How to Say ‘About how long does it take?’ in Japanese
どのぐらいかかりますか。
dono gurai kakari masu ka
[doh-noh goo-rye kah-kah-ree mahss kah]
💬 Usage Tip: Super standard travel question. Add context: [歩いてどのぐらいかかりますか。] (How long on foot?).
🇯🇵 In Japan: People may estimate generously so you won’t be late—“about 10 minutes” might mean 8–12.
Phrase Breakdown
どのぐらい
dono gurai
how long / how much
Asks the approximate amount/extent. With time, it means “how long.”
ここから駅までどのぐらいですか。
About how far is it from here to the station?
Words in this phrase
どの
dono
[doh-noh]
which; what (kind/one)
In “どのぐらいかかりますか,” it helps form “how long (approximately) does it take?”
地下鉄の駅までどのぐらいかかりますか。
About how long does it take to the subway station?
ぐらい
gurai
[goo-rye]
about; approximately
Adds an approximate nuance to the question—asking for an estimate rather than an exact number.
ここから駅までどのぐらいかかりますか。
About how long does it take from here to the station?
かかります
kakari masu
take (time/money) / cost
Polite form of かかる. Used for time, money, or effort: “It takes…” / “It costs…”
電車で30分かかります。
It takes 30 minutes by train.
Words in this phrase
かかり
kakari
[kah-kah-ree]
take (time/money); cost (stem)
Stem of かかります (to take time / cost money). With travel it usually means time: “How long does it take?”
駅までどのぐらいかかりますか。
About how long does it take to the station?
ます
masu
[mahss]
polite verb ending (present/future)
Polite ending that makes the verb formal. Used when asking strangers for directions.
地下鉄の駅まで十分快かかります。
It takes 10 minutes to the subway station.
か
ka
[kah]
question marker
Placed at the end of a polite sentence to make it a question. Essential for “〜ですか / 〜ますか.”
駅はここですか。
Is the station here?
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