目錄
The Japanese words 「いつ」「何時（なんじ）」「何分（なんぷん）」 all ask about time, but what each one is trying to find out is actually a little different. 「いつ」 is similar to “when” in English: it can ask about a date, a day of the week, or a time of day, and it can also receive an answer such as “seven o’clock.” 「何時」 focuses directly on what time it is, while 「何分」 asks what minute it is or how many minutes something takes. When looking only at Chinese translations, it is easy for all three to blur together as “when,” “what time,” or “how long,” but the differences become much clearer once they are placed back into Japanese sentences.
For example, when arranging to meet a friend, if you want to know the date of the meeting, you can ask 「いつ会いますか」. If the date is already known and you only want to confirm the meeting time, the question changes to 「何時に会いますか」. At a station, if you want to ask how much longer you need to wait, it becomes 「あと何分ですか」 or 「あと何分で来ますか」. All of these questions are related to time, but which one you actually choose depends on whether you expect the other person to answer “Friday,” “3:00 p.m.,” or “15 minutes.”
There are also several points in Japanese time questions that are easy to confuse with one another. Both 「いつごろ」 and 「何時ごろ」 contain the idea of “approximately,” but the former can be answered with next week, the end of the month, or evening, while the latter will usually get an answer such as around seven or around nine. 「何分くらい」 asks approximately how many minutes, while 「どのくらい」 does not limit the unit of time in advance. In addition, 「何時に出発しますか」 contains 「に」, while 「いつ出発しますか」 usually does not. Yet 「いつにしますか」 is perfectly normal Japanese. These rules may look unrelated at first, but they can all be understood by looking at what kind of time the sentence is asking about and what role 「に」 is playing in the sentence as a whole.
What Is the Difference Between 「いつ」「何時」「何分」? Asking About Dates, Clock Time, and Minutes
The differences among these three interrogative expressions can be judged directly by looking at what kinds of answers are reasonable. 「いつ」 has the broadest answer range: the answer could be next week, Friday, evening, or seven o’clock. 「何時」 specifically asks for a clock time, while 「何分」 narrows the range to minutes and can also ask how many minutes a period of time lasts.
| Interrogative | Reading | What It Mainly Asks | Answer Range | Common Answers | Example |
| いつ | いつ | When | Date, day of the week, time of day, or even clock time | 来週、金曜日、明日の夜、七時ごろ | 日本へはいつ行きますか。 |
| 何時 | なんじ | What time | A clock time within the day | 七時、八時半、午後三時 | 電車は何時に出発しますか。 |
| 何分 | なんぷん | What minute / how many minutes | A number of minutes, or a duration measured in minutes | 十五分、三十分、四十五分 | 駅まで何分かかりますか。 |
In dictionaries, 「何時」 may also be listed with readings such as 「いつ」, but beginner textbooks usually write the broad “when” as the hiragana 「いつ」 and read 「何時」 as 「なんじ」 when asking for a clock time. In actual reading, if the expected answer is something like seven o’clock or nine thirty, 「なんじ」 is usually the reasonable interpretation.
Using 「いつ」｜Asking About a Date, Time Period, or Time That Has Not Yet Been Fixed
「いつ」 corresponds to a broad “when” and does not assume that the answer must be precise down to a clock time. It can be used for the date of an event, the month of departure, or the time period when something happened. The other person can also answer according to the information they have, such as “next week” or “around the evening,” without necessarily giving a numerical time.
- Example: 日本へはいつ行きますか。
Kana: にほんへはいついきますか。
Translation: When are you going to Japan?
The answer could be “next month,” “summer vacation,” or a specific date, so the range is broad. - Example: コンサートはいつですか。
Kana: コンサートはいつですか。
Translation: When is the concert?
This question usually asks for the date, although depending on the context, the answer could also be something like “Saturday evening.” - Example: 予約したのはいつですか。
Kana: よやくしたのはいつですか。
Translation: When did you make the reservation?
The question focuses on when the event occurred, so the answer might be yesterday, last week, or one morning.
Using 「何時」｜Asking What Time It Is on the Clock
「何時（なんじ）」 asks for a more specific clock time. To ask the current time, you say 「今、何時ですか」. When asking what time an action takes place, 「何時に＋verb」 is commonly used. Starting and ending points take 「から」 and 「まで」, so the time particle 「に」 is not added.
- Example: 今、何時ですか。
Kana: いま、なんじですか。
Translation: What time is it now?
Because the sentence ends in 「です」 and directly asks 「何時」, 「に」 is not needed. - Example: 電車は何時に出発しますか。
Kana: でんしゃはなんじにしゅっぱつしますか。
Translation: What time does the train depart?
「に」 marks the specific time when 「出発する」 takes place. - Example: 受付は何時から何時までですか。
Kana: うけつけはなんじからなんじまでですか。
Translation: What are the reception hours?
「から」 marks the starting point and 「まで」 marks the ending point, making this suitable for asking about business hours or service hours.
The readings of 「4時、7時、9時」 and 「分」 have fixed variations. For the complete table, continue with How to Read 「時、分」 and Express Time in Japanese.
Using 「何分」｜Asking What Minute It Is or How Many Minutes Something Takes
「何分（なんぷん）」 has two common uses. In 「何時何分」, it asks for the minute part of a clock time. When used with verbs such as 「かかる」 or 「待つ」, it usually asks how many minutes a period of time lasts. Both may be translated into Chinese as “幾分,” so the meaning has to be determined from the situation.
- Example: 集合は何時何分ですか。
Kana: しゅうごうはなんじなんぷんですか。
Translation: What time, down to the minute, is the meeting?
This question asks for a time precise to the minute and is common in schedules or situations where punctuality matters. - Example: 駅まで何分かかりますか。
Kana: えきまでなんぷんかかりますか。
Translation: How many minutes does it take to get to the station?
「かかる」 indicates that time is required, so 「何分」 asks about duration here. - Example: あと何分待てばいいですか。
Kana: あとなんぷんまてばいいですか。
Translation: How many more minutes should I wait?
「あと」 limits the question to the remaining time. It is not asking for the minute portion of the current clock time.
What Is the Difference Between 「いつごろ」「何時ごろ」「何分くらい」「どのくらい」?
All four expressions can be related to ideas such as “approximately” or “how long,” but the range of the question is different. 「いつごろ」 asks approximately when something will happen, so the answer can be a date, a day of the week, a time of day, or a clock time. 「何時ごろ」 has already narrowed the answer to clock time, so the answer will usually be something like around seven or around three in the afternoon. 「何分くらい」 asks approximately how many minutes, so the expected unit is already minutes. 「どのくらい」 asks how long a period of time is without specifying whether the answer should be in minutes, hours, or days.
| Expression | What It Mainly Asks | Answer Range | Common Answers | Suitable Situation |
| いつごろ | Approximately when | Date, day of the week, time of day, or clock time | Next week, tomorrow afternoon, around seven | When the time has not yet been narrowed down very much |
| 何時ごろ | Approximately what time | A clock time during the day | Around seven, around 3:00 p.m. | When the date is known and only the time needs to be confirmed |
| 何分くらい | Approximately how many minutes | A duration measured in minutes | Around 10 minutes, around 30 minutes | When the duration is known to be fairly short and you want an answer in minutes |
| どのくらい | Approximately how long | No fixed time unit | 10 minutes, two hours, three days | When you do not know whether the answer will be in minutes, hours, or a longer unit |
「いつごろ」 and 「何時ごろ」 ask about the point in time when something happens. 「何分くらい」 and 「どのくらい」 instead ask how long a period of time lasts. Going one step further, 「いつごろ」 does not limit the answer to a clock time, while 「何時ごろ」 does. 「何分くらい」 specifies that the answer should be expressed in minutes, while 「どのくらい」 leaves the unit up to the person answering.
▌「何時ごろ」 vs. 「どのくらい」｜Arrival Time vs. Time Required
「何時ごろ」 asks approximately what time something will happen, so the answer is a point in time such as “around 3:00 p.m.” 「どのくらい」 asks how long it takes from start to finish, so the answer is a duration such as “around two hours.” In Chinese, both questions may sometimes be expressed as 「大概多久」, but Japanese distinguishes between “what time will you arrive?” and “how long will it take?”
- Example: 何時ごろ着きますか。
Kana: なんじごろつきますか。
Translation: About what time will you arrive?
This question asks for the clock time of arrival, so typical answers are 「午後三時ごろです（around 3:00 p.m.）」 or 「七時ごろです（around seven）」. - Example: どのくらいかかりますか。
Kana: どのくらいかかりますか。
Translation: About how long will it take?
「かかる」 indicates time required, so this asks how much time the entire trip or task takes. The answer may be 「二時間ぐらいです（about two hours）」 or 「三十分ぐらいです（about 30 minutes）」. - Example: ホテルまで何時ごろ着きますか。
Kana: ホテルまでなんじごろつきますか。
Translation: About what time will you arrive at the hotel?
Even when asking about the same trip, use 「何時ごろ」 if what you want to know is the “arrival time.” If you change it to 「ホテルまでどのくらいかかりますか」, the question becomes “About how long does it take to get to the hotel?”
▌「何分」 vs. 「何分くらい」｜Exact Number of Minutes vs. Approximate Number of Minutes
「何分」 directly asks how many minutes and does not itself mean “approximately.” 「何分くらい」 adds 「くらい」, indicating that an approximate answer is acceptable. Both ask for a number of minutes. The difference is not how long the time is, but whether the answer is expected to be precise. If there is a definite countdown, such as how many minutes until a train arrives or how many minutes remain in an event, 「何分」 can be used directly. Walking time, travel time, or waiting in line can vary, so 「何分くらい」 is often more realistic in those situations.
- Example: あと何分ですか。
Kana: あとなんぷんですか。
Translation: How many minutes are left?
This directly asks for the remaining number of minutes and is suitable when a specific time can be checked, such as an event countdown, waiting time, or train information. - Example: 駅まで何分くらいかかりますか。
Kana: えきまでなんぷんくらいかかりますか。
Translation: About how many minutes does it take to get to the station?
Walking or travel time can vary depending on speed, traffic conditions, and other factors, so it may not be accurate to the minute. Adding 「くらい」 indicates that only an approximate time is needed. - Example: ここから空港まで何分くらいかかりますか。
Kana: ここからくうこうまでなんぷんくらいかかりますか。
Translation: About how many minutes does it take from here to the airport?
This question already specifies that the answer should be in minutes, but it does not require extreme precision. If you do not even know whether the trip will take tens of minutes or several hours, 「どのくらいかかりますか」 gives the answer more flexibility.
▌Even When Going to the Same Hotel, 「いつごろ」「何時ごろ」「何分くらい」「どのくらい」 Ask for Different Information
Suppose a friend is on the way to a hotel. All four expressions can appear in the same conversation, but the information being requested is different. 「いつごろホテルに着きますか」 simply asks approximately when the person will arrive, so “tomorrow afternoon” or “in the evening” are both valid answers. 「何時ごろホテルに着きますか」 asks approximately what time they will arrive. If the person is already on the way and you want to know how many minutes remain, you can use 「あと何分くらいで」. If you do not even know whether the remaining time is measured in minutes or hours, 「あとどのくらいで」 is more appropriate.
- Example: いつごろホテルに着きますか。
Kana: いつごろホテルにつきますか。
Translation: About when will you arrive at the hotel?
This question does not require the answer to be a clock time. Both 「明日の午後です（tomorrow afternoon）」 and 「七時ごろです（around seven）」 are possible, making it suitable when only a rough date or time of day is being confirmed. - Example: 何時ごろホテルに着きますか。
Kana: なんじごろホテルにつきますか。
Translation: About what time will you arrive at the hotel?
This question limits the answer to a clock time. The date is usually already known, and the speaker only wants to know whether the arrival will be around six, seven, or eight, so the answer will be something like 「七時ごろです」. - Example: あと何分くらいでホテルに着きますか。
Kana: あとなんぷんくらいでホテルにつきますか。
Translation: About how many more minutes until you arrive at the hotel?
「何分くらい」 already specifies that the answer should be in minutes, making it suitable when the distance is not very far and you only want to know whether it will be another 10, 20, or 30 minutes. - Example: あとどのくらいでホテルに着きますか。
Kana: あとどのくらいでホテルにつきますか。
Translation: About how much longer until you arrive at the hotel?
This does not specify the time unit in advance. The answer could be 「あと十分です（another 10 minutes）」 or 「あと一時間ぐらいです（about another hour）」. If you do not know whether the remaining time is measured in minutes or hours, 「どのくらい」 is more natural.
In the same hotel-arrival situation, 「いつごろ」 asks approximately when the person will arrive, while 「何時ごろ」 asks approximately what time. 「何分くらい」 asks how many minutes remain, while 「どのくらい」 simply asks how much longer without deciding the unit of time in advance. The first two focus on a point in time; the latter two focus on duration.
Common Mistakes in Japanese Time Questions: How to Distinguish 「何時に」「いつ」「何分」
The Japanese time particle 「に」 is not added simply whenever a time expression appears. When 「に」 follows a time, it marks the time when an action occurs. For example, 「七時に出発します」 means “depart at seven,” while 「何時に出発しますか」 replaces the “seven” position with an interrogative and asks what time the departure happens. Conversely, 「何時」 does not always require 「に」. 「今、何時ですか」 only asks the current time, so 「に」 is unnecessary. In 「何時から何時までですか」, 「から／まで」 already indicate the beginning and end, so 「に」 is not added.
「いつ」 behaves differently. When 「いつ」 asks when an action occurs, it is generally followed directly by the rest of the sentence without adding the time particle 「に」. To ask when someone will depart, say 「いつ出発しますか」. To ask when someone will go to Japan, say 「いつ日本へ行きますか」. Therefore, 「いつに出発しますか」 cannot simply be formed by copying the structure of 「何時に出発しますか」.
- Example: 何時に出発しますか。
Kana: なんじにしゅっぱつしますか。
Translation: What time will you depart?
「に」 marks the time when 「出発する」 occurs, so the answer is usually a specific clock time such as 「七時に出発します」. - Example: いつ出発しますか。
Kana: いつしゅっぱつしますか。
Translation: When will you depart?
「いつ」 directly asks about time and does not take the particle 「に」 marking the time of the action. The answer may be 「明日」「来週」「七時ごろ」, so the range is broader than with 「何時」.
This does not mean that 「に」 can never appear after 「いつ」. 「いつにしますか」 is a very common and correct expression, but the 「に」 here is not the time particle discussed above. It is part of the pattern 「Nにする」. 「〜にする」 can express choosing one option from among several possibilities, so 「いつにしますか」 asks “When should we set the date or time?” The same structure appears in 「何にしますか」, for example when choosing an item from several options while ordering food.
- Example: 旅行はいつにしますか。
Kana: りょこうはいつにしますか。
Translation: When should we set the trip for?
Here the speaker is deciding the date of the trip. 「に」 combines with 「する」 to form 「〜にする」, meaning to settle on one option. This is different from the time particle in 「七時に出発する」. - Example: 会議は金曜日にします。
Kana: かいぎはきんようびにします。
Translation: We’ll set the meeting for Friday.
「金曜日にする」 means choosing Friday from among possible dates. Replacing 「金曜日」 with an interrogative gives 「いつにしますか」.
Another easily confused pair is 「何分」 and 「どのくらい」. 「何分」 already specifies that the answer should be expressed in minutes, so 「駅まで何分かかりますか」 asks how many minutes it takes to reach the station. 「どのくらい」 does not decide the unit of the answer in advance, so five minutes, two hours, or three days can all be valid answers. Both can ask about duration; the difference is not which grammar is more correct, but whether the question has already limited the answer to minutes.
- Example: 駅まで何分かかりますか。
Kana: えきまでなんぷんかかりますか。
Translation: How many minutes does it take to get to the station?
This question already specifies that the answer should be in minutes, making it suitable for walking or short trips that are normally measured in minutes. - Example: 空港までどのくらいかかりますか。
Kana: くうこうまでどのくらいかかりますか。
Translation: About how long does it take to get to the airport?
「どのくらい」 does not specify a time unit, so the answer could be 「四十分ぐらいです」 or 「二時間ぐらいです」. This is more appropriate when you do not yet know whether the trip will take minutes or hours.
If the question is “how many minutes are left,” you can directly use 「あと何分」. For example, if a train display shows that the train will arrive soon and you want to confirm how many more minutes you need to wait, you can ask 「あと何分ですか」. If you are estimating how long a trip will take and do not yet know what unit the answer will use, 「どのくらいかかりますか」 leaves a wider range of possible answers.
Practical Japanese for Travel: 「いつ」「何時」「何分」 at Hotels and Stations
The time questions that come up while traveling can generally be divided into three types: when something is scheduled, what time something begins, and how many minutes remain. 「いつ」 is suitable for dates or broader time ranges, 「何時」 is used to confirm a clock time, and 「何分」 is used when it is already clear that the answer will be expressed in minutes. These forms commonly appear when asking about hotel breakfast, reservation dates, and train departure times.
▌Situation ①｜What Time Is Hotel Breakfast? Use 「何時から何時まで」
Hotel breakfast, front-desk services, and facility opening hours usually have fixed starting and ending times. In these cases, you can directly use 「何時から何時まで」. If you only want to know the starting time, ask 「何時からですか」. If you only want to confirm the ending time, use 「何時までですか」.
A：朝食は何時から何時までですか。
ちょうしょくはなんじからなんじまでですか。
What time is breakfast served from and until?
B：午前七時から十時までです。
ごぜんしちじからじゅうじまでです。
From 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
📌 Grammar Point: 「何時から何時まで」 asks for the beginning and end of a service period. If you only ask 「朝食は何時ですか」, it sounds more like asking what time breakfast is, without fully asking “from what time to what time.” When you need to specify a particular restaurant or service, you can also combine the question with demonstratives such as 「この・その・あの・どの」 to make it more specific.
▌Situation ②｜Confirming Which Day a Reservation Is On: Use 「いつ」
「いつ」 does not require the answer to be precise down to a clock time, so it is well suited to confirming reservation dates, event schedules, or what day an itinerary falls on. The answer may be a specific date, or something like “tomorrow,” “next week,” or “Saturday afternoon.” If the date is already known and only the starting time remains to be confirmed, use 「何時」 instead.
A：予約はいつですか。
よやくはいつですか。
When is the reservation?
B：五月十二日です。
ごがつじゅうににちです。
It’s May 12.
📌 Grammar Point: 「いつ」 asks within a broad range of time, so both 「五月十二日です」 and 「明日です」 can be valid answers. If the question changes to 「予約は何時ですか」, it asks what time the reservation is, so the answer would be a clock time such as 「三時です」.
▌Situation ③｜Asking How Many Minutes Are Left at a Station: Use 「あと何分で」
If you are already at the station and want to know how much longer you need to wait for the next train, you can use 「あと何分で」. Here, 「何分」 is not asking for the minute portion of the clock time. It asks how many minutes remain from now until the train arrives. Putting 「あと」 in front makes the idea of “remaining time” clearer.
A：次の電車はあと何分で来ますか。
つぎのでんしゃはあとなんぷんできますか。
How many more minutes until the next train comes?
B：あと五分ほどです。
あとごふんほどです。
About five more minutes.
📌 Grammar Point: 「あと何分で」 asks how many minutes remain until something happens, so the answer is usually also given in minutes. 「ほど」 means approximately and, like 「くらい」, allows some flexibility around the number. If you have no idea whether the wait will be 10 minutes, half an hour, or an hour, you can instead ask 「どのくらいかかりますか」 without limiting the answer unit in advance.
These three situations clearly show how 「いつ」「何時」「何分」 divide their roles. If the reservation date has not yet been narrowed down to a specific time, use 「いつ」. For a fixed period such as hotel breakfast, when you need to confirm what time it begins and ends, use 「何時」. If you are waiting at a station and only want to know how many minutes remain, use 「何分」. While traveling, first consider whether the answer you need is a date, a clock time, or a number of minutes; in most cases, the appropriate question form will then be clear.
Cultural Notes:
- Japanese transportation information often uses the 24-hour clock, while in conversation people may say 「朝七時」 or 「夜九時」. The same numerical time can therefore be expressed differently on signs and in speech.
- 「何時から何時まで」 is well suited for asking about hotel breakfast hours, front-desk reception hours, or store business hours. If you only care about the closing time, it can be shortened to 「何時までですか」.
- 「ごろ」 is used around a point in time, while 「くらい／ほど」 can express an approximate quantity or duration. 「七時ごろ」 and 「十分くらい」 cannot be interchanged simply because both may be translated into Chinese as “approximately.”
How Japanese 「いつ」「何時」「何分」 Compare with Korean 「언제／몇 시／몇 분」
Japanese and Korean divide time questions in very similar ways. 「いつ」 roughly corresponds to Korean 「언제」, and both can ask broadly “when.” 「何時」 corresponds to 「몇 시」 and specifically asks what time. 「何分」 is close to 「몇 분」 and can ask either the minute part of a clock time or how many minutes a duration lasts. What requires additional attention is Korean particles and the number systems used when telling time. Clock hours with 「몇 시」 generally use native Korean numbers, while minutes with 「몇 분」 use Sino-Korean numbers, so 3:15 is 「세 시 십오 분」.
◆ Similar Grammar: Korean 「언제」
Korean 「언제」 is the broad “when” and does not require the answer to be a date, day of the week, or clock time in advance, so it is closest to Japanese 「いつ」. It can ask about future plans or past events, and the answer may be tomorrow, next week, Friday, or seven in the evening. Like Japanese 「いつ」, 「언제」 already functions as a time expression by itself, so people generally say 「언제 가요?」 without adding 「에」 merely to mark the time when the action occurs.
- Example: 한국에 언제 가요?
Romanization: han-gug-e eon-je ga-yo?
Translation: When are you going to Korea?
This does not require the answer to be precise down to the hour. You can answer 「다음 주에 가요（I’m going next week）」 or 「금요일에 가요（I’m going on Friday）」. Its usage is close to Japanese 「いつ韓国に行きますか」. - Example: 예약은 언제 했어요?
Romanization: ye-yag-eun eon-je hae-sseo-yo?
Translation: When did you make the reservation?
「언제」 can also ask about something that has already happened. The answer may be yesterday, last week, or a particular day, so it is not limited to future time. Its range is similar to Japanese 「いつ予約しましたか」. - Example: 휴가는 언제예요?
Romanization: hyu-ga-neun eon-je-ye-yo?
Translation: When is your vacation?
This directly asks when the vacation falls, and the answer could be 「다음 달이에요（next month）」 or a specific date. Like Japanese 「休みはいつですか」, it does not require the level of precision to be decided in advance.
◆ Similar Grammar: Korean 「몇 시」
Korean 「몇 시」 asks “what time,” so its range is already limited to clock time and corresponds to Japanese 「何時（なんじ）」. 「몇 시에 시작해요?」, like 「何時に始まりますか」, asks what time an action takes place. In Korean, when a specific clock time marks when an action occurs, the time particle 「에」 commonly follows 「몇 시」. However, 「에」 does not necessarily appear when the sentence ends directly with 「이에요／예요」 or when 「부터／까지」 follows.
- Example: 회의가 몇 시에 시작해요?
Romanization: hoe-ui-ga myeot si-e si-jak-hae-yo?
Translation: What time does the meeting start?
「몇 시에」 asks when 「시작하다」 occurs and corresponds to Japanese 「何時に始まりますか」. An answer could be 「세 시에 시작해요（It starts at three）」. - Example: 아침 식사는 몇 시부터예요?
Romanization: a-chim sik-sa-neun myeot si-bu-teo-ye-yo?
Translation: What time does breakfast start?
Here, 「부터」 marks the starting point, so 「에」 is not added. The structure is very close to Japanese 「朝食は何時からですか」, and both directly ask for the clock time when a service begins. - Example: 기차는 몇 시에 출발해요?
Romanization: gi-cha-neun myeot si-e chul-bal-hae-yo?
Translation: What time does the train depart?
Because the speaker wants to know the departure time, 「몇 시에」 is used. If the answer is 「일곱 시 반에 출발해요」, it means the train departs at 7:30, corresponding to Japanese 「七時半に出発します」.
◆ Similar Grammar: Korean 「몇 분」
Korean 「몇 분」 can ask what minute it is or how many minutes a duration lasts, so it closely resembles the two uses of Japanese 「何分（なんぷん）」. In 「몇 시 몇 분」, it asks for the minute part of a clock time. With verbs such as 「걸리다（to take time）」 and 「기다리다（to wait）」, it asks about duration. 「분」 uses Sino-Korean numbers, so 15 minutes is 「십오 분」 and 30 minutes is 「삼십 분」.
- Example: 지금 몇 시 몇 분이에요?
Romanization: ji-geum myeot si myeot bun-i-e-yo?
Translation: What time is it now, down to the minute?
The first 「몇 시」 asks for the hour, while the second 「몇 분」 asks for the minutes, corresponding to Japanese 「今、何時何分ですか」. 「세 시 십오 분이에요」 means 3:15. - Example: 역까지 몇 분 걸려요?
Romanization: yeok-kka-ji myeot bun geol-lyeo-yo?
Translation: How many minutes does it take to get to the station?
When 「몇 분」 is used with 「걸리다」, it asks about the time required, not the minute part of a clock time. This corresponds to Japanese 「駅まで何分かかりますか」. - Example: 몇 분 기다려야 해요?
Romanization: myeot bun gi-da-ryeo-ya hae-yo?
Translation: How many minutes do I need to wait?
This question already specifies that the answer should be in minutes, so the answer will be a duration such as 「십 분 정도 기다려야 해요（You need to wait about 10 minutes）」. If you do not know whether the wait will be measured in minutes or hours, Korean can also use 「얼마나 기다려야 해요?」 to ask the broader question “How long do I have to wait?”
◆ Differences from 「いつ／何時／何分」:
The three sets of interrogative expressions correspond almost directly in terms of the range they ask about: 「いつ ↔ 언제」 asks the broad “when,” 「何時 ↔ 몇 시」 asks for clock time, and 「何分 ↔ 몇 분」 asks for minutes or a duration measured in minutes. What needs to be remembered separately is the use of particles and number systems. Japanese says 「何時に出発しますか」, while Korean says 「몇 시에 출발해요?」. When Japanese 「いつ」 and Korean 「언제」 ask when an action occurs, both usually appear without an additional corresponding time particle.
When telling time, Korean switches between two number systems within the same time expression. “Three o’clock” is 「세 시」, while “15 minutes” is 「십오 분」, so 3:15 is 「세 시 십오 분」. Japanese 「三時十五分」 does not make this switch between native and Sino-derived number systems, making this one of the most noticeable differences when learning Japanese and Korean time expressions together.
Japanese 「いつ」「何時」「何分」 do not need to be memorized as three unrelated rules. You can often choose correctly just by looking at what you want the other person to answer. If you want to know “when” without limiting the answer to a clock time, use 「いつ」. If you are asking what time, use 「何時」. If the question narrows down to what minute it is or how many minutes something takes, use 「何分」. That is why 「いつ日本へ行きますか」 can be answered with “next month,” 「何時に出発しますか」 with “seven o’clock,” and 「駅まで何分かかりますか」 with a duration such as 15 or 30 minutes.
「ごろ」「くらい」「どのくらい」 can be understood in the same way. 「七時ごろ」 means around the point in time of seven o’clock, 「十分くらい」 means around 10 minutes, and 「どのくらい」 leaves open whether the answer will ultimately be in minutes, hours, or days. When you encounter 「何時に」 and 「いつに」, do not automatically apply the time-particle rule simply because you see 「に」. In 「何時に出発しますか」, 「に」 marks the time of departure. In 「いつにしますか」, it is part of the pattern 「Nにする」 and asks what date or time something should be set for.
When you encounter a Japanese time question in practice, it helps to first reframe it mentally: Are you trying to find out “which day or when,” “what time,” or “how many minutes”? Then check whether the question is asking about a point in time or about the length of a period. Once these two layers are separated, you no longer need to memorize 「いつ」「何時」「何分」 and the following 「ごろ」「くらい」「に」 through Chinese translation alone, and you are less likely to choose the wrong form when making reservations, checking business hours, arranging meeting times, or taking public transportation.
FAQs
「いつ」 asks broadly “when,” while 「何時（なんじ）」 asks for a specific clock time. 「いつ」 may be answered with next week, Friday, or evening, while 「何時」 is usually answered with a time such as seven o’clock or eight thirty.
It can mean either, depending on context. 「何時何分」 asks for the minute part of a clock time, while 「何分かかりますか」 asks how many minutes a period of time takes.
No. 「に」 is commonly added when marking the time when an action occurs, as in 「何時に出発しますか」. But when asking the current time, you say 「今、何時ですか」, and 「に」 is also not added when using 「から／まで」.
In ordinary time questions, the time particle 「に」 is not used, so you say 「いつ出発しますか」. 「いつにしますか」 is still correct because the 「に」 there belongs to the decision pattern 「Nにする」.
「いつごろ」 asks for a broader approximate time, so the answer might be next week or mid-March. 「何時ごろ」 asks approximately what clock time, so the answer is usually something like around seven. Neither requires an exact answer, but the scale of the expected answer is different.