Hey guys, how’s it going today? We hope you are fired up and ready to get stuck into an epic Japanese lesson. Today we are going to be learning about “Ikura(いくら)” which means “how much”, it can also mean “how many”, however today we are going to be focussed on the “how much” meaning of the word. We will start by looking at how to use いくら in sentences and make sure you understand the placement of the word. Next, we are going to be having a look at some example sentences to help you understand the phrase in a real-world context.
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Learn about the common Japanese word “Ikura(いくら)”
Finally, we are going to be looking at a super effective study technique to help you really remember “Ikura”. Now everyone, let’s not wait any longer and dive right into today’s amazing lesson. Get your notebooks at the ready.
How do I use the Japanese word Ikura(いくら)？
Ikura is really useful when it comes to asking how much something is. This can be used in stores, restaurants, markets, anywhere. That’s why its really useful, it can be used in your everyday life in Japan.
So, you want to know how you can use “Ikura(いくら)”? Well, we’re gonna tell you how right now. We are going to start by looking at a super simple construct.
いくらですか
Ikura desu ka
How much is it
As you can see here this sentence can be super useful for you. First, we have いくら which means “how much”, then we have です which means “is / it” and finally we have the question particle か that indicates that the sentence is a question.
This is a super simple and easy phrase that you can use anywhere from the conbini to the market stall.
Next, we are going to look at asking about specific things like, “how much is this” “how much is the bread” “How much is a ticket” etc.
So, this is also pretty simple. All you need to do is take what we just learnt, “ikura desu ka” いくらですか and add an item in front of this.
For example, if you you want to say “how much is this” you would say:
これはいくらですか
Kore wa ikura desu ka
How much is this
All you need to do here is add これ “this” and the particle は to indicate what you are talking about. Now you have opened up a massive amount of potential for other phrases using the same pattern.
それはいくらですか
Sore wa ikura desu ka
How much is that?
チケットはいくらですか
Chiketto wa ikura desu ka
How much is a ticket?
コーヒーはいくらですか
Ko-hi- wa ikura desu ka
How much is the coffee?
This is an essential pattern to remember for survival in Japan and you should try to remember this as a priority. Now we are going to look at some other examples to help you get used to the pattern and see how it can be used in other ways.
Example sentences using Ikura(いくら)
毎月のガス代はいくらですか。
Maitsuki no gasu dai wa ikura desu ka
How much is the monthly gas bill?
保険料はいくらですか。
Hokenryou wa ikura desu ka
How much is the premium?
部屋代はいくらですか。
Heya dai wa ikura desu ka
How much is the room charge?
Now you have a good Idea of the pattern and how it can be used you can now go ahead and make your own, here’s how you should do it. Be sure to pay real close attention to this part as it is super integral to your learning.
An effective study technique for mastering いくら
So, you’ve got the patterns down, now you need to really get it set into your memory. First, start by reading the previous sentences in the articles out loud 5 -6 times. Now translate the English back to Japanese without looking. Now you should be ready to start creating your own examples. Come up with as many examples as you can, imagine your in a supermarket and start asking how much everything is, this way you will never forget how to use いくら and be able to use it in any situation you need without hesitation. This is the most important part of the lesson guys so ensure that you take the time to take part in this exercise.
That brings us to the end of today’s online Japanese lesson from Bondlingo. We hope you have learnt a lot and will be sticking around for more lessons with us. As always, if you have any questions or ideas for content, we would really like to hear them. We create these lessons for you and want to make sure that you are getting everything that you need. Have a great day every one and until next time, またね。