How to Say ‘How long does it take?’ in Japanese
どのくらいかかりますか。
dono kurai kakari masu ka
[doh-noh koo-rai kah-kah-ree mahss kah]
💬 Usage Tip: [どのくらい] is a handy "how much/how long" phrase for amount, time, or distance. For example: [どのくらい遠いですか。] "How far is it?"
Phrase Breakdown
どの
dono
[doh-noh]
how much / how long
Used with くらい to ask about extent, amount, or duration.
どのくらい待ちますか。
How long will you wait?
くらい
kurai
[koo-rai]
about / approximately
Used to express an approximate amount or degree. In どのくらい, it helps mean 'how long' or 'how much.'
一時間くらいです。
It is about one hour.
かかり
kakari
[kah-kah-ree]
take / cost
Part of かかります, meaning time or money is required.
三十分かかります。
It takes 30 minutes.
ます
masu
[mahss]
polite verb ending
Polite ending used with verbs.
時間がかかります。
It takes time.
か
ka
[kah]
question marker
Turns the sentence into a question.
かかりますか。
Does it take time?
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