#33

Asking how long something will take

どのくらい待ちますか How long does it take to get in?

Skit
Video

Subtitles

English
Japanese
None

Kaito and Mike have arrived safely at the Ninja Museum. They decide to give ninja stars a try.

Listen #33 (10 min.)

Downloads (audio/text)

Skit

Mike

どのくらい待ちますか。

Donokurai machimasu ka.

How long does it take to get in?

Clerk 1

15分くらいです。

Juu-go-fun kurai desu.

About 15 minutes.

Mike

わかりました。

Wakarimashita.

OK.

Kaito

すごい！

Sugoi!

Awesome!

本物の手裏剣だ。

Honmono no shuriken da.

A real shuriken ninja star.

Clerk 2

あの的に投げてください。

Ano mato ni nagete kudasai.

Please throw it at that target.

Mike

えい！

Ei!

Go!

あ、落ちちゃった。

A, ochichatta.

Ah, it dropped.

Vocabulary

どのくらい

donokurai

how long

待つ

matsu

wait

15分

juugo-fun

15 minutes

～くらい

～kurai

about XXX

わかる

wakaru

understand

すごい

sugoi

awesome

本物

honmono

real thing

手裏剣

shuriken

ninja star

あの

ano

that

的

mato

target

投げる

nageru

throw

えい

ei

go

落ちる

ochiru

drop

Key Phrase

Asking how long something will take

どのくらい待ちますか。

Donokurai machimasu ka.

How long does it take to get in? (Literally: How long do I wait?)

To ask how long something takes, use "donokurai," which is an interrogative for length of time, distance, or amount. It's used with "machimasu ka" ("matsu" or "to wait") or "kakarimasu ka" ("kakaru" or "to take").

Learn more!

#33 Step-up

Use It!

Listen

すみません。あと、どのくらいかかりますか。

Sumimasen. Ato, donokurai kakarimasu ka.

Excuse me. How much longer will it take?

20分くらいです。

Nijuppun kurai desu.

About 20 minutes.

Try It Out!

Try asking the length of time

1Which of these three choices is the correct way to say this sentence in Japanese?

How long is the walk?

walk

歩く（→歩きます）

aruku (→arukimasu)

1

Donokurai aruku ka.

Sorry, wrong Answer.
2

どのくらい歩きますか。

Donokurai arukimasu ka.
3

Donokurai arukimasu.

Sorry, wrong Answer.

2Say the sentence in Japanese, using the following word(s).

How long XXX?

どのくらい～ますか。

Donokurai ～masu ka.

last

もつ（→もちます）

motsu (→mochimasu)

Answer

どのくらいもちますか

Donokurai mochimasu ka.

3Say the sentence in Japanese, using the following word(s).

How much longer XXX?

あと、どのくらい～ますか。

Ato, donokurai ～masu ka.

be in Japan

日本にいる（→います）

Nihon ni iru (→imasu)

Answer

あと、どのくらい日本にいますか。

Ato, donokurai Nihon ni imasu ka.

Step-up

Length of Time

Minutes

5分: go-fun

10分: juppun

15分: juu-go-fun

20分: nijuppun

25分: nijuu-go-fun

30分: sanjuppun

Hours

1時間: ichi-jikan

1時間半（1.5時間）: ichi-jikan-han

2時間: ni-jikan

3時間: san-jikan

4時間: yo-jikan

5時間: go-jikan

6時間: roku-jikan

7時間: shichi-jikan

8時間: hachi-jikan

9時間: ku-jikan

10時間: juu-jikan

Kanji

sakana (fish)

Culture

Pop Culture with Mike

Hands-on Tourism

Tourists can enjoy hands-on activities in Japan. Popular ones include dressing as a ninja or samurai, trying on a kimono, taking part in a tea ceremony, arranging flowers, or making Japanese sweets.

Wearing kimono

Making Japanese sweets

You can also create plastic food samples such as those found in restaurant windows.

Making food samples

And other facilities allow you to experience simulated earthquakes, heavy rain, fires, and tsunami. You’ll learn about disaster preparedness.

Trip tip