JLPT N4Everyday

三さん時じ間かんも・十じゅう万まん円えんはas many as; at least

After a number, も and は say how the number strikes you. も: that is a lot. は: that much at the least, and maybe more.

a lot

この仕し事ごとは一いち時じ間かんで終おわると思おもっていたのに、三さん時じ間かんもかかった。

I thought this job would take an hour, but it took a full three hours.

at least

このパソコンを買かうなら、十じゅう万まん円えんは必ひつ要ようです。

If you want to buy this computer, you'll need at least 100,000 yen.

How to form it

Number + counter + も／は

Straight after the amount: a time, a price, a distance, a count.

One number, three ways

駅えきまで歩あるくと、三さん十じゅっ分ぷんもかかります。

It takes a whole thirty minutes to walk to the station.

That is a lot.

駅えきまで歩あるくと、三さん十じゅっ分ぷんはかかります。

Walking to the station takes at least thirty minutes.

No less than that, and maybe more.

駅えきまで歩あるくと、三さん十じゅっ分ぷんしかかかりません。

It only takes thirty minutes to walk to the station.

That is not much. With しか the verb turns negative.

も: that many

The amount is more than you expected, and you are surprised, impressed or fed up. It only has to be a lot for the situation: three cakes are a lot for one person.

彼かれは一人ひとりでケーキを三さん個こも食たべた。

He ate three cakes all by himself.

このノート、一いっ冊さつ五ご千せん円えんもしたの？

This notebook cost five thousand yen?

English often has no word for this も. It leans on the number.

小ちいさな店みせなのに、開かい店てん前まえから三さん十じゅう人にんも並ならんでいた。

It's only a small shop, but thirty people were lined up before it even opened.

With 何なん in place of the number it means "many": 何なん回かいも, "many times"; 何なん年ねんも, "for years".

何なん回かいも電でん話わしましたが、だれも出でませんでした。

I called many times, but nobody answered.

は: at least that many

You are estimating, and this is the floor: it won't be less. It is common with かかる, 必ひつ要ようだ and でしょう.

修しゅう理りには一いっ週しゅう間かんはかかるでしょう。

The repair will probably take at least a week.

この会かい場じょうには百ひゃく人にんは入はいれます。

This hall can hold at least a hundred people.

一いち度どは富ふ士じ山さんに登のぼってみたいです。

I'd like to climb Mt. Fuji at least once.

一いち度どは is "at least once".

一人ひとりも, 一いち度ども: not even one

With a negative verb, 一人ひとりも, 一ひとつも and 一いち度ども are "not even one": nobody, nothing, never.

教きょう室しつには学がく生せいが一人ひとりもいません。

There isn't a single student in the classroom.

京きょう都とには一いち度ども行いったことがありません。

I have never once been to Kyoto.

Close neighbours

三さん人にんしか～ないN4

The opposite of も: "only" that many, fewer than you wanted. The verb is always negative.

会かい議ぎには十じゅう人にん必ひつ要ようでしたが、三さん人にんしか来きませんでした。

We needed ten people for the meeting, but only three came.

以い上じょうN4

For a rule or a limit: exactly that number or more. は is a rough floor in an estimate.

本ほんを二に冊さつ以い上じょう買かうと、送そう料りょうが無む料りょうになります。

If you buy two or more books, shipping is free.

もN5

After a noun, も is "too".

私わたしは学がく生せいです。妹いもうとも学がく生せいです。

I am a student. My younger sister is a student too.

Check yourself

1What does this mean?

昨日きのうはコーヒーを五ご杯はいも飲のみました。

Choose an answer to see why.

2What does this mean?

空くう港こうまで二に時じ間かんはかかります。

Choose an answer to see why.

3Which one fits?

今日きょうはお客きゃくさんが一人ひとりも（　　）。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

With a negative verb, は is often "less than": 駅えきまで十じゅっ分ぷんはかかりません, "it takes less than ten minutes to get to the station".

Before あれば, も is a generous guess at what will be enough: 十じゅっ分ぷんもあれば着つきます, "ten minutes is plenty to get there".

少すくなくとも, "at least", often comes in front of the は kind: 少すくなくとも三みっ日かはかかります, "it will take three days at the very least".

More sentences

予よ約やくが取とれるまで、電でん話わを二に十じゅっ回かいもかけた。

I called twenty times before I got a reservation.

彼かの女じょはこの本ほんを一いち日にちで百ひゃくページも読よんだ。

She read a hundred pages of this book in one day.

駅えきから海かい岸がんまで十じゅっキロも歩あるいた。

We walked a full ten kilometers from the station to the coast.

この小ちいさな箱はこには写しゃ真しんが二に百ひゃく枚まいも入はいっている。

There are as many as two hundred photographs in this small box.

引ひっ越こしには段だんボール箱ばこが二に十じゅっ個こは必ひつ要ようです。

We will need at least twenty cardboard boxes for the move.

この本ほんを読よむには三さん時じ間かんは必ひつ要ようだ。

You need at least three hours to read this book.

毎まい月つき、交こう通つう費ひに一いち万まん円えんは使つかいます。

I spend at least 10,000 yen on transportation every month.

Compared with similar forms

Ways to say "even"