This article displays the usage ofいつ(itsu) to ask for a certain time. There are detail question which shows a person’s birthdate which is being asked in Minna no Nihongo book. In chapter 5 page 42 in Minna no Nihongo buku, we are going to learn how to make a question form in order to ask a person’s birthdate which is stated in the problem and also the suitable answers for that question form. To see the complete problem which is shown as a picture in a calendar please buy the original Minna no Nihongo book.
This article explains how to answer questions related with someone’s birthdate. To ask when or when did something is actually happened we can use いつ (itsu). This vocabulary basically means when. So the answer which is given relates with time either it is a general time marker such as tomorrow, yesterday, last night or a specific one such as 9 pm, March 3rd, etc. In order to ask the question which relates with someone’s birthdate certainly the answer will be a specific date and month at minimum.
Pattern :
Kanji : 「人・人の名前」＋の＋ 誕生日 は ＋ いつですか
Hiragana : 「ひと・ひとのなまえ」＋の＋ たんじょうびは ＋
いつですか
Romaji : 「Hito / Hito no namae 」＋No＋ tanjyoubi wa＋
itsu desuka
Meaning : When is ＋「person / person’s name」’s birthdate ?
Example
Kanji : 一番目の日本の総理大臣 ＋の＋誕生日 は ＋
いつですか
Hiragana : いちばんめのにほんのそうりだいじん ＋ の ＋
たんじょうび は ＋ いつですか
Romaji: Ichiban me no nihon no souri daijin + no + tanjyoubi wa
+ itsu desuka ?
Meaning: When is the first Japanese prime minister’s birthdate ?
Answer
Kanji : １０月の１６日です。
Hiragana: １０がつの１６にちです。
Romaji : 10-gatsu no 16-nichi desu.
Artinya : It is October 16th.
Below is the question form and answer which is paired as an example to answer the problem in the book.
Question
Kanji : 山田さんの誕生日はいつですか。
Hiragana: やまださんのたんじょうびはいつですか。
Romaji : Yamada-san no tanjyoubi wa itsu desuka.
Meaning : When is Yamada-san’s birthday ?.
Answer
Kanji : 3月２７日です。
Hiragana: ３がつ２７にちです。
Romaji : 3-gatsu 27 nichi desu.
Meaning : 27th March.
1. Question
Kanji : カリナさんの誕生日はいつですか。
Hiragana: カリナさんのたんじょうびはいつですか。
Romaji : Karina-san no tanjyoubi wa itsu desuka.
Meaning : When is Karina-san’s birthday ?.
Answer
Kanji : 4月１０日です。
Hiragana: ４がつとうかです。
Romaji : 4-gatsu no touka desu.
Meaning : 10th April.
2. Question
Kanji : サントスさんの誕生日はいつですか。
Hiragana: サントスさんのたんじょうびはいつですか。
Romaji : Santosu-san no tanjyoubi wa itsu desuka.
Meaning : When is Santos’s birthday ?.
Answer
Kanji : 11月９日です。
Hiragana : １１がつここのかです。
Romaji : 11-gatsu kokonoka desu.
Meaning : 9th November.
3. Question
Kanji : マリアさんの誕生日はいつですか。
Hiragana: マリアさんのたんじょうびはいつですか。
Romaji : Santosu-san no tanjyoubi wa itsu desuka.
Meaning : When is Santos’s birthday ?.
Answer
Kanji : ９月の一日です。
Hiragana:９がつのついたちです。
Romaji : ９–gatsu no tsuitachi desu.
Meaning : 1st September.