Welcome to Day 69 of your 100-day JLPT N5 challenge. You are now deep in the stage where real communication becomes possible. Today’s grammar point, どのくらい, is one of the most useful patterns for daily life in Japan.
Whether you’re asking “How long does it take?”, “How much money do I need?”, or “How often?”, this phrase gives you the power to get practical information quickly and naturally.
Mastering どのくらい brings you one step closer to functional, real-world Japanese.
Let’s begin.
Main Lesson
Meaning of どのくらい
どのくらい means:
- How long
- How much
- How many (approx.)
It’s used to ask about amount, time, distance, money, frequency, and volume.
You can use it with nouns, verbs, and adjectives, making it extremely flexible.
Basic Structure
A. Asking about time
どのくらい + Verb (ます form) か
“How long do you (verb)?”
Example:
どのくらい べんきょうしますか。
“How long do you study?”
B. Asking about amount (money, items, etc.)
Noun + は + どのくらい ですか
“How much is (noun)?”
Example:
おかね は どのくらい いりますか。
“How much money do you need?”
Vocabulary list
| Words | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| おかし | okashi | confections; sweets; candy |
| おかね | okane | money |
| おにいさん | oniisan | older brother; elder brother; young man; buddy |
| おねえさん | oneesan | elder sister; young lady; miss; ma’am |
| おとうさん | otousan | father; dad; papa; pa; pop; daddy |
| おさけ | osake | alcohol |
| べんきょう | benkyou | to study |
| おちゃ | ocha | tea |
| おさら | osara | plate, dish |
| おふろ | ofuro | bath |
| でかける | dekakeru | to go out; to leave; to depart |
| でんわ | denwa | telephone (call / device)l; phone call |
| からい | karai | spicy |
| かるい | karui | light |
| かわいい | kawaii | cute |
Example Sentence
おとうさん は おさけ を どのくらい のみますか。
How much alcohol does your father drink?
おにいさん は にほんご を どのくらい べんきょうしましたか。
How long did your older brother study Japanese?
おねえさん は かわいい おかし を どのくらい かいましたか。
How many cute snacks did your older sister buy?
おちゃ は どのくらい のみますか。
How much tea do you drink?
おふろ に どのくらい はいりますか。
How long do you stay in the bath?
おさら は どのくらい かるい ですか。
How light is the plate?
からい りょうり を どのくらい たべますか。
How often do you eat spicy food?
でかける まえに、でんわ を どのくらい つかいますか。
Before going out, how much do you use your phone?
おかね は どのくらい いりますか。
How much money do you need?
Conclusion
At this point in your 100-day challenge, you’re ready to ask practical questions in real situations.
どのくらい is your key expression for talking about:
- time
- money
- distance
- frequency
- volume
The more you practice it in real conversations, the faster your speaking confidence grows.
Keep going—every grammar pattern you learn builds toward your N5 success.
