いくつ

§ Using 「いくつ」 for people's age without context

One of the most common mistakes beginners make is using 「いくつ」 when asking someone's age, especially adults, without considering the social context. While 「いくつ」 literally means "how old," directly asking an adult 「いくつですか？」 can be considered impolite or too blunt in Japanese culture.

Definition

how many, how old

Translation hint: "How old are you?" (literally: "You, how many [years old] are you?")

Instead, it's generally safer and more polite to use 「おいくつですか？」 (o-ikutsu desu ka?) which is the honorific form, or even better, if you need to know someone's age for a specific reason (e.g., at a clinic, for paperwork), you can phrase it more indirectly, such as 「お年はいくつですか？」 (o-toshi wa ikutsu desu ka?) which means "How old are you?" but uses the polite word for age, 「お年」.

§ Confusing 「いくつ」 with other counter words

「いくつ」 is a versatile word for asking "how many" for general items. However, Japanese has many specific counter words for different types of objects. A common mistake is to use 「いくつ」 when a more appropriate counter word exists.

Translation hint: "How many pencils do you have?" (literally: "Pencils, how many exist?")

While this is not incorrect, it's more natural and precise to use the counter for long, cylindrical objects, 「本 (hon)」.

Translation hint: "How many pencils do you have?" (literally: "Pencils, how many [long objects] exist?")

§ Overusing 「いくつ」 when a simple number is enough

Sometimes learners overuse 「いくつ」 in situations where simply stating the quantity is more natural, especially in answers. While it's common to hear 「いくつですか？」 as a question, in the answer, you usually just provide the number.

Translation hint: "How many apples do you have?"

Translation hint: "I have three." (literally: "Three exist.")

§ Not knowing when to use 「何歳」 vs. 「いくつ」 for age

While 「いくつ」 can mean "how old," 「何歳 (nan-sai)」 is specifically for asking "what age." Generally, 「何歳」 is more direct and less ambiguous when referring to age, especially for children or in formal contexts where precision is needed. For children, using 「何歳」 is perfectly fine and common.

• Use 「いくつ」 for general "how many" questions for objects.
• Use 「いくつ」 for asking the age of young children (up to around elementary school age) or in very casual settings with close friends.
• Use 「おいくつですか？」 for polite inquiries about an adult's age.
• Use 「何歳ですか？」 when asking for a specific age, often in a more formal or neutral context, or for children.

Translation hint: "How old is your child?" (literally: "Your child, what age is?")

Translation hint: "How old is your child?" (literally: "Your child, how many [years old] is?")

§ Understanding いくつ (ikutsu)

The Japanese word いくつ (ikutsu) is a versatile word that most commonly means 'how many' or 'how old'. It's a fundamental interrogative word that you'll use frequently in everyday conversations.

Japanese Word

いくつ

Part of Speech

Adverb

CEFR Level

A2

Definition

How many, how old

§ Using いくつ for 'How many?'

When you want to ask about quantity, いくつ is your go-to word for general items. It's often used with smaller quantities or when the specific counter for an item isn't strictly necessary or known.

Translation hint: How many apples are there?

Translation hint: How many siblings do you have?

§ Using いくつ for 'How old?'

When asking about someone's age, especially for children or in a more casual context, いくつ is commonly used.

Translation hint: How old is your child?

Translation hint: How old is your cat?

§ いくつ vs. いくら (ikura)

A common point of confusion for learners is the difference between いくつ and いくら (ikura).

• いくつ means 'how many' (quantity) or 'how old' (age).

• いくら means 'how much' (price/cost).

Think of it this way:

§ Similar words and when to use this one vs alternatives

While いくつ is very useful, there are alternatives you'll encounter:

For 'How many?'

• いくつ: General use, especially for smaller quantities or when a specific counter isn't used. Very flexible.

  キャンディーはいくついる？

  Translation hint: How many candies do you want?

• Specific counters + 何 (nan/nani): When referring to items that have a standard counter. This sounds more precise and natural.

  • 何本 (nan-bon): How many long cylindrical objects?

    鉛筆は何本ありますか。

    Translation hint: How many pencils are there?

  • 何枚 (nan-mai): How many flat objects?

    切手は何枚必要ですか。

    Translation hint: How many stamps do you need?

  • 何個 (nan-ko): How many small, general items?

    卵は何個買いましたか。

    Translation hint: How many eggs did you buy?

  When deciding between いくつ and a specific counter, consider the following:

  • If the item has a very common and obvious counter (like '冊' for books or '人' for people), using the counter with 何 will sound more natural and precise. For example, 何冊 (nan-satsu) for books, 何人 (nan-nin) for people.

  • If you're unsure of the correct counter, or if the item doesn't have a strong, universally recognized counter, いくつ is a perfectly acceptable and understood alternative.

  For 'How old?'

  • いくつ: Casual, often used for children or pets. Can be used for adults in informal settings, but be mindful of politeness.

    弟はいくつ？

    Translation hint: How old is your younger brother?

  • おいくつ: Polite form of いくつ. Suitable for adults and general situations where you want to be respectful.

    お父様はおいくつですか。

    Translation hint: How old is your father? (polite)

  • 何歳 (nan-sai): A more direct and common way to ask 'how old' for adults. It uses the counter '歳' (sai) for age.

    彼女は何歳ですか。

    Translation hint: How old is she?

  In summary, while いくつ is a good starting point for 'how many' and 'how old', becoming familiar with counters and the more formal alternatives for age will significantly improve your fluency and politeness in Japanese.