LESSON 13
How Long?

Phrases
how many hours? how long?	nan-jikan?
How many hours is it?	Nan-jikan des' ka?
It is 3 hours.	San-jikan des'.
How long does it take?	Nan-jikan kakarimas' ka?
It takes 4 hours and a half.	Yo-jikan han kakarimas'.
how many weeks?	nan-shūkan?
1 week	is-shūkan
2 weeks	ni-shūkan
3 weeks	san-shūkan
how many months?	nan-kagetsu?
1 month	ik-kagetsu
2 months	ni-kagetsu
6 months	rok-kagetsu
8 months	hak-kagetsu
10 months	juk-kagetsu
what month?	nan-gatsu?
January	Ichi-gatsu (or Shōgatsu)
February	Ni-gatsu
March	San-gatsu
April	Shi-gatsu
May	Go-gatsu
June	Roku-gatsu
July	Shichi-gatsu
August	Hachi-gatsu
September	Ku-gatsu
October	Jū-gatsu
November	Jū-ichi-gatsu
December	Jū-ni-gatsu
last month	sengetsu
this month	kongetsu
next month	raigetsu
last week	senshū
this week	konshū
next week	raishū
how many years? (or what year?)	nan-nen?
one year (or the year 1)	ichi-nen
4 years (or the year 4)	yo-nen
1957 ('57)	sen kyū-hyaku go-ju nana-nen (go-jū nana-nen)
2006	ni-sen roku-nen

Practice
1.	A: Koko—asoko—nan-jikan kakarimas' ka?	B: Sō des' ne. Yo-jikan has kakarimas'
2.	A: Chotto sumimasen. Tōkyō—Kama-kura—nan-jikan des' ka?	B: Kamakura des' ka? Kamakura—ichi-jikan kakarimas'.
	A: Sō des' ka? Ichi-jikan kakarimas' ka? Dōmo arigatō gozaimas'.	B: Dō itashimashite.
3.	Sensei: Ichi-nen ni— nan-kagetsu ari-mas' ka?	Gak'sei: Jū-ni-kagetsu arimas' ne.
	S: Sō des'. Ichi-nen— jū-ni-kagetsu des'. Ikka-getsu ni—nan-shūkan arimas' ka?	G: Yon-shūkan des'.
	S: Sō des, sō des'. Ik-kagetsu—yon-shūkan des' ne. Ima nan-gatsu des' ka?	G: Ima Jū-gatsu des'.
	S: Nan-nen des' ka, ima.	G: Sō des' ne. Ni-sen roku-nen des' ne.
	S: Sō des'. Ni-sen roku-nen no jū-gutsu des' ne. Sengetsu—nan-gatsu desh'ta ka?	G: Ku-gatsu desh'ta. Raigetsu—Jū-ichi-gatsu des' ne.
	S: Sō des'. Kongetsu— Jū-gatsu des' ne. Kyonen—nan-nen desh'ta ka?	G: Ni-sen go-nen desh'ta.
	S: Rainen?	G: Rainen—nisen nana-nen des' ne.
	S: Sō des' ne. Dōmo sumimasen desh'-ta.	G: Dō itashimash'te. Shitsurei shimash'ta.

Tips

Do not confuse -ji “o’clock” with -jikan “hour.” Jikan by itself means “time”: Jikan arimas’ ka? “Is there time (enough)?” Jikan des’ “It’s time (class is over, etc.).” Mō jikan des’ ka? “Is the time up?” Do not confuse the -gatsu of the month names with -kagetsu (counting months), or -getsu (in sen-getsu “last month,” etc.).

Note

Days are counted quite irregularly from 1 to 10, but you will be understood if you count them according to the pattern ichi-nichi, ni-nichi, san-nichi, yon-nichi, gonichi, etc. If you want to say October 10th, say jū -gatsu ju-nichi or Jū -gatsu no jū -nichi. The word for “day” by itself is hi: Sono hi-nan-nichi desh’ta ka? “What date was that day?”

1.	A: (From) here—(to) there—how many hours does it take?	B: Let me think... It takes 4 and a half hours.
2.	A: Excuse me, sir. (From) Tokyo—(to) Kamakura—how many hours is it?	B: Kamakura? Kamakura—it takes an hour.
	A: It does? It takes an hour? Thank you very much.	B: Not at all.
3.	Teacher: How many months are there in a year?	Student: There are 12 (months).
	T: That's right. A year is 12 months. How many weeks are there in a month?	S: There are four weeks.
	T: That's right, that's right. One month is four weeks. What month is this (is it now)?	S: This (now) is October.
	T: What year is this (is it now)?	S: Let me see. It's 2006.
	T: That's right. It's October 2006. What month was last month?	S: It was September. Next month will be November, won't it.
	T: That's right. This month is October, isn't it. What year was last year?	S: It was 2005.
	T: Next year?	S: Next year is 2007.
	T: So it is, isn't it. Thank you very much.	S: Not at all. I've been rude.

Added Note

If you wish to learn the more usual way to count days, study the following table:

1. tsui-tachi

2. futsu-ka

3. mik-ka

4. yok-ka

5. itsu-ka

6. mui-ka

7. nano-ka

8. yō-ka

9. kokono-ka

10. tō-ka