Japanese for Board Games: Asking When Your Turn Ends
Learn elementary Japanese questions for clarifying turn order and end-of-turn conditions during a tabletop game, including phase vocabulary and polite ways to ask staff for help.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
When you join a tabletop game in Japan, the fastest way to keep the game moving is to ask short, clear questions about your turn. This lesson teaches you how to ask when your turn ends, what you still need to do, and how to check the end-of-turn conditions with other players or staff. You will use the question pattern いつ終わりますか (itsu owarimasu ka, when does it end?) and the counting question あと何をすればいいですか (ato nani o sureba ii desu ka, what should I do next?). You will also learn phase names such as メインフェイズ (mein feezu, main phase) and エンドフェイズ (endo feezu, end phase), so you can point to the exact moment you are unsure about. The focus is on polite, natural questions that fit a casual game table without sounding like a rulebook recitation.
By the end, you can…
- ask when my turn ends in Japanese.
- ask what I still need to do before ending my turn.
- name at least two turn phases in Japanese.
- ask a staff member or another player for clarification during a game.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
私のターンはいつ終わりますか。
When does my turn end?
watashi no tān wa itsu owarimasu ka
A direct, polite question. Use it when you need a clear endpoint before touching more cards or pieces.
あと何をすればいいですか。
What else should I do?
ato nani o sureba ii desu ka
Use this when you think you are close to finishing but are not sure what remains.
メインフェイズは終わりましたか。
Has the main phase ended?
mein feizu wa owarimashita ka
Ask this to confirm whether you are still in the main phase or have moved on.
エンドフェイズに何をしますか。
What do I do in the end phase?
endo feizu ni nani o shimasu ka
Use this when the end phase has special steps, such as discarding or drawing.
すみません、ターンの終わり方を教えてください。
Excuse me, please tell me how to end the turn.
sumimasen, tān no owarikata o oshiete kudasai
A polite request for an explanation. Good for staff or a patient player.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is [thing] はいつ終わりますか ([thing] wa itsu owarimasu ka). Put the thing you are asking about before は. For example, 私のターンはいつ終わりますか (watashi no tān wa itsu owarimasu ka) means 'When does my turn end?' You can swap in メインフェイズ (mein feizu, main phase) or この効果 (kono kōka, this effect) to ask about a specific step. The verb 終わる (owaru, to end) becomes 終わります (owarimasu) in polite form, and か (ka) makes it a question.
When to use it
Use these questions during your own turn, not while another player is resolving something. If you are unsure about the end-of-turn conditions, ask あと何をすればいいですか (ato nani o sureba ii desu ka) before you pass. If you need to check a phase name, say 今はメインフェイズですか (ima wa mein feizu desu ka, are we in the main phase now?). When asking staff, begin with すみません (sumimasen, excuse me) to get attention politely, then ask your question.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、私のターンはいつ終わりますか。
Excuse me, when does my turn end?sumimasen, watashi no tān wa itsu owarimasu kaエンドフェイズにカードを1枚捨てたら終わりです。
It ends when you discard one card in the end phase.endo feizu ni kādo o ichimai sutetara owari desuあと何をすればいいですか。
What else should I do?ato nani o sureba ii desu kaメインフェイズでカードを出して、それからエンドフェイズです。
Play a card in the main phase, and then it is the end phase.mein feizu de kādo o dashite, sorekara endo feizu desuA little context goes a long way
At Japanese game tables, short polite questions are normal, but long explanations can slow the game. Ask one clear question at a time, and use すみません (sumimasen) before interrupting. If staff are busy, a simple 後で聞いてもいいですか (ato de kiite mo ii desu ka, may I ask later?) shows consideration. Casual groups may use plain form, but polite form is safe with people you have just met.
One thing to watch for
Using いつ終わりますか (itsu owarimasu ka) without saying whose turn you mean, so the other player thinks you are asking about the whole game.
Try this instead: Say 私のターンはいつ終わりますか (watashi no taan wa itsu owarimasu ka) to make it clear you mean your own turn. If you mean the current phase, say このフェイズはいつ終わりますか (kono feezu wa itsu owarimasu ka).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'When does my turn end?' in polite Japanese?
Show a sample answer
私のターンはいつ終わりますか。
This uses 私のターン (my turn) + は + いつ (when) + 終わりますか (does it end?). You can also say 私のターンはいつ終わるんですか in casual speech, but the polite form is safer with new people.
2You are not sure what remains before you can pass. What question fits?
Show a sample answer
あと何をすればいいですか。
あと (remaining) + 何をすればいい (what should I do) + ですか asks what else is needed. A valid alternative is 何をすればターンが終わりますか (nani o sureba tān ga owarimasu ka).
3Name the Japanese word for the phase where you usually play cards.
Show a sample answer
メインフェイズ
メインフェイズ (mein feezu) is the main phase. The end phase is エンドフェイズ (endo feezu). Some games use different names, so confirm with the group if the rulebook uses another term.
Keep two questions ready: 私のターンはいつ終わりますか for the endpoint, and あと何をすればいいですか for the remaining steps. Add すみません before asking staff, and use phase names like メインフェイズ and エンドフェイズ to point to the exact moment you mean.
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