It is always nice to review some basics if you know already.  For the next few articles, I would like to go back to the basics of Japanese language, and share some of the most useful and most important aspect of the language.  The expressions I will be introducing you will be something you would be using on a daily basis, sort of like a “must know” expressions and vocabulary. If you have seen these already, see if you can create your own sentence using these vocabulary.

With that said, today’s topic is “counting days” in Japanese.

Counting days in Japanese.

1 day – ichi nichi (一日、いちにち)

2 days -futsuka kan (二日間、ふつかかん)

3 days – mikka kan (三日間、みっかかん)

4 days – yokka kan (四日間、よっかかん)

5 days – itsuka kan (五日間、いつかかん)

6 days – muika kan (六日間、むいかかん)

7 days – nanoka kan (七日間、なのかかん)

8 days – yo-ka kan (八日間、ようかかん)

9 days – kokonoka kan (九日間、ここのかかん)

10 days – touka kan (十日間、とおかかん)

11 days – ju ichi nichi kan (十一日間、じゅういちにちかん)

15 days – ju go nichi kan (十五日間、じゅうごにちかん)

20 days – niju nichi kan (二十日間、にじゅうにちかん)

100 days – hyaku nichi kan (百日間、ひゃくにちかん)

 

** Notice that starting with “2 days”, you see the word “kan (間、かん)” at the end. This indicates the time factor.

 

Sentence Examples:

I am going to stay 2 days in Tokyo.

(Tokyo de futsuka kan tomarimasu.)

(東京で, 二日間泊まります。とうきょうで　ふつかかん　とまります。)

I stayed in Nagoya for 2 weeks last summer.

(Kyonen no natsu, nagoya de ni shukan tomarimashita.)

(去年の夏、名古屋で２週間泊まりました。きょねんのなつ、なごやで　にしゅうかん　とまりました。)

I will be leaving to Japan in 7 days.

(Ato, nano kakan de nihon e shuppatsu shimasu.)

( 後、七日間で日本へ出発します。あと、なのかかんで　にほんへ　しゅっぱつ　します。）

It took 2 days to travel to Hokkaido from where I live.

(Watashi no sundeiru tokoro kara, Hokkaido made futsuka kan kakarimashita.)

(私の住んでいるところから北海道まで、二日間かかりました。わたしの　すんでいるところからほっかいどうまで、ふつかかん　かかりました。）

Please wait for 5 more days.

(Ato itsukakan mattekudasai)

(後、五日間待ってください。あと、いつかかん　まってください。）

Please turn your paperwork in 3 days.

(Mikka inai ni shorui o teishutsu shitekudasai)

(三日以内に　書類を提出してください。みっかいないに　しょるいを　ていしゅつ　してください。)

 

Counting days could be tricky, as you can see, depending on how you would be using it.  Pay close attention to what you really want to express by referencing the examples above. Good Luck!