何なん遍べん

な

ん

べ

ん

Common wordJLPTN1

Meanings

1

how many times; how often

Asks about the number of occurrences or repetitions. Often used with verbs of action or experience.

この映えい画がは何なん遍べん見みても面おも白しろい。
This movie is interesting no matter how many times I watch it.
東とう京きょうには何なん遍べん行いったことがありますか。
How many times have you been to Tokyo?

See all 6 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

何なん遍べん〈動どう詞し〉てもno matter how many times one does <verb>
何なん遍べん説せつ明めいしても、彼かれは理り解かいしてくれない。
No matter how many times I explain it, he just doesn't understand.
これで何なん遍べん目めasking what number this occurrence is (e.g. 'how many times is this now?')
同おなじミスをするのはこれで何なん遍べん目めだ。
This is how many times now that you've made the same mistake?

Expressions

何なん遍べんもrepeatedly; many times; over and over

Grammar

一人ひとり・二に本ほん・三さん冊さつnumbers and countersN5

Kanji

何what
遍everywhere, times, widely

Related words

何なん回かいN5
何回 is the plain, everyday way to ask 'how many times,' while 何遍 sounds a bit more colloquial or emphatic, often implying repeated effort.
何なん度どN1
何度 can ask about frequency or degree (like temperature), whereas 何遍 only counts occurrences.
幾いく度どN1
何遍 is a colloquial, regional-flavored way to ask 'how many times', while 幾度 sounds more refined and is common in narrative or poetic contexts.

Written forms

何なん遍べん
Standard kanji spelling; the counter 遍 is used for occurrences or repetitions.
何なんべん
Mixed kana spelling; common in casual writing or when the kanji 遍 is considered difficult.

Etymology

Compound of 何 (nan, 'what') and the counter 遍 (ben, 'times' or 'occurrences'). The counter 遍 is used for repetitions of an action.