Time is an essential part of communication. Whether you’re talking about how long you studied, how long a trip lasted, or how much time something takes, Japanese has specific expressions to convey duration. In this article, we’ll explore key grammar point: かかる for how long something takes.
かかる
Expressing Time Required
JLPT Level: N4
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How to Use It
“The verb かかる is used to describe how much time (or money) something takes. It refers to the amount of time needed to complete an action or reach a destination.
Unlike かん, which refers to time already spent doing something, かかる focuses on the time something requires. This grammar point can be used in both positive and negative forms, and is especially helpful when talking about travel, tasks, or wait times.
Particles are not needed between the time expression and かかる, and you can use も for emphasis, especially in the negative form.
Usage Pattern
[Time Duration]+ かかる(It takes [X] time)
[Time Duration] + も+ かからない (It doesn’t even take [X] time)
Example 1
学校まで三十分かかります。
がっこう まで さんじゅっぷん かかります。
Gakkō made sanjuppun kakarimasu.
It takes 30 minutes to get to school.
Example 2
東京から大阪まで新幹線で五十分かかります。
とうきょう から おおさか まで しんかんせん で ごじゅっぷん かかります。
Tōkyō kara Ōsaka made shinkansen de gojuppun kakarimasu.
It takes 50 minutes to get from Tokyo to Osaka by bullet train.
Example 3
五分もかからない！
ごふん も かからない！
Gofun mo kakaranai!
It won’t even take five minutes!
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