"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:
Together: "two times within a week" = twice a week.
Common Time Periods
Combined:
Readings for 回
回 (かい) is the most common counter for "times":
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.