How to Say ‘About how long will it take?’ in Japanese
どのくらいかかりますか。
dono kurai kakari masu ka
[doh-noh koo-rah-ee kah-kah-ree mahs ka]
💬 Usage Tip: かかります means "it takes" for both time and money. So the same verb works in いくらかかりますか "how much will it cost?"
Phrase Breakdown
どのくらい
dono kurai
about how much / how long
Asks about an amount, such as time or distance. Say it smoothly as 'do-no-ku-ra-i.'
どのくらい日本にいますか。
How long will you be in Japan?
Words in this phrase
どの
dono
[doh-noh]
how; what amount
Used in expressions asking about degree, amount, or duration.
どのくらいかかりますか。
How long does it take?
くらい
kurai
[koo-rah-ee]
about; approximately; extent
Together with どの, it forms 'how long/how much'.
ホテルまでどのくらいかかりますか。
How long does it take to the hotel?
かかりますか。
kakari masu ka
does it take?
かかります means 'to take' (time or money). か makes it a question.
時間がかかりますか。
Does it take time?
Words in this phrase
かかり
kakari
[kah-kah-ree]
take; require
Verb stem meaning to take time or cost money.
駅までどのくらいかかりますか。
How long does it take to the station?
ます
masu
[mahs]
polite verb ending
A standard polite ending added to verbs, often used in customer service and formal speech.
予約を確認し ます。
I will confirm the reservation.
か
ka
[ka]
question particle
Used to create a yes/no question in informal speech.
行くか？
Shall we go?
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