頻度 ( = hindo) Frequency

Today’s lesson is about 頻度 ( = hindo) frequency in Japanese.

First, let’s make questions :

🔸 If you want to ask someone, “Do you ~  often?”, the most common way to make a question is to use よく ( = yoku)

Ex. 海外にはよく行きますか?

= Kaigai ni wa yoku ikimasuka?)

= Do you go abroad often?

→More formal

行かれます か？

= Ikaremasu ka?

or

いらっしゃいますか？

= Irasshaimasu ka?

•よく (  = yoku) often

•には  ( = niwa) to  (direction)

Note: You can also say 海外へ  ( = kaigai e)  or  海外に  ( = kaigai ni)

には  ( = niwa) makes the sentence sound a bit softer.

 (For more ambiguous expressions, please go visit　曖昧レッスン！！）

Let’s continue…You just met a cute girl in a bar. :D

Ex.ここにはよく来るの？

= Koko niwa yoku kuru no?

= Do you come here often?

More polite:

ここにはよく来ますか？

= Koko niwa yoku kimasu ka?

More formal:

こちらにはよくいらっしゃいますか？

= Kochira niwa yoku irasshaimasu ka?

🔸 If you want to know “How often../How many times…”

⭐️ Sentence structure :

Time unit

+ に ( = ni)  per

+ 何度 ( = nando)  or  何回  ( = nankai) how many times

+（位 ( gurai / kurai)  or  程 ( = hodo)  about )

+ verb

+ますか  ( = ka) / の  ( = no)？ ( → の ( = no)  ending is more casual.)

Ex.一週間／週に何度(位)彼女に会うの？

= Isshuukan/shu ni nando (gurai) kanojo ni au no?

= （About) How many times a week do you see your girlfriend?

Ex.この薬は一日に何回飲めばいいのですか？

= Kono kusuri wa ichinichi ni nankai nomeba ii no desu ka?

= How many times a day do I have to take this medicine?

Ex.１ヶ月 (or ひと月) に何回(位)、テニスをしますか？

= Ikkagetsu/hitotsuki ni nankai (gurai) tenisu wo shimasu ka?

= (About) How many times a month do you play tennis?

Ex. 一年に何回 (位) 旅行しますか？

= Ichinen ni nankai gurai ryokou shimasuka?)

= (About) How many trips a year do you take?

Ex. １週間に何回(位)外食（を）しますか？

= Ishuukan ni nankai (gurai) gaishoku(wo) shimasuka?

= How many times a week do you go out to eat?

🔸 If you want to ask “About how often do you..?”

⭐️ Sentence structure :

Time unit

+ に  ( = ni)  per

+ どの位の  ( = dono gurai / kurai no) About how often

+  割合  ( = wariai) percentage , 頻度  ( = hindo) frequency or ペース  ( = peisu) pace

+ で  ( = de)

+  verb

+ ますか  ( = ka ) / の  ( = no)？

Note: You don’t always need  “Time unit+ に  ( = ni)”

Ex.１週間にどの位の割合で洗濯をしますか？

= Dono gurai no wariai de sentaku wo shimasu ka?

= How many times a week do you do laundry?

Ex.どの位の頻度で歯医者に通っていますか？

= Dono gurai no hindo de haisha ni kayotte imasuka?

= How often do you go to the dentist?

🔸 If you simply want to ask someone about their past experience,

*〜したことありますか

 = ~shita koto (wa) arimasu ka?

= Have you ever ~~?

And you can answer

* はい、〜したことがあります。

= Hai, ~ shita koto ga arimasu.

= Yes, I have. I have…

* いいえ、〜したことがありません

= Iie, ~shita koto ga arimasen.

= No, I haven’t. I have never…

We’ll see more patterns later.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Here’s a list of frequency words(mainly adverbs) for you.

Note: Usually you can find a simple list from “always” to “never” in Japanese everywhere. However, let me tell you one thing before you go through the list.

Even if some words are listed as “often“, we use them as “always” in many cases. For example, if you want to say “That person(he, she) always comes here.” in Japanese, it could be,

•1) あの人はいつもここに来る。

= Anohito wa itsumo koko ni kuru.

•2) あの人はしょっちゅうここに来る。

= Anohito wa shocchuu koko ni kuru.

•3) あの人はよくここに来る。

 = Anohito wa yoku koko ni kuru. 

•4) あの人は頻繁にここに来る。

= Anohito wa hinpan ni koko ni kuru.

But the dictionary says,

いつも ( = itsumo) is  always and  しょっちゅう ( = shocchuu), よく ( = yoku), and  頻繁に ( = hinpanni) are often or frequently. So in summary the literal meaning of a word is often different from the conversational meaning. The speaker arbitrarily assigns frequency by intention, intonation, etc.

Also,

• 5)  あの人は時々ここに来る。

= Anohito wa tokidoki koko ni kuru.

• 6) あの人はちょくちょくここに来る。

 = Anohito wa chokuchoku koko ni kuru.

時々 ( = tokidoki) is sometimes,  ちょくちょく ( = chokuchoku) is often in dictionary definition but we meant to use them as “always” as well.

So in conversation, the line between the frequency rate is blurred in a way. So I will put the dictionary definition anyway but please keep it in mind.

🔸 < Always >

•いつも  ( = itsumo)

Ex. 帰り道にいつもコンビニに立ち寄る。

= Kaerimichi ni itsumo konbini ni tachiyoru

= I always stop by a convenience store.

Note: In conversation, we sometimes repeat いつも  ( = itsumo),

いつもいつも ( = itsumo itsumo)

Ex.いつもいつも同じことばかり言わせないで！

= Itsumo itsumo onaji koto bakari iwasenai de!

= Don’t make me repeat the same thing over and over!

We also say いっつも  ( = ittsumo) in conversation.

🔸<Frequently, very often, almost always>

•しょっちゅう ( = shocchuu)

Ex. 彼女はしょっちゅう旅行に行っている

 = Kanojo wa shocchuu ryokou ni itte iru.

= She goes traveling frequently/often/ always.

•頻繁に ( = hinpan ni)

Ex. マギーから最近頻繁に電話がかかってくる。

= Maggie kara saikin hinpan ni denwa ga kakatte kuru.

= Maggie calls me very often recently.

Ex. 彼は頻繁にその店に出入りしているらしい。

 = Kare wa hinpan ni sono mise ni deiri shiteiru rashii.

= I heard he goes to the bar frequently.

•足繁く／足しげく  ( = ashi shigeku) frequent + 通う ( = kayou) to go the same place frequently

Ex. 彼女は彼の家に足しげく通っている。

= Kanojo wa kare no ie ni ashishigeku kayotte iru.

= She goes over to her boyfriend’s house frequently.

•よく（ = yoku) a lot, often, frequently

Ex. よくこの店に来ます。

= Yoku kono mise ni kimasu.  

= I come to this place/bar/restaurant often

Ex. よく会いますね。( = Yoku aimasu ne.)

= We keep running into each other.

🔸<Often>

•しばしば ( = shibashiba)

Ex. ( 私達）二人がどこで出会ったのかしばしば聞かれる。

 = (Watashitachi) Futari ga dokode deatta no ka shibashiba kikareru.

= People often ask me how we met.

Ex.この店に彼はしばしば現れるらしい。

= Kono mise ni kare wa shibashiba arawareru rashii.

= They say he comes here (store/bar/restaurant) often.

• 度々 ( = tabitabi) 

Ex. 度々同じ問題が起こる。

= Tabitabi onaji mondai ga okoru.

= We often have the same problems.

•ちょくちょく ( = chokuchoku)

Ex. 彼はちょくちょくクラスを休 む。

= Kare wa chokuchoku kurasu wo yasumu.

= He is often from the class.

•ちょいちょい  ( = choichoi) casual

Ex. あの子はちょいちょいここに遊びにくるよ。

= Anoko wa choichoi asobini kuruyo

= She comes here often.

•しきりに ( = shikirini) frequently, obsessively

Ex. 彼はしきりに私の個人的なことを聞いてくる。

= Kare wa shikiri ni watashi no kojintekina koto wo kiite kuru.　

= He often/ frequently asks me about my private matters.

Ex. 最 近、しきりにトイレに行きたくなる。

= Saikin shikiri ni toire ni ikitaku naru.

= I need to go to the bathroom more frequently recently.

⭐️< Sometimes / Now and then >

•時々（ = tokidoki)

Ex. 海外にいると時々お味噌汁が飲みたくなります。

= Kaigai ni iru to tokidoki omisoshiru ga nomitaku narimasu.

= When I am abroad, I sometimes miss miso soup.

🔸<Once in a while/ Every once in a while>

•たまに  ( = tamani) every once in a while/on occasion

Ex. たまに出かけると一杯買い物をしたくなる。

( = Tamani kaimono wo suruto ippai kaimono wo shitaku naru.)

When I go out every once in a while, I can’t help buying a lot of stuff.

🔸 <Not so much / Not so often / Not very often>

•あまり 〜ない ( = amari〜nai)

Ex.あまりゴルフには行かない。

 = Amari gorufu ni wa ikanai

= I don’t play golf very often.

•そんなに〜ない ( = sonnani ~nai)

Ex.美容院にはそんなに行かない。

 = Biyou in niwa sonnani ikanai.

=  I don’t go to the hair salon very often.

🔸< Seldom / hardly / Scarcely >

•滅多(めった）に〜ない ( = mettani ~ nai) 

Ex.滅多にパーティーには行きません。

= Metta ni paatei niwa ikimasen.

= I seldom go to parties.

🔸<Almost never>

•殆ど（ほとんど）〜ない ( = hotondo ~nai)

Ex. 近所の人と話すことは殆どない。

= Kinjo no hito to hanasu koto wa hotondo nai.

= I almost never talk to my neighbors.

🔸: < Never >

•全く〜ない／ありません。( = mattaku ~ nai/arimasen)

Ex. 違う部署の人と話すことは全くない。

= Betsu no busho no hito to hanasu koto wa mattaku nai.

= I have never talked to the people who work in the other departments.

•全然〜ない ( = zenzen ~nai/arimasen)  Never, not at all

Ex. デパートには全然行くことはないです。

= Depaato ni wa zennzen iku koto wa nai desu.

= I never go to the department store.

•絶対〜ない/ありません ( = zettai ~ nai/arimasen→more polite)

Ex. 私の父は絶対に医者に行きたがらない。

 = Watashi no chichi wa zettai ni isha ni ikitagaranai.

= My father never wants to go see a doctor.

•決して〜ない／ありません  ( = kesshite ~nai/arimasen →more polite)

Ex. 姉は日に焼けるのが嫌なので海に行くことは決してない。

= Ane wa hi ni yakeru no ga iya nano de umi ni iku koto wa kesshite nai.

= My sister hates to get suntan so she never goes to the beach.

•頼まれても〜ない。( = tanomaretemo ~ nai)  Even if you beg me

Ex. 頼まれても彼の家には行かない。

= Tanomaretemo kare no ie ni wa ikanai.

= Even if you beg me, I won’t go to his house.

•死んでも〜ない。( = shindemo ~ nai)

Ex. 死んでもあんな所に行かない。

= Shindemo annna tokoro ni ikanai.

= I wouldn’t be caught dead at such a place.

→There is NO WAY that I will go to such a place.

🔸 回数  ( = kaisuu) Number of times

Note :  Besides formal Japanese (especially vertical text), we don’t always write numbers with Kanji.

•一回  ( = ikkai)  once • 二回  ( = nikai)  twice • 三回  ( = sankai) three times…

•１、２ (一、二）回  ( = ichi ni kai) once or twice

•２、３（二、三）回  ( = ni san kai) a couple of times

•数回  ( = suukai) a couple of times, several times, a few times

•一度  ( = ichido) once 二度  ( = nido)  三度 ( = sando)

•１、２(一、二) 度   ( = ichi nido) once or twice

•２、３(二、三) 度  ( = ni san do) a couple of times

Ex. 前に一度どこかでお会いしたことはありませんか？

=  Mae ni ichido dokokade oai shita koto wa arimasen ka?

= Have we met somewhere before?

Ex. 今迄に一度もハワイに行ったことがありません。

=  Imamade ni ichido mo hawai ni itta koto ga arimasen.

= I have never been to Hawaii before.

Ex. 以前に２、３度、あの人の家に行ったことがあります。

= Izen ni nisando ano hito no ie ni itta koto ga arimasu.

= I have been to his house a couple of times before/in the past.

•何度も  (  = nando mo)  many times, over and over, repeatedly

Ex. 何度もスペインに行ったことがある。

= Nando mo supein ni itta koto ga aru.

= I have been to Spain many times.

•何遍 (なんべん）も ( = nanben mo) many times, over and over, repeatedly

Ex.この本は面白かったので何遍も読んだ。

= Kono hon wa omoshirokatta node nanben mo yonda.

= This book was so interesting that I read it over and over.

•幾度も ( = ikudo mo ) many times, over and over, repeatedly

Ex. 彼に幾度も同じ質問をした。

= Kare ni ikudomo onaji shitsumon wo shita.

= I asked him the same question over and over.

🔸 Time unit +に ( = ni)+ Number + 回 ( = kai)  or 度 ( = do) + ( 位 ( = gurai / kurai)  about  ) 

一週間に一回  ( = isshuukan ni ikkai)　once a week

Ex.一週間に一回病院へ通っている。

= Isshuukan ni ikkai byouin ni kayotte iru.

= I go to the hospital once a week.

Ex.一年に二度位父のお墓参りに行きます。

= Ichinen ni nido gurai chichi no ohaka mairi ni ikimasu.

= I go visit my father’s grave about twice a year.

•一日おきに ( = ichinichi oki ni)  every other day

Ex. 一日おきに花に水をやる。

= Ichinichi ni hana ni mizu wo yaru.

= I water the flowers every other day.

(please check the Time related lesson)

🔸 毎  every + time unit

• 毎日 ( = mainichi)  every day

• 毎週  ( = maishuu)  every week

• 毎月 ( = maitsuki)  every month

• 毎年 ( = maitoshi)  every year

• 毎朝 ( = maiasa)  every morning

• 毎晩 ( = maiban)  every night

• 毎時 ( = maiji)  every hour

• 毎食（ = maishoku)  every meal

Ex. 学校に毎日行きます。

 = Gakkou ni mainichi ikimasu.

= I go to school every day.

Ex. 毎朝、牛乳を飲みます。

= Maiasa gyuunyu wo nomimasu.

= I drink milk every morning.

Ex.この薬は毎食後飲んで下さい。

 = Kono kusuri wa maishokugo nonde kudasai

= Please take this medicine after each meal.

< Time duration >

•ずっと ( = zutto) the whole time

Structure : Time unit  + ずっと( = zutto)

Ex. その赤ちゃんは一日ずっと泣いている。

= Sono akachan wa ichinichi zutto naiteiru.

= That baby has been crying all day long.

Ex. 一週間ずっと雨が降っている。

= Ishuukan zutto ame ga futte iru.

= It has been raining the whole week.

• 始終 (  = shijuu) all the while, always

Ex. 彼女は始終自分のことばかり考えている。

= Kanojo wa shijuu jibun no koto bakari kangaete iru.

= She’s always thinking about herself.

•連日 ( = renjitsu) on consecutive days, each and every day

•連夜  ( = ren-ya) on consecutive nights

→連日連夜 ( = renjitsu ren-ya) day and night

Ex.マギーは連日連夜働いている。

= Maggie wa renjitu renya hataraite iru.

= Maggie has been working day and night.

•続けて ( = tsuzukete) in a row

Ex. 三日続けて ( = mikka tsuzukete)  or 三日連続で ( = mikka renzoku de) three days in a row

•ぶっ続けで ( = buttsuzuke de) colloquial in a row

Ex.コンサートは4時間ぶっ続けて行われた。

= Konsaato wa  yojikan buttsuzuke de okonawareta.

= The concert lasted a good 4 hours.

•休まず ( = yasumazu) without a break

Ex.　私は昼夜休まず勉強した。

= Watashi wa chuuya yasumazu benkyou shita.

= I studied round the clock.

•一日中 ( = ichinichi juu) all day long

Ex. 昨日は一日中家にいた。

= Kinou wa ichinichi juu ie ni ita.

= I stayed home all day long yesterday.

•しきりに ( = shikiri ni) constantly, frequently

Ex. 彼女は私の私生活をしきりに聞いてくる。

She checks on my private life often.

•次々と ( = tsugi tsugi to) one right after the other

•次から次へと ( = tsugi kara tsugi e to)

Ex. 次々と／次から次へと新しい問題が起きてくる。

= Tsugitsugi to/ Tsugi kara tsugi e to atarashii mondai ga okite kuru.

= Things keep happening. / It’s one thing after another.

•後から後から ( = ato kara ato kara) in quick succession

Ex. 後から後から問題が生じる。

= Ato kara ato kara mondai ga shoujiru

= Things keep happening. / It’s one thing after another.

<Other expressions>

• 暇があれば  ( = hima ga areba) when you get a chance

or 暇さえあれば  ( = himasae areba) stronger

= to do something whenever you have a chance, free time

Ex. うちの子は暇さえあれば漫画を読んでいます。

=Uchi no ko wa himasae areba manga wo yonde imasu.

= My kids read manga anytime they have free time.

 

🔸 From the picture above :

🙄 「さっき食べたばかりじゃ ない！一日に何回食べたらいいの!」

= Sakki tabeta bakarija nai! Ichinichi ni nankai tabetara iino!

= “You just ate. How many times a day do you need to eat?”

•さっき  ( = sakki) a while ago, just now.

•じゃない  ( = janai) casual way of saying ではありませんか  ( = dewa arimasen ka) or ではないですか  ( = dewa nai desuka)

 •一日に  ( = ichinichi ni) per day/  a day

•何回  ( = nankai) how many times

•食べたらいいの  ( = tabetara iino) (How many meals a day) will make you happy

:maggie-small: 「一日５食 じゃ足りないよ！」

= Ichinichi goshoku ja tarinaiyo!  

= “Just five meals a day is not enough!”

• 一日５  ( or 五）食  ( = ichinichi goshoku) five meals a day  食  ( = shoku)  食べる  ( = taberu) to eat  or 食事 ( = shokuji)  meal

• じゃ ( = ja) :じゃあ ( = jaa)　← では ( = dewa) 

• 足りる ( = tariru) enough, sufficient

 

マギー先生より  = Maggie sensei yori =  From Maggie-sensei

さあ、ここで皆に質問です。

= Saa koko de mina ni shitsumon desu.

= Here’s a question for everyone!

このサイトにどの位の割合で来ますか？

=Kono saito ni donogurai no wariai de kimasu ka?

= How often do you visit this site?

なに？一週間に１度だけ？？

= Nani? Isshuukan ni ichido dake?

= What do you mean by once a week!!

毎日来なくっちゃだめです！

=Mainichi konakuccha dame desu yo!

=  You should come here EVERY　DAY!!!

 

:maggie-small: You wanna one point lesson every day? Follow me on Twitter!! !to right! Maggie Sensei