Just as in English, the question ‘how much’ can be posed with a few different meanings in Japanese! You may want to ask how much something costs, how much time someone has, or ask about a quantity of something.
For example, if you want to ask how much something costs in Japanese, the word is ikura (いくら) . A more general term for ‘how much’ or ‘how many’ is dono gurai (どのぐらい).
In this post, we will go into some more detail about these nuanced questions to ensure that you come off as a real pro with your Japanese skills!
Dono gurai
どのぐらい
How much (general)
In our previous post about question words in Japanese, we briefly mentioned the Japanese term dono gurai (どのぐらい).
We use this to ask about ‘how much’ time, distance, height, frequency… the list goes on!
Examples:
- How much (distance-wise)
Koko kara, eki made, dono gurai arimasu ka
ここから、駅まで、どのぐらいありますか
ここから、えきまで、どのぐらいありますか
How far is it from here to the station?
Note: Question literally translates to = ‘from here, to the station, about how much is it? (Distance is implied in the context)
- How much (time-wise)
Densha de, dono kurai kakarimasu ka
電車で、どのくらいかかりますか
でんしゃで、どのくらいかかりますか
How long does it take by train?
Gurai, or kurai, translates as ‘about’ or ‘approximately’, while dono is used to express ‘what’.
Depending on what you prefer, you can say dono gurai or dono kurai interchangably. Though, it is said that gurai is used more often in speech.
The term dore gurai / kurai (どれぐらい / くらい) is yet another variation that can be uttered to mean ‘how much’. So, depending on your preference, you can opt for whichever you like!
Ikura
いくら
How much (cost) (uncountable quantities)
The question word ikura (いくら) was also touched on in our last post about question words. Ikura is most often used to ask ‘how much’ when we’re talking about the cost of something.
That being said, it can also be used to ask about uncountable quantities. Examples of uncountable things would be things like ‘water’ or ‘information’, as opposed to nouns that can be easily counted such as ‘apples’ or ‘books’,
Examples:
- Cost
Kono kaban wa ikura desu ka
このカバンはいくらですか
このかばんはいくらですか
How much is this bag?
- Uncountable quantities
Ikura suki to ie, isshuukan hanbaagaa wo taberu no wa kitsui desu ne
いくら好きと言え、一週間ハンバーガーを食べるのはきついですね
いくらすきといえ、いっしゅうかんはんばーがーをたべるのはきついですね
No matter how much you say you like them, it’s hard to eat hamburgers for a week straight.
Ikutsu
いくつ
How much (age) (countable quantities)
You may have previously learned the phrase, nan sai desu ka (何歳ですか / なんさいですか) to mean ‘what age are you?’ in Japanese. This is the most common way to ask someone how old they are, but there is another phase!
We can also use ikutsu? (いくつ) to ask the same thing. Though, it is more often a question posed towards children, if we phrase it politely, o ikutsu desu ka, it becomes a formal, highly respectful way to ask someone’s age.
It is of course included in this post due to its other interpretation —‘how much?’. Rivaling ikura, ikutsu queries how much of a ‘countable’ quantity there may be.
Examples:
- Age
Musuko san wa ikutsu desu ka
息子さんはいくつですか
むすこさんはいくつですか
How old is your son?
- How much (countable quantities)
Kamera wa ikutsu motteimasu ka
カメラはいくつ持っていますか
かめらはいくつもっていますか
How many cameras do you have?
How much do you love studying Japanese?
Now you know how to ask ‘how much’ in Japanese. There are a few different ways, depending on the context, but with our handy guide, you can find the phrase you need.
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Hannah is a half Irish/half Japanese girl living in Ireland. Her love for Japan and the Japanese language led her to studying languages and translation in university where she specialised in Japanese. She spent a year studying abroad at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. In her free time, Hannah enjoys using her sewing machine to upcycle clothes and create new pieces!