Japanese Grammar Bank

DURATION & CONTINUITY IN JAPANESE

In Japanese, expressing duration and continuity is essential for describing actions that happen over time, whether ongoing, habitual, or sequential.

By using specific grammar forms like ている and expressions like 間, you can communicate how long actions last and whether they continue into the present or future.

DURATION IN JAPANESE

We start with the duration of time. You have probably learned to tell time with the counters 時 (ji) and 分 (hun).

You can change a time into a duration of time by putting suffix 間 (kan) behind the counters.

PATTERN

Number + 時 / 分 / 秒 + 間

➡️ View the hours
1時間Ichi jikan1 hour
2時間Ni jikan2 hours
3時間San jikan3 hours
4時間Yo jikan4 hours
5時間Go jikan5 hours
6時間Roku jikan6 hours
7時間Nana jikan7 hours
8時間Hachi jikan8 hours
9時間Ku jikan9 hours
10時間Juu jikan10 hours
➡️ View the minutes
1分間Ip pun kan1 minute
2分間Ni hun kan2 minutes
3分間San pun kan3 minutes
4分間Yon hun kan4 minutes
5分間Go hun kan5 minutes
6分間Rop pun kan6 minutes
7分間Nana hun kan7 minutes
8分間Hap pun kan8 minutes
9分間Kyuu hun kan9 minutes
10分間Jup pun kan10 minutes
➡️ View the seconds
1秒間Ichi byou kan1 second
2秒間Ni byou kan2 seconds
3秒間San byou kan3 seconds
4秒間Yon byou kan4 seconds
5秒間Go byou kan5 seconds
6秒間Roku byou kan6 seconds
7秒間Nana byou kan7 seconds
8秒間Hachi byou kan8 seconds
9秒間Kyuu byou kan9 seconds
10秒間Juu byou kan10 seconds

NOTE || You can also use 間 for days, weeks, months, and years following the same rule.

宿題をするのに3時間かかりました。Shukudai wo suru noni 3 jikan kakari mashita.I spent 3 hours to finish homework.
高橋さんは同僚を1時間待ちました。Takahashi san wa douryou wo 1 jikan machi mashita.Mr. Takahashi waited his colleague for an hour.
View More Examples
6時間でフルマラソンを完走しました。6 jikan de huru marason wo kansou shimashita.I finished full marathon in 6 hours.
カップヌードルは3分間待つ必要があります。Kappu nuudoru wa 3 pun kan matsu hituyou ga arimasu.You have to wait for 3 minutes to make cup noodle.
30秒間でコメントしてください。30 byou kan de komento shite kudasai.Please give your comment in less than 30 seconds.
2日間断食することにしました。Hutsuka kan danjiki suru koto ni shimashita.I decided to do the fasting for 2 days.

CONTINUITY IN JAPANESE

To express an ongoing action, you need to turn a verb into the ている form.

PATTERN

Verb + ている form

How to conjugate verbs into the ている form? Use て form verb and add いる to the end.

REVIEW OF THE ている FORM

Dictionary formて formている form
食べる (To eat)食べて食べている
飲む (To drink)飲んで飲んでいる
読む (To read)読んで読んでいる
見る (To see)見て見ている
座る (To sit)座って座っている
書く (To write)書いて書いている
聞く (To listen)聞いて聞いている

Let’s see some examples:

私は朝ごはんを食べています。Watashi wa asa gohan wo tabete imasu.I am eating breakfast.
友だちとレストランでお酒を飲んでいます。Tomodachi to resutoran de osake wo nonde imasu.I am having drink with my friends at restaurant.
View More Examples
お父さんは朝からずっとリビングでテレビを見ています。Otousan wa asa kara zutto ribingu de terebi wo mite imasu.My father is continuously watching TV in the living room since morning.
私の家族はこの家に30年間住んでいます。Watashi no kazoku wa kono ie ni 30 nen kan sunde imasu.My family is living in this house for 30 years.
私のお母さんは5年間英語を勉強しています。Watashi no okaasan wa 5 nen kan eigo wo benkyou shite imasu.My mother is studying English for 5 years.
走っている時には頭の中を空っぽにできます。Hashitte iru toki niwa atama no naka wo karappo ni dekimasu.I can empty my mind when I am running.
去年から練習をしています。Kyonen kara renshuu wo shite imasu.I am practicing since last year.

Learn Japanese with FlexiClasses

Book online classes with the best teachers in the industry.

REGISTER

FAQs

How do I express an action that started in the past and is still ongoing?

You can use the ている form of a verb to indicate that an action started in the past and continues to the present. For example, 日本に住んでいる (“I am living in Japan”) implies that the action started in the past and is ongoing.

What is the difference between using 間 and 間に to describe duration?

間 emphasizes the duration of an ongoing action, while 間に is used when a specific event happens during a period of time.

For example, 勉強している間、音楽を聞いています (“While studying, I listen to music”) vs. 勉強している間に友達が来ました (“A friend came while I was studying”).

—

Review how to tell the time in Japanese here.

How do I indicate that something happens repeatedly over a period of time?

Use expressions like 毎日 (まいにち) for “every day,” 週に (しゅうに) for “per week,” or たびに (“each time”) along with the verb to show habitual or repeated actions.

For example, 毎日運動しています (“I exercise every day”).

Can I use the て form with verbs to show continuity?

Yes, chaining verbs in the て form can show a sequence of continuous actions.

For example, 朝起きて、ジョギングをして、シャワーを浴びます (“I wake up, go jogging, and take a shower”).

—

Learn more about the て form here.

MORE FREE LESSONS