何時（なんじ、nanji）
- what time

The Japanese word 何時 (pronounced なんじ) means "what time" or "when." It's used to ask about a specific time, such as the time of an event, the time someone is arriving, or the time of day. The word combines 何 (nan), meaning "what," with 時 (ji), meaning "time" or "o'clock." It functions as an interrogative word, so it's always used to form a question.

⚫︎何時ですか？ Translation: What time is it? ⚫︎会議は何時に始まりますか？ Translation: What time does the meeting start? ⚫︎あなたはいつも何時に起きますか？ Translation: What time do you usually wake up?

⚫︎You use 何時 to ask about the time in various situations. ⚫︎It can be used to ask about a specific time, like the time of an event or appointment. ⚫︎It can also be used in more general questions about daily routines. ⚫︎Always remember to use it at the beginning of the question.

⚫︎何時 is typically written with the kanji 何, meaning "what," and the kanji 時, meaning "time." ⚫︎The reading is written in hiragana as なんじ. ⚫︎There is only one standard way to write this word.

There aren't direct synonyms for 何時, as it is a specific question about time. However, you can rephrase the question using similar concepts. For example: ⚫︎"When" can be considered as related but not as a synonym: ⚫︎いつ (itsu) - "when"

⚫︎There are no direct antonyms for 何時 itself, but you could consider the concept of "not at any time" or "never," which is conveyed differently in Japanese. ⚫︎決して (kesshite) - "never" ⚫︎全然 (zenzen) - "not at all"

今日のパーティーは何時に始まりますか？ ・Translation: What time does the party start today? ・Explanation: This sentence directly asks for the start time of an event using 何時.

映画は何時に終わりますか？ ・Translation: What time does the movie end? ・Explanation: This sentence asks for the end time of something using 何時.

The word 何時 is a combination of two kanji: 何, derived from the Old Chinese character meaning "what," and 時, which evolved from the characters representing the sun shining over a temple, and eventually came to mean "time." Therefore, 何時 literally means "what time."