何時ですか
nan-ji desu kaphrase★Beginner— what time is it
formal
A polite way to ask for the current time in Japanese.
すみません、何時ですか？
Excuse me, what time is it?
💡
This phrase is commonly used in formal and polite contexts when asking for the time.
Related Phrases
💡Pro Tip
Politeness
This phrase is polite and appropriate for formal situations. For casual contexts, '何時？' (nan-ji?) is also used.
⚡Gold Rule
Question Form
The 'ですか' (desu ka) at the end makes this a polite question. Omitting it makes the question more casual.
📖Word Origin
Composed of '何時' (nan-ji, meaning 'what time') and 'ですか' (desu ka, a polite question form).
📝Usage Notes
This phrase is used to politely inquire about the current time. It is a standard phrase taught to beginners in Japanese.
Word Breakdown
何時
what time
phraseですか
polite question marker
suffix和英辞典