KANAKUMA

JLPT N5 · Quantity and comparison

数量詞 + V／期間に回数／時間がかかる

Expresses quantity, frequency, and duration

Meaning

A counter normally precedes the verb; frequency uses period + に + number + 回, while a duration is used without に.

Formation

  1. The counter follows the particle and precedes the verb: 切手を二枚買いました
  2. Frequency: period + に + times: 一週間に二回
  3. Duration: time + かかる: 三十分かかります

When to use it

Core use
Expresses quantity, frequency, and duration

Examples

16 sentences

  • みかんが五ついつつあります

    There are five mandarins.

  • 切手きってを二枚にまい買いかいました

    I bought two stamps.

  • このクラスに留学生りゅうがくせいが一人ひとりいます

    There is one international student in this class.

  • 一週間いっしゅうかんに一回いっかい映画えいがを見みます

    I watch a film once a week.

  • 国くにで五週間ごしゅうかん日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうしました

    I studied Japanese for five weeks in my country.

  • 日本にほんまで飛行機ひこうきで四時間よじかんかかります

    It takes four hours to fly to Japan.

  • パンを三つみっつ買いかいました

    I bought three bread rolls.

  • 教室きょうしつに学生がくせいが十人じゅうにんいます

    There are ten students in the classroom.

8 more examples

  • ノートを二冊にさつください

    Two notebooks, please.

  • 一週間いっしゅうかんに三回さんかい走りはしります

    I run three times a week.

  • 毎朝まいあさ三十分さんじゅっぷん歩きあるきます

    I walk for thirty minutes every morning.

  • りんごを六個ろっこ買いかいました

    I bought six apples.

  • 駅えきまで二十分にじゅっぷんかかります

    It takes twenty minutes to get to the station.

  • 部屋へやに椅子いすが四脚よんきゃくあります

    There are four chairs in the room.

  • 切手きってを八枚はちまい買いかいました

    I bought eight stamps.

  • 一年いちねんに二回にかい旅行りょこうします

    I travel twice a year.

Important notes

  • A counter usually goes after the particle and before the verb: 切手を二枚買いました. The native series ひとつ … とお ends at ten; from eleven use a number with a counter: 十一個.

Common mistakes

  • Choose the counter by the object: 人 for people, 枚 for flat things, 本 for long things. A point in time is not a duration: 三時に (at three) vs 三時間 (for three hours).

Check yourself

Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.

  1. ノートを二冊にさつください
  2. 駅えきまで二十分にじゅっぷんかかります
  3. 一年いちねんに二回にかい旅行りょこうします

Similar grammar

    Hear it in podcasts

    The pattern appears in these episodes. They open in the app with the transcript and translation.

    The trainer requires a free account. Examples and practice questions on this page are available without signing up.

    All N5 grammarPractise in the app