Do you have the time?

Hi everybody,

Last week, the students in my beginners class (入門 クラス) learned the phrase "Do you have 〜?" (〜があります[います]か、〜を持っていますか). This is a very good phrase to master because it can be used in many different situations. Here are some examples and explanations:

• Do you have a boyfriend/a girlfriend? 彼氏/彼女がいますか。Please remember that "boyfriend" is 「彼氏」and NOT 「男の友達」。The same usually applies for "girlfriend."
• Do you have any children? 子供がいますか。"Any" is used with the plural form (複数形) because the person asked could have more than one child or none.  
• Do you have a pet/any pets? ペットがいます(を飼っています)か。Either "a" or "any" is OK here because pet owners usually have/keep (飼う) only one of certain kinds of pets (like dogs or cats) and more than one of other kinds (like fish). 
• Do you have any money? お金を貸してくれますか。Literally (文字通り), this question means 「お金を持っていますか。」However, because almost everyone has at least a little cash, the real meaning is "Could you lend me some money?" The usual reply to this is "Why?"
• Do you have the time? 今、何時ですか。This is also difficult. If you add "to" and a verb to this question, then the meaning changes and it becomes easier to understand. For example:
• Do you have the time to study English every day? 毎日英語を勉強する時間がありますか。

Hopefully, your answer to that last question is "Yes!"

Good luck and keep studying,

Alan