"I jog three times a week." "He visits Japan twice a year." Frequency expressions come up constantly in daily conversation. The Japanese structure is similar to English, but with one key particle: に.
Core Pattern
Time Period + に + Frequency + Verb
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 先生は週に二回高尾へ行きます。 | The teacher goes to Takao twice a week. |
| 山田さんは年に三回台湾に来ます。 | Yamada comes to Taiwan three times a year. |
| 私は月に一回映画を見ます。 | I watch a movie once a month. |
The に here means "within (a time period)," defining the scope.
Breaking It Down
Using 週に二回 as an example:
| Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 週 | One week (time period) |
| に | Within... |
| 二回 | Two times (frequency) |
Together: "two times within a week" = twice a week.
Common Time Periods
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 日 | にち | One day |
| 週 | しゅう | One week |
| 月 | つき / げつ | One month |
| 年 | ねん | One year |
Combined:
| Frequency | Japanese |
|---|---|
| Three times a day | 一日に三回 |
| Twice a week | 週に二回 |
| Once a month | 月に一回 |
| Five times a year | 年に五回 |
Readings for 回
回 (かい) is the most common counter for "times":
| Number | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一回 | いっかい |
| 2 | 二回 | にかい |
| 3 | 三回 | さんかい |
| 4 | 四回 | よんかい |
| 5 | 五回 | ごかい |
| 6 | 六回 | ろっかい |
| 7 | 七回 | ななかい |
| 8 | 八回 | はっかい |
| 9 | 九回 | きゅうかい |
| 10 | 十回 | じゅっかい |
Note the sound changes: 一回 (いっかい), 六回 (ろっかい), 八回 (はっかい), 十回 (じゅっかい) — it's that 1/6/8/10 gemination pattern again.
Where to Place the Frequency
The frequency phrase is fairly flexible in position, but it usually goes right before the verb:
週に二回泳ぎます。 → I swim twice a week.
You can also place it at the end of the sentence:
泳ぎます、週に二回。 → I swim, twice a week.
But the most natural position is immediately before the verb.
Summary
- Frequency pattern: Time Period + に + Frequency + Verb
- に means "within a certain time period"
- Common time periods: 日, 週, 月, 年
- The counter 回 has sound changes at 1/6/8/10
- Frequency phrases usually go right before the verb
Practice Questions
Q1. How do you say "I watch a movie twice a month" in Japanese?
Show Answer
（私は）月に二回映画を見ます。
月 (time period) + に + 二回 (frequency) + 映画を見ます (verb).
Q2. What does 「年に三回」 mean?
Show Answer
Three times a year.
年 (one year) + に (within) + 三回 (three times).
Q3. What are the readings for 一回, 六回, and 八回?
Show Answer
- 一回 = いっかい (gemination)
- 六回 = ろっかい (gemination)
- 八回 = はっかい (gemination)
1/6/8/10 trigger gemination (っ) when paired with か-row counters.