu ka at the end to say 今、何時？
How does it change in a sentence?
The term for "what time" or "what o'clock" is 何時, which is the combination of nan (what) and ji (o'clock/hour).
How do you pronounce it?
ima nanji desu ka?
When do people say it?
After someone tells you the time, you can express gratitude by saying arigatou gozaimasu (thank you very much) or acknowledge the response by saying wakarimashita (got it).
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, asking a superior for the time can be seen as slightly intrusive if they are busy, so speakers often preface 今何時ですか？ with o-isogashii tokoro sumimasen (sorry to bother you while you are busy).
- The character for 'o'clock', ji (時), contains the radical for 'sun', which stems from ancient methods of tracking time by the sun's position.
- When asking for the time, Japanese speakers might start with sumimasen (excuse me), but unlike English, this word is often used as a 'social lubricant' to signal the start of a request rather than just an apology.
Examples in context
- すみません、今何時ですか？Sumimasen, ima nanji desu ka?Excuse me, what time is it now?
- 今何時ですか？Ima nanji desu ka?What time is it now?
- 田中さん、今何時ですか？Tanaka-san, ima nanji desu ka?Mr. Tanaka, what time is it now?
Example conversation
Hime and Yamato are waiting for a bus together.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔さん、今何時ですか？Yamato-san, ima nan-ji desu ka?Yamato, what time is it now?
- 大翔 Hirotoええと、今は三時です。Eeto, ima wa san-ji desu.Let me see, it is three o'clock now.
- 陽葵 Himariありがとうございます。Arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you very much.
- 大翔 Hirotoいいえ、どういたしまして。Iie, dou itashimashite.No, you are welcome.
