How to Say ‘How long (about how much)’ in Japanese
どのくらい
dono kurai
[doh-noh koo-rye]
💬 Usage Tip: [どのくらい] asks “about how much/how long.” Works for time, distance, price, etc.: [どのくらいかかりますか].
🇯🇵 In Japan: In Japan, people often ask [どのくらい] to be considerate about time and effort (train time, waiting time, etc.).
Phrase Breakdown
どの
dono
[doh-noh]
which; what (before a noun)
どの is used before a noun meaning “which/what …”. Often appears in questions like どのくらい (“how much/how long”).
どのくらい日本にいますか。
How long will you be in Japan?
くらい
kurai
[koo-rye]
about; approximately; around (amount/degree)
くらい (also ぐらい) expresses an approximate amount, degree, or time: “about/around.” With どの → どのくらい = “about how much/how long.”
一時間くらい待ちました。
I waited about one hour.
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