Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 2: 11/17

に (Frequency)

Times (In each time period), Every, Frequency of

Structure

Timeframe + に + Number of Times

Details

  • Register

    Standard

About に (Frequency)

When the case marking particle に is used, sometimes it has the nuance of 'frequency'. This means that it can be utilized to describe how often something happens/is done. In this grammatical construction, the 'time frame' is followed by に, then followed by the number of times that you would like to say that something happens.

In this way, に keeps its regular nuance of being a 'goal', or 'destination', within which something else takes place.

Caution

This use of に should not be confused with で in relation to time. When で is used for 'time', it is expressing the amount of time that is required to do something, or how much time something is expected to take. It is not used for frequency.

  • 2年間(ねんかん)で50万円(まんえん)も貯(た)めた。
    In two years, I saved up ￥500,000. (Natural Japanese, as this expresses the amount of time that something took)

Due to this, you can think of に as marking a portion (or portions) of time inside of a larger space of time, within which something happens. However, で marks a whole space of time, within which something can be/is completed.

Examples

--:--

    一年(いちねん)に三回(さんかい)ぐらい海外旅行(かいがいりょこう)に行(い)く。

    I take trips abroad about three times in a year. (frequency)

    一日(いちにち)に六時間(ろくじかん)は寝(ね)る必要(ひつよう)がある。

    It is necessary to sleep for six hours every day. (frequency)

    一時間(いちじかん)に十本(じゅっぽん)の電車(でんしゃ)がある。

    There are ten trains every hour. (frequency)

    公務員(こうむいん)は一年(いちねん)に一回(いっかい)ボーナスをもらう。

    Public servants get a bonus every year. (Once each year) (Frequency)

    彼(かれ)はタバコを1日(にち)に40本(ぽん)ぐらい吸(す)う。

    He smokes about 40 cigarettes every day. (40 each day)

  • Get more example sentences!

    Premium users get access to 12 example sentences on all Grammar Points.

Self-Study Sentences

Study your own way!

Add sentences and study them alongside Bunpro sentences.

  • Online

    • Offline

        • Genki II 1st Edition

          Page 15

        • Genki II 2nd Edition

          Page 35

        • みんなの日本語 I

          Page 75 [CH 11]

      • Track Resources!

        Bunpro tracks all of the resources you’ve visited, and offers relevant bookmarks of physical books to help with offline tracking.

      に (Frequency) – Grammar Discussion

      Most Recent Replies (2 in total)

      • narfi

        narfi

        Shouldn’t 当たり be accepted in at least some of the sentences?

      • atticusd

        atticusd

        Just wanted to point out that the Tanos link is broken.

      Got questions about に (Frequency)? Join us to discuss, ask, and learn together!

      Join the Discussion