いつか

いつか

adverb

someday, sometime, one day

1. someday, sometime, one day

At an unspecified time in the future.

いつか日本(にほん)に行(い)きたい。

I want to go to Japan someday.

いつかまた会(あ)いましょう。

Let's meet again sometime.

いつか自分(じぶん)の店(みせ)を持(も)ちたい。

I want to have my own store someday.

いつか必(かなら)ず成功(せいこう)する。

I will definitely succeed someday.

いつか世界(せかい)が平和(へいわ)になってほしい。

I hope the world becomes peaceful someday.

いつか夢(ゆめ)を叶(かな)えたい。

I want to make my dream come true someday.

2. at some point, before one knows it

At an unspecified time, often referring to the past.

いつか見(み)た映画(えいが)だ。

It's a movie I saw at some point.

Past reference

いつか聞(き)いた話(はなし)を思(おも)い出(だ)した。

I remembered a story I heard at some point.

いつか読(よ)んだ本(ほん)の内容(ないよう)を忘(わす)れた。

I forgot the contents of a book I read sometime ago.

いつか会(あ)った人(ひと)に似(に)ている。

You resemble someone I met at some point.

いつかどこかで聞(き)いたことのある歌(うた)が流(なが)れてきた。

A song I had heard somewhere at some point started playing.

いつか refers to an unspecified point in time. It can look either forward (someday) or backward (at some point in the past), depending on the verb tense.

FUTURE (someday):

いつか日本(にほん)に行(い)きたい: I want to go to Japan someday
いつかまた会(あ)いましょう: let's meet again sometime
いつか必(かなら)ず: someday for sure

PAST (at some point):

いつか見(み)た映画(えいが): a movie I saw at some point
いつかどこかで聞(き)いた: I heard it somewhere at some point

CAUTION:
Do not confuse with 五日(いつか) (the 5th day of the month). Context and pitch accent distinguish them.

WRITING:
Usually written in hiragana. Can be written 何時(いつ)か, but this is uncommon.

SIMILAR WORDS:

いつか: someday (unspecified, hopeful)
そのうち: eventually, before long (casual, suggests it will happen naturally)
いずれ: eventually, someday (formal/literary)

core

Added 2026.1.9 21:15 · Revised 2026.3.28 16:51

01500/01809_itsuka