週間

Counter for Weeks

Level 1Sounds Like shuukan

Use 週間（しゅうかん） to count a length of time in weeks. It is the standard way to say 'for X weeks' or 'a period of X weeks'.

How It Works

The counter 週間（しゅうかん） is essential for describing how long something lasts.

1. Formation and Pronunciation:
It uses Sino-Japanese numbers. Pay close attention to the following specific readings:

  • 1 week: いっしゅうかん - Note the small っ
  • 4 weeks: よんしゅうかん - Always use よん, never し
  • 6 weeks: ろくしゅうかん - This is regular
  • 7 weeks: ななしゅうかん - なな is standard
  • 8 weeks: はっしゅうかん - Note the small っ
  • 10 weeks: じゅっしゅうかん / じっしゅうかん
  • How many weeks: なんしゅうかん

2. Usage in Sentences:
It functions as a noun or an adverbial phrase. To say 'twice a week,' you use the structure: 1週間に2回（いっしゅうかんに にかい）.

3. Difference from 週（しゅう）:
While 週（しゅう） refers to a specific week (like 'next week' or 'the first week'), 週間 specifically measures the amount of time passed.

Examples (4)

  1. 二週間、日本にいました。

    I was in Japan for two weeks.

    Word by Word: Two weeks, Japan in was.

    Here, 二週間（にしゅうかん） shows the total duration of the stay.

  2. 一週間に三回、ジムに行きます。

    I go to the gym three times a week.

    Word by Word: One week in three times, gym to go.

    The particle に is used after the duration to show frequency (X times per Y period).

  3. 夏休みは四週間あります。

    Summer vacation is four weeks long.

    Word by Word: Summer vacation (topic) four weeks exists.

    Note that 'four' is pronounced as よん when counting weeks.

  4. あと何週間かかりますか。

    How many more weeks will it take?

    Word by Word: More how many weeks take (question)?

    何週間（なんしゅうかん） is the question word for 'how many weeks'.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the 'kan'（間）when expressing duration.

    二週、休みました。
    二週間、休みました。

    In Japanese, just saying 二週（にしゅう） sounds incomplete for a duration. You must include 間（かん） to mean 'for two weeks'.

  • Using the wrong pronunciation for 1 week.

    いちしゅうかん
    いっしゅうかん

    When 1（いち） meets a word starting with 's', it changes to a small 'tsu' to become いっしゅうかん.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

週間Level 1Counter for Weeks

Learn This First

To understand '週間', learners need to be familiar with the Japanese counting system and the use of the suffix '間' to denote a duration or interval of time.

Words in This Pattern